Mushroom and Asparagus Vol-au-Vent

Cook Time 1 hour 30 minutes

Servings 4

Ingredients

2 x 375g rolls of good quality butter puff pastry, thawed

1 egg yolk

Salt and pepper

Mushroom Filling

1 tbsp olive oil

25g butter

600g button mushrooms, halved

20g of dry porcini, rehydrated in 200ml warm water

2 French shallots, finely chopped

6 asparagus, trimmed

50ml dry white wine

150ml cooking cream

Method

Preheat the oven at 190°C and line a baking tray with baking paper.

Using a 10 cm diameter cutter, cut out 12 circles of pastry. Using a 5 cm cutter, indent 4 of the pastry circles to form a round border. Place 4 more pastry circles on top of the other indented ones and again, press the 5 cm cutter into pastry to indent. Repeat again so there are three layers. Brush the 4 pastry bundles with the egg wash.

Bake for about 25 - 30 minutes or until they have raised and are golden. Cool.

With a small sharp knife cut around the vol au vent indent and gently push down to hollow out. Alternatively, pick out the small pastry circle and reserve to top the finished vol au vent with a ‘hat’.

For the filling, Blanch the asparagus in salted boiling water until tender. Cut into 4 batons and reserve for later.

In a frying pan melt the butter and oil over a medium-high heat and fry the shallots until soft. Add the button mushrooms and the porcini and sauté for about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Deglaze with wine and then add the cream. Simmer to thicken the cream. Add the asparagus batons.

Fill the vol aux vents with the mushroom and asparagus mixture. Replace the little hat on top and place in a warm oven for 5 to 10 minutes just before serving.