Vol en Vent aux Jacquier et Champignons (Puff Pastry with Jackfruit and Champignon filling)
Vol en Vent – the lightness of something flying with the wind or being light as the wind. Or something wind-like such as a nice puff pastry, as “vol-au-vent”, meaning “windblown” in French, refers to the light, airy quality of the puff pastry. While it is a staple in French culinary tradition, it is also popular in Belgium and other countries. While there is no reference to chicken in the name itself, it is often associated with a chicken filled puff pastry. This is why I chose to use the meat-based version as a basis for my own creation.
Recently, we discovered Green Jackfruit preserved in salt water and sold – who would belive that – in the only organic shop in our region! High was the excitement about this discovery, and we decided to give it a try. This recipe is the first one that I have ever made with this Jackfruit! So I am literally a virgin with this ingredient. However, even higher was the excitement when I sat down with my husband to have the first bite into this vol en vent filled with a champignon-jackfruit-cream sauce. Wow, I was delighted! You can really fool someone saying this is chicken-champignon-cream! Even if I feel more and more resistance to calling any dish that I prepare by an animal’s (dead) name! And I want to highlight here, that I found the taste of the Jackfruit, browned in the pan with a little olive oil, so good, that I can easily drop the idea of having to replace anything meat-based in my life!
So I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we did. And that you are as lucky as we were to find a jar with this Green Jackfruit in your local shop. If not, don’t be sad, only the homemade puff pastry, the champignons and the cream alone make this dish a true treat!
INGREDIENTS
- Vegan Puff Pastry – I made my own, which turned out to be easier than I had always believed it would be. Feel free to follow my recipe for a Homemade Vegan Puff Pastry, or see if you can find a vegan puff pastry in your local shop.
- Young Jackfruit – I used “Organic Young Jackfruit Chunks” by Clearspring. If you are lucky to have this fruit in your garden or access to fresh green Jackfruits on the market, you can of course take those ones (see that you boil them before use).
- Champignons – any type works here.
- Homemade Vegan Cream – this is an accidental invention of mine, derived from homemade cream cheese making that did not work. See the recipe instructions to make your own. Alternatively, you can use storebought liquid cream (not the one for whipping, but for cooking) and mix it with a little water.
- Oil – whatever oil you prefer.
- Fresh and/or dried herbs – parsley, herbes de Provence, thyme etc.
- Vegetable broth – homemade or storebought in cubes/powder
- Flour for dusting – simple flour, for a gluten-free preparation choose gluten-free oat flour or similar.
- Plant milk – soy or oat works best here.
Vol en Vent aux Jacquier et Champignons (Puff Pastry with Jackfruit and Champignon filling)
Ingredients
- 1/2 homemade vegan puff pastry or storebought vegan puff pastry
- 1 tbsp plant milk
- 5 chunks Young Jackfruit in the jar/can
- 5-6 medium champignons
- 1 tbsp flour
- 1 tsp vegetable broth powder or cube
- 1/2-3/4 cup water
- 3/4 cup homemade vegan cream or storebought vegan cream for cooking
- 1 tbsp fresh or dried herbs
- salt and pepper
- olive oil
Instructions
Bake the puff pastry
- Preheat your oven to 180 degrees.
- On a floured surface, roll out the puff pastry (5-7 mm) and cut out 8 discs of 7-10 cm.
- From 4 of the 8, cut out smaller discs, in order to get rings. Preserve the inner discs.
- Place the rings on top of the larger discs, transfer them onto a baking tray lined with parchment paper and brush the surface of the dough lightly with the plant milk. Place the smaller discs next to them, brush also with milk.
- Bake until golden brown.
Prepare the sauce
- Cut the harder parts off the Jackfruit chunks. With your fingers, divide the softer parts in little pieces, with a knife cut the harder parts in small pieces.
- Wash and cut the champignons in small pieces.
- In a pan, sauté the jackfruit in a little oil until nicely roasted. Set aside.
- Bring the water and the vegetable broth to a boil.
- In a saucepan, sauté the champignons in little oil until nicely soft. Dust with the flour, stir, brown for ca. 1/2 to 1 minute, stirring regularly. Add the vegetable broth, stir. Add the herbs.
- Once the sauce has thickened, add the cream and season with salt and pepper.
Assemble
- Fill the puff pastry with the sauce, place one small disc on top of each. Serve warm or cold, with salad or potatoes aside.
