Mushroom & Truffle Vol Au Vent Recipe

Preheat and prepare pastry

Preheat oven to 200°C (400°F). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Unfold both puff pastry sheets on a lightly floured surface and gently roll each to a uniform 2–3 mm thickness.

Cut and layer rings

Using a 7 cm (about 2.75 in) round cutter, cut 8 circles (4 from each sheet). Using a smaller 4 cm cutter, cut a hole from the center of 8 of those circles to make rings. Place the full circles (bases) on the baking sheet and brush lightly around the edges with a little beaten egg wash (mix egg yolk + cold water + pinch of salt). Place the rings on top of the bases and gently press the edges to seal, creating 8 stacked shells. Chill in the refrigerator for 10 minutes to relax the pastry.

Dock and egg wash

Lightly prick the center (the hollow) of each assembled shell with a fork to allow steam to escape but avoid piercing the outer rim. Brush the exposed rims with remaining egg wash. Optionally sprinkle a pinch of salt on each rim.

Bake

Bake at 200°C (400°F) for 18–22 minutes, until deep golden and fully puffed. If centers puff up too much, gently press down the center with the back of a spoon halfway through baking. Remove from oven and cool on a rack. When cool, remove the inner top layer if needed to create a stable cavity for the filling; reserve pastry tops for serving if desired.

Prep mushrooms

While shells bake, trim and slice all mushrooms to roughly uniform sizes so they cook evenly. Finely mince the shallot and garlic; pick thyme leaves from stems and chop parsley.

Sauté aromatics

Heat a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add butter and olive oil. When butter foams, add minced shallot and cook 1–2 minutes until translucent. Add garlic and cook 30 seconds until fragrant, taking care not to burn.

Cook mushrooms

Add the sliced mushrooms to the pan in a single layer if possible. Leave undisturbed for 2 minutes to encourage browning, then stir occasionally for 4–5 more minutes until mushrooms release their moisture and are golden. Stir in thyme and season with half the salt and pepper.

Deglaze

Pour in the white wine or sherry and scrape up browned bits from the pan. Let the alcohol reduce by about half (about 1–2 minutes).

Simmer with stock

Add the stock and bring to a gentle simmer. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until the liquid reduces by about half, about 4–5 minutes. This concentrates mushroom flavor and prevents a watery filling.

Finish sauce

Stir in the heavy cream and Dijon mustard. Simmer gently for 1–2 minutes until slightly thickened. Taste and adjust seasoning with remaining salt and pepper. Remove from heat and stir in truffle oil and chopped parsley. If you prefer a silkier texture, stir in 20–30 g of grated Parmesan now to melt into the sauce.

Hold filling

Keep filling warm on lowest heat setting, stirring occasionally, or transfer to a warm bowl and cover. The filling should be thick but spoonable — not runny — so it sits in the vol-au-vent shells.

Rewarm shells briefly in a 160°C (325°F) oven for 3–4 minutes if they have cooled and lost some crispness. Spoon 2–3 tablespoons of the mushroom and truffle filling into each vol-au-vent shell, filling to just below the rim.

Sprinkle a little grated Parmesan over the filling in each shell (about 1 teaspoon each). Drizzle a tiny amount (a few drops) of extra truffle oil over each filled vol-au-vent to intensify aroma.

Garnish each with a few microgreens or a small pinch of chopped parsley. Serve immediately while shells are crisp and filling is warm.