Here is a quick and easy recipe proving that great French food doesn’t require a tall hat and a fancy kitchen.

Vol-au-vent, literally means flying in the”flying in the wind”, and  this light an airy dish is just that. There are a million and one ways to make  this classic lidded shell  dish.This vol-au-vent is well grounded in tradition. However, to make  it super easy for the home cook, the  shells  are made from store bought puff pastry and stuffed with a creamy mushroom duxelles. The mushroom filling is earthy and woodsy from mushrooms and thyme, with a smooth finish from the crème fraîche.

Vol-au-vent, is  French Classic in a flash and it is perfect for a Meatless Monday Meal.

Enjoy!

Serves 4

Ingredients:

1 sheet of frozen puff pastry, thawed but very cold
1 1/2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
8 ounces  mixed mushrooms, coarsely chopped
1 whole, smashed garlic clove
2 stems fresh thyme
1 Tablespoon dry white wine
2 Tablespoons crème fraîche

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400°F.
Lightly flour a cutting board, and place the pastry on it. Cut out 9 circles from the pastry using a 2.5-inch biscuit cutter. Use a 1.5-inch biscuit cutter to make an indent (not all the way through) in the center of each pastry circle.

Bake the puff pastry for 20 minutes

Meanwhile, make the mushroom filling mixture. Melt the butter in a wide sauté pan. Add the mushrooms, garlic, and thyme. Sauté the mixture over medium heat for about 4 minutes, until the mushrooms have greatly shrunk in size and the pan has dried out. Season with salt and pepper, and add the wine. Allow to reduce. Remove the garlic and thyme stems from the pan, and take the pan off the heat. Stir in the crème fraîche.

Use a paring knife to gently remove the center disc from each puff pastry shell and reserve. Fill the cavity with the mushroom mixture, and replace the pastry disc and serve immediately.