These elegant crispy puff pastry shells filled with a delicious creamy seafood sauce are the ultimate festive appetizer. Light and flavorful, they will impress your guests with their contrast between golden puff pastry and succulent filling.
⏱️65 min
📊Medium
👥6 servings
🍽️Starter
festivequick
Ingredients
320 gpuff pastry
250 gpeeled shrimp
200 gscallops
40 gbutter
2 piècesshallots
250 mlheavy crème fraîche
100 mldry white wine
1 pièceegg yolk
2 pincéessalt and white pepper
1 cuillère à soupefresh tarragon
Instructions
1PREPARE THE PUFF PASTRY: Preheat your oven to 200°C (thermostat 6-7). Gently unroll the puff pastry on a lightly floured work surface. Using a round pastry cutter 8 cm in diameter, cut out 12 even discs. Place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, spacing them about 3 cm apart. Lightly brush each disc with the egg yolk that has been whisked to achieve a golden and shiny glaze. Let rest 10 minutes in the refrigerator to prevent the pastry from collapsing during baking.
2BAKE THE VOL-AU-VENT: Bake for 25 to 30 minutes until the pastries are puffed and golden with a beautiful blonde color. The pastry must be crispy to the touch. Remove from the oven and let cool slightly. Using a small sharp knife, carefully cut a small lid from the top of each vol-au-vent (approximately 1/3 of the surface) and gently hollow out the inside to create a cavity without piercing the bottom.
3PREPARE THE SEAFOOD: Peel and finely chop the shallots. Quickly rinse the shrimp and scallops with cold water, then gently pat dry with paper towels. Slice the scallops in half horizontally if they are too large to ensure even cooking. Peel the shrimp if not already done by removing the head and shell, keeping the tail for final presentation if desired.
4PREPARE THE CREAMY SAUCE: Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat without letting it brown. Add the chopped shallots and let them become translucent and tender for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring regularly. Pour in the dry white wine and let reduce by half for about 3 minutes, which will concentrate the flavors and allow the alcohol to evaporate. This reduction creates a flavorful base for the sauce.
5COOK THE SEAFOOD: Increase the heat slightly and add the shrimp and scallops to the saucepan. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes, gently stirring with a wooden spoon, until the shrimp become opaque and bright pink and the scallops are opaque and firm. Be careful not to cook them too long as they will become rubbery. Pour in the crème fraîche in a thin stream while stirring continuously to create a smooth and velvety sauce.
6FINISH AND PLATE: Simmer the sauce for 2 minutes over low heat, stirring gently so all elements are infused with flavor. Season generously with salt and white pepper. Remove from heat and sprinkle the finely chopped fresh tarragon into the filling, reserving some for final garnish. Generously fill each hollowed vol-au-vent with this rich seafood sauce, place the small puff pastry lid on the side for an elegant presentation, and serve immediately while the vol-au-vent are still hot and crispy.