Recipe: Crawfish Vol-au-Vent - A - puff pastry shell idea for Dave/Bethesda

Hi again Dave :-) I have been thinking about your Puff Pastry Shell dilema and two things came to mind. The first was to suggest Harris Teeter as another possible source for the shells in the DC area. The other idea was that I had remembered Emeril making some for one of his dishes. The following recipe is more to show you how to make them using Puff Pastry Sheets rather than suggesting the filling. Vol-au-vents are the same thing as the puff pastry shells. Instead of triangles as suggested in the recipe, you can use a very sharp round "cookie" cutter, then use a smaller round, sharp "cookie" cutter for the center. You do not want to cut all the way through the dough with the smaller cutter. After they are baked, you can lift the center out of the middle and return the shells to the oven to dry out in the center for a few minutes. After filling, you put the little circles back on top of your filling. The reason you need sharp cutters is so you don't deflate the pastry when you cut through the dough. I actually have a heart shaped vol-au-vent puff pastry cutter that I once found in a kitchen store. It makes the cut, with the smaller center, with just one cut rather than having to make two separate cuts with 2 separate sized cutters. So if all else fails and you can't find them, you could try Emeril's method below. Good luck!

Crawfish Vol-au-Vent
Recipe courtesy of Every Day's a Party, Emeril Lagasse, William Morrow
Yield: 4 servings

1 sheet (about 10 inches square) frozen puff pastry (found in the frozen foods section)
1 large egg, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons bleached all-purpose flour
1/4 cup minced yellow onion
1 teaspoon minced garlic
2 cups chicken broth
1 pound peeled crawfish tails
1/2 teaspoon Creole Seasoning
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon hot sauce
1/4 cup chopped green onions or scallions (green part only)

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment or waxed paper.
Thaw the pastry at room temperature for 20 to 30 minutes before gently unfolding. With a sharp knife, divide the pastry in half, wrap the remaining piece in plastic wrap, and return to the freezer for another use.

Cut the pastry into 4 equal triangles. With the tip of a sharp knife, make a 1/4-inch score on all edges of the triangles, being careful not to cut all the way through. Put them on the prepared baking sheet and brush the tops lightly with the beaten egg. Bake until golden brown, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool.

With the tip of a sharp knife, carefully remove the top of each pastry and set aside.

In a skillet over medium heat, combine the butter and flour and cook, stirring slowly and constantly for 2 to 3 minutes, to make a blond-colored roux. Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Slowly whisk in the broth and cook, whisking occasionally, until it thickens slightly, about 25 minutes.

Season the crawfish with the Creole seasoning and add to the sauce. Cook, stirring, for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the cream, Worcestershire, and hot sauce. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute, then stir in the green onions.

Spoon equal amounts of the crawfish and sauce into the center of the pastries and top with the pastry tops. Serve warm.

Creole Seasoning:
2 1/2 tablespoons sweet paprika
2 tablespoons salt
2 tablespoons garlic powder
1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon cayenne
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon dried thyme

Mix all of the ingredients together and store in an airtight container. Can be stored this way for up to 3 months.