Vol-au-vent
Belgium's beloved Sunday classic: tender chicken, little meatballs and mushrooms in a creamy velouté, spooned into crisp puff-pastry shells.
Method
Put the chicken, water, stock cube, onion (peeled, left whole), carrot (in 3 pieces) and bay leaves in a 20 cm pot. Bring to the boil on high heat, skim off the grey foam, then lower to medium-low heat and simmer gently for . The chicken is done when the thickest piece is white all the way through with clear juices (75 °C inside).
Add in this stepBoneless chicken thighs (or breast) 300 gWater 800 mlChicken stock cube 1Onion ½Carrot 1Bay leaves 1
high heat→medium-low heatMeanwhile mix the minced meat, breadcrumbs and salt and roll into marble-sized balls (about 1.5 cm) with damp hands. Lift the chicken onto a plate. Keep the stock bubbling on medium heat, drop in the meatballs and cook for , until they float and feel firm. Scoop them out, strain the stock through a sieve and keep it hot. When the chicken is cool enough to touch, tear it into bite-sized pieces.
Add in this stepMinced pork (or pork and veal) 120 gDry breadcrumbs 10 gSalt 1 pinch
medium heatQuarter the mushrooms. Melt a little of the butter in a 24 cm frying pan on medium-high heat and fry the mushrooms for , stirring now and then, until golden and their liquid has evaporated. Set aside.
Add in this stepButter 9 gButton mushrooms 150 g
medium-high heatMelt the rest of the butter in a pot on medium heat, add the flour and whisk for into a pale, sandy roux; don't let it brown. Pour in the hot stock one ladle at a time, whisking hard after each addition so no lumps form. Stop when the sauce thickly coats a spoon (you will use about two-thirds of the stock), then lower to low heat and simmer for , stirring often so it doesn't catch.
Add in this stepButter 36 gPlain flour 35 g
medium heat→low heatWhile the sauce simmers, preheat the oven to 180 °C. Set the pastry shells and their lids on a baking tray and warm them for , until crisp and fragrant. Watch them closely: they brown fast.
Add in this stepReady-made puff-pastry vol-au-vent shells 4
ovenStir the cream, a squeeze of the lemon juice, the nutmeg and pepper into the sauce, then add the chicken, meatballs and mushrooms. Heat on low heat for , stirring gently, until everything is piping hot. Taste and add salt if needed; if the sauce is too thick, loosen it with a little of the leftover stock.
Add in this stepCream 50 mlLemon (for juice) ¼Ground nutmeg 1 pinchWhite pepper to taste
low heatSet the warm shells on plates, fill them generously and let the extra ragout spill over the side. Sprinkle with parsley, put the lids on top and serve straight away. In Belgium it comes with fries or mashed potato.
Add in this stepChopped parsley 1 tbsp
Cook's tip
The ragout can be made a day ahead and tastes even better; reheat it gently with a splash of stock. Fill the shells only at the last moment, or the pastry turns soggy. No shells? Serve the ragout with fries or over rice.
Cooking it at camp
Make the ragout at home and carry it chilled in a sealed container in the cooler; reheat it in a pot on the camping stove over low heat, stirring all the time. Without an oven, crisp the shells for a minute in a dry, covered pan, or simply serve the ragout with bread or fries.