Description
Le vol-au-vent belge is a classic Belgian dish featuring tender farm chicken simmered in a flavorful vegetable broth, served in delicate puff pastry shells filled with a creamy mushroom sauce enriched with cream and egg yolk. This comforting and rich recipe combines slow-simmered chicken, sautéed mushrooms, and a velvety sauce, perfect as a hearty main course enjoyed with traditional Belgian fries.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Broth and Chicken:
- 1 poulet fermier (farm chicken)
- 1 poireau (leek)
- 1 oignon (onion)
- 2 branches de céleri (celery stalks)
- 2 carottes (carrots)
- 1 bouquet garni (herb bundle)
- Poivre (pepper)
- Sel (salt)
- 1 litre de bouillon de poulet (1 liter chicken broth)
For the Sauce:
- 1 dl de crème fraîche 30% MG (100 ml crème fraîche 30% fat)
- 70 gr de farine (70 g flour)
- 50 gr de beurre (50 g butter)
- Le jus d’ ½ citron (juice of ½ lemon)
- 1 jaune d’œuf (1 egg yolk)
- Poivre (pepper)
Additional Ingredients:
- 4 petits feuilletés (bouchées) (4 small puff pastry shells)
- 250 gr de champignons de Paris (250 g button mushrooms)
- 20 gr de beurre (20 g butter)
Instructions
- Prepare the Broth and Chicken: Wash and roughly chop the carrots, leek, celery stalks, and onion. In a large pot, place the whole farm chicken along with the chopped vegetables and bouquet garni. Cover with water until the chicken is fully submerged. Season with salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and cook gently for 60 minutes to develop a rich broth and tender chicken.
- Sauté the Mushrooms: Meanwhile, clean and thinly slice the mushrooms. In a skillet, melt 20 grams of butter and sauté the mushrooms until lightly browned and tender. Set aside once cooked.
- Strain the Broth and Prepare Sauce Base: Once the chicken is cooked, carefully remove it from the pot. Reserve one liter of the filtered chicken broth for the sauce. In a separate pan, melt 50 grams of butter and sprinkle in the flour to make a roux. Whisk continuously for about one minute to cook the flour.
- Add Broth to Roux: Gradually add the reserved chicken broth to the roux while whisking constantly to create a smooth sauce base without lumps.
- Incorporate Cream and Egg Yolk: In a small bowl, mix the crème fraîche with the egg yolk. Slowly stir this mixture into the sauce base. Add the lemon juice, then season with salt and pepper to taste. Stir well to combine a rich and creamy sauce.
- Combine Chicken and Sauce: Preheat your oven to 180°C (355°F). Cut the cooked chicken into pieces and fold it into the prepared sauce along with the sautéed mushrooms. The vol-au-vent filling is now ready.
- Prepare and Heat Puff Pastry Shells: Place the puff pastry shells on a baking tray and warm them in the preheated oven for about 10 minutes until heated through and crisp.
- Serve: Spoon a generous portion of the vol-au-vent filling into each warm puff pastry shell. Traditionally, serve with Belgian fries on the side. Enjoy your authentic Belgian vol-au-vent!
Notes
- Le vol-au-vent is a beloved Belgian classic enjoyed by all ages, evoking nostalgic childhood memories.
- This dish showcases the traditional Belgian technique of slow-cooking chicken in a broth enriched with fresh vegetables and fragrant herbs.
- The creamy sauce with mushrooms and egg yolk adds luxurious texture and flavor, balancing the delicate puff pastry shells.
- Serve with classic Belgian fries to complete the authentic culinary experience.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 1536 kcal
- Sugar: 6 g
- Sodium: 550 mg
- Fat: 96 g
- Saturated Fat: 45 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 40 g
- Trans Fat: 1 g
- Carbohydrates: 97 g
- Fiber: 6 g
- Protein: 71 g
- Cholesterol: 290 mg
