Vol-au-Vent with Porcini Mushrooms & Scallops

To prepare this recipe for Vol-au-Vent with Porcini Mushrooms & Scallops, start by gathering all the ingredients for the inverted puff pastry.

Inverted puff pastry: Place the flour in a well in the stand mixer bowl. If you don't have a mixer, this step can also be done by hand. In that case, place the flour in a fountain on the work surface. Add the fine salt...

...then the very cold water.

Knead at the lowest speed with the hook attachment until the flour and water are combined, then increase the speed...

...until a dough ball is formed. If working by hand, mix with your fingertips, gradually incorporating the flour to create a homogeneous ball of dough.

Remove the dough from the mixing bowl...

...and wrap it in cling film.

Leave to set in the fridge for at least 30 minutes. This dough can also be prepared the day before and left to rest overnight.

Preparing the lamination butter: Place the flour in a well. Add the tempered butter (or butter for laminating), cut into pieces.

Mix with your fingertips...

...until you get a homogeneous mixture. Shape the butter into a rectangle about 1cm thick.

Wrap it in cling film and let it rest in the fridge for at least 30 minutes. This step can also be done the day before and rested overnight.

Lamination: Place the butter block on a floured work surface.

Roll out the butter lengthwise using a rolling pin.

Flatten the dough into a rectangle and place it on top of the butter, aligning the edges as shown in the photo (the dough's length should be half the butter block's length, and both should be the same width).

Fold the top part of the butter over the dough...

...then fold the bottom part of the butter over the dough, fully enclosing it in the butter.

Roll out the dough lengthwise to about 1cm thick.

For the first double turn: Fold the upper quarter of the dough downwards.

Remove any excess flour using a flour brush or a pastry brush. This is an important step to avoid incorporating excess flour into the dough and altering the original proportions.

Fold the lower quarter of the dough upwards.

Ensure the edges do not meet, leaving about a 2cm gap as shown in the photo.

Finally, fold the dough in half.

You have now completed a double turn, also known as "wallet turn", which counts as two simple turns.

Wrap the dough in cling film and let it rest in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.

Place the dough on the floured work surface, with the folds on the sides (as shown in the photo).

For the second double turn: Roll out the dough lengthwise to about 1cm thick. Using a sheeter is also suitable for this recipe.

Fold the upper quarter of the dough downwards.

Fold the lower quarter of the dough upwards.

Ensure the edges do not meet, leaving about a 2cm gap as shown.

Finally, fold the dough in half. This completes the second double turn. This recipe includes two double turns and one single turn in total.

Wrap the dough in cling film and let it rest in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.

For the single turn: Place the dough on the floured work surface, with the folds on the sides (as shown in the photo).

Roll out the dough lengthwise to about 1cm thick.

Fold the upper third of the dough downwards...

...then fold the remaining third upwards. The three layers should overlap. Wrap the dough in cling film and let it rest in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.

Your inverted puff pastry is now ready. The longer it rests in the fridge before use, the better it will be. For optimal results, I recommend preparing it the day before.

The next day, take the inverted puff pastry out of the fridge and roll it out to a uniform thickness of about 5mm. Cover this pastry sheet with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Refrigeration helps the dough lose its elasticity and prevents shrinking during baking.

Remove the dough from the fridge and peel off the plastic wrap. Using a round fluted cutter Ø 10cm, cut out 12 discs in the puff pastry sheet.

Place 6 of these pastry discs on a perforated baking tray lined with a silicone baking mat. These discs will serve as the bases for the vol-au-vent.

For the remaining 6 discs, use a round plain cutter Ø 6cm to create rings...

...as shown in the photo.

These pastry rings will serve as the tops of the vol-au-vent.

Apply an egg wash (one egg yolk beaten with a tablespoon of water) over the full pastry discs using a pastry brush.

Place the pastry rings on top of the full pastry discs.

Apply a thin layer of egg wash over the top of the vol-au-vent, ensuring there are no drips.

Place stainless steel rings with a height of 4.5cm in each corner of the baking tray...

...and place a heavy baking tray (blue steel tray for instance) on top of the rings. If you don't have a heavy tray, use a regular aluminum tray and place a couple of plates on top to weigh it down. This helps ensure an even rise and shape during baking.

Bake the vol-au-vents in a preheated fan-assisted oven at 180°C for 30 to 35 minutes.

After 30 minutes, remove the top tray and the steel rings, then bake for another 5 to 10 minutes, depending on the desired level of doneness. Don't worry—the top of the pastry will not stick to the upper tray.

When baking is complete, remove the vol-au-vent from the oven and let them cool to room temperature. If the filling is ready and you're serving them immediately, keep them warm in the oven at 120°C.

Preparing the scallops (the day before): Soak the scallops in milk overnight, then drain them on paper towels. If using frozen scallops, soak them in milk while frozen; they will defrost overnight.

Ensure the scallops are thoroughly drained on paper towels.

Filling: Cut the scallops into 1cm cubes using a chef's knife.

Take the porcini mushrooms (fresh, frozen or canned) and cut them into pieces about 1 to 1.5cm in size...

...as shown in the photo.

Finely chop the shallots.

Melt a small portion of the butter in a saucepan.

When the butter starts to sizzle, add the shallots...

...and sweat them in butter, stirring regularly to avoid browning.

Once the shallots are softened, add the Noilly Prat liqueur...

...bring to a boil, and reduce.

There should be no liquid left.

Stir often to make sure the shallots don't stick to the bottom of the pan.

Add the larger portion of butter...

...and let it melt.

Then add the flour all at once...

...and whisk vigorously to combine the flour and butter (this is called a white roux). Ensure it remains pale and doesn't brown!

Gradually add the preheated milk while whisking continuously...

...until the sauce comes to a boil. This is now a béchamel sauce.

Season with freshly ground pepper...

...and fine salt.

You can mix the sauce with a hand blender for a smoother consistency (optional).

Melt a bit of butter in a skillet, as shown in the photo.

Add the porcini mushrooms (defrosted if you're using frozen ones)...

...and sauté them in the sizzling butter...

...until they are fully cooked.

Add the chopped garlic.

Season with fine salt.

Add the scallops, but only once the mushrooms are fully cooked, as scallops cook very quickly.

Gently stir with a silicone spatula to ensure the scallops cook evenly on all sides.

Season with freshly ground pepper.

Scallops are cooked when hot and still silky. They will become rubbery if overcooked.

Pour the scallops into a sieve placed over a bowl to extract any juices.

Add the cooked scallops and mushrooms to the béchamel sauce, keeping it warm.

Stir to coat the scallops and mushrooms in the sauce. If the sauce is too thick, loosen it with the reserved cooking juices, warm milk, or liquid cream until you get the desired consistency.

Plating: Prepare the serving plates.

Place a warm vol-au-vent shell in the centre of the plate. Scoop out the inside with the tip of a knife to make more space for the filling. (The discarded pastry can be used as a lid if you wish.) With a knife handle, press down in the inside of the puff pastry shell to create bigger cavity.

Fill the vol-au-vent with the creamy filling, ensuring there are scallops and mushrooms in every portion.

Finish: Finely chop some chives with herb scissors and sprinkle over the vol-au-vents. Serve hot. Enjoy!