Forest-style vol-au-vent, fresh salad and red fruit crepes

Ingredients

• 2 Shallots (finely sliced)
• 2 Garlic cloves (minced)
• 250 g Button mushrooms (cleaned and sliced)
• 300 g Chicken breast (thinly sliced)
• 2 tbsp Butter (for cooking)
• 1 tbsp Olive oil
• 100 ml Cooking cream (thick crème fraîche)
• 1 tbsp Cornstarch (Maïzena) (diluted in 2 tbsp water)
• 2 tbsp Provençal persillade (store-bought or homemade)
• 100 g Grated cheese (Gruyère or Emmental)
• 4 Ready-to-cook vol-au-vent (puff pastry shells)
• 1 head Lettuce (washed and finely chopped)
• 1 Avocado (diced)
• 200 g Cherry tomatoes (halved)
• 100 g Smoked salmon (sliced)
• 50 g Cheddar (grated)
• 2 tbsp Mayonnaise
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1 tsp White wine vinegar
• Salt & pepper (to taste)
• 250 ml Milk
• 2 Eggs
• 150 g Wheat flour
• 1 pinch Salt (for the dough)
• 1 tsp Vanilla extract
• 1 tbsp Butter (for cooking the crepes) (melted)
• 300 g Frozen mixed red fruits
• 2 tbsp Sugar
• 2 tbsp Water
• 1 tsp Lemon juice
• 200 g Mascarpone
• 2 tbsp Sugar (for the cream)
• 1 tsp Vanilla extract (for the cream)

Instructions

1. Prepare the vegetables for the filling

   Finely slice the shallots and garlic, then cut the button mushrooms into strips.

   Time: PT10M

2. Cook the forest-style filling

   Heat 2 tbsp butter and 1 tbsp olive oil in a sauté pan. Add the shallots and garlic, sauté until translucent. Add the mushrooms, let them release moisture over high heat for 3 min. Stir in the thinly sliced chicken, season with salt and pepper, and brown.

   Time: PT10M

3. Finish the sauce

   Pour in the cooking cream, add the cornstarch previously diluted in 2 tbsp water, stir until thickened. Incorporate 2 tbsp Provençal persillade and adjust seasoning.

   Time: PT5M

4. Stuff and gratinate the vol-au-vent

   Fill each vol-au-vent shell with the filling, sprinkle with grated cheese. Place on a baking sheet and bake at 180°C for 12‑15 min until the cheese is golden.

   Time: PT15M

   Temperature: 180°C

5. Prepare the salad

   Wash and finely chop the lettuce, avocado, and cherry tomatoes. Add the sliced smoked salmon and grated cheddar. Set aside.

   Time: PT10M

6. Prepare the vinaigrette

   Mix 2 tbsp mayonnaise, 1 tsp mustard, 1 tsp vinegar, salt, pepper and 1 tbsp persillade. Refrigerate.

   Time: PT5M

7. Prepare the crepe batter

   In the shaker, pour the milk, eggs, vanilla, then add the flour and salt. Close and shake vigorously for 30 s. Let rest for 1 h in the refrigerator.

   Time: PT1H

8. Cook the crepes

   Heat a non‑stick pan, lightly grease with melted butter. Pour a small ladle of batter, spread, cook 1 min each side until golden. Repeat to make 8 crepes.

   Time: PT8M

9. Prepare the red fruit compote

   In a saucepan, combine the frozen red fruits, 2 tbsp sugar, 2 tbsp water and lemon juice. Cook over medium heat for 20 min, stirring regularly until syrupy.

   Time: PT20M

10. Lightly blend the compote

    Use an immersion blender to smooth the compote, leaving a few small pieces for texture.

    Time: PT2M

11. Prepare the mascarpone cream

    In a bowl, beat the mascarpone with 2 tbsp sugar and 1 tsp vanilla extract until smooth.

    Time: PT2M

12. Assemble the dessert crepes

    Spread a thin layer of mascarpone cream on each crepe, add a spoonful of red fruit compote, fold or roll the crepe. Place on a plate, garnish with a few fresh red fruits.

    Time: PT5M

Nutrition Facts

Calories

650

Protein

30 g

Carbohydrates

55 g

Fat

35 g

Fiber

8 g

Ingredient Substitutions

• Instead of Shallots: sweet onion
• Instead of Garlic cloves: garlic powder (½ tsp)
• Instead of Button mushrooms: porcini, mixed mushrooms
• Instead of Chicken breast: turkey, firm tofu
• Instead of Butter: olive oil
• Instead of Olive oil: canola oil
• Instead of Cooking cream (thick crème fraîche): 30% liquid cream
• Instead of Cornstarch (Maïzena): potato starch
• Instead of Provençal persillade: herbes de Provence + chopped parsley
• Instead of Grated cheese (Gruyère or Emmental): comté, cheddar
• Instead of Ready-to-cook vol-au-vent: homemade puff pastry cut out
• Instead of Lettuce: mesclun, arugula
• Instead of Avocado: mango, pear
• Instead of Cherry tomatoes: radishes, red bell pepper
• Instead of Smoked salmon: smoked trout, bacon bits
• Instead of Cheddar: gruyère, emmental
• Instead of Mayonnaise: plain yogurt
• Instead of Dijon mustard: old-fashioned mustard
• Instead of White wine vinegar: apple cider vinegar
• Instead of Milk: almond milk
• Instead of Eggs: organic chicken eggs
• Instead of Wheat flour: buckwheat flour
• Instead of Vanilla extract: vanilla sugar
• Instead of Butter (for cooking the crepes): sunflower oil
• Instead of Frozen mixed red fruits: seasonal fresh fruits
• Instead of Sugar: agave syrup
• Instead of Lemon juice: lemon vinegar
• Instead of Mascarpone: sweet ricotta
• Instead of Sugar (for the cream): powdered sugar
• Instead of Vanilla extract (for the cream): vanilla sugar

Equipment Needed

• Chef's knife
• Cutting board
• Sauté pan or sauté skillet
• Oven
• Baking sheet
• Immersion blender or blender (optional)
• Mixing bowl
• Whisk
• Shaker or hand mixer
• Crepe pan (or non‑stick pan)
• Spatula
• Cheese grater (optional)
• Kitchen scale (optional)
• Measuring spoons

Critical Steps — Do Not Skip

• Sauté the shallots and garlic until translucent before adding the mushrooms.
• Let the mushrooms release moisture over high heat to avoid excess water.
• Cook the filling until thickened with cornstarch for a silky texture.
• Gratinate the vol‑au‑vent until the cheese is nicely golden.
• Let the crepe batter rest for 1 h in the fridge for better texture.

Chef Tips from the Video

• Add a pinch of nutmeg to the filling for a subtle note.
• Dust the crepes with powdered sugar before serving for an elegant finish.
• Use freshly chopped parsley instead of store‑bought persillade for more freshness.

Troubleshooting

Storage

Refrigerator: Store the filling, unsalted salad and compote in airtight containers for 3‑4 days.

Freezer: Cooked vol‑au‑vent can be frozen for 1 month; crepes freeze separately between parchment sheets.

Room temperature: Pre‑filled crepes keep up to 2 h at room temperature.

Make-Ahead Tips

• Prepare the forest filling the day before and gently reheat before stuffing the vol‑au‑vent.
• The crepe batter can be made 24 h ahead and kept in the fridge.
• The red fruit compote keeps 3 days refrigerated and can be used as a topping for other desserts.