Caviar and Crème Fraîche Vol-au-Vents
By Culiora
Crisp, buttery puff pastry cases are filled with velvety, lemon-scented crème fraîche and finished with a spoonful of briny caviar. The contrast between the warm, flaky pastry and the chilled, rich filling creates an elegant, classic canapé.
- Servings: 4
- Prep time: 25 min
- Cook time: 20 min
- Total time: 45 min
Ingredients
- 1 pcs sheet all-butter puff pastry (thawed, approx. 320 g)
- 1 pcs egg, beaten for egg wash
- 1 tsp water
- 150 g crème fraîche (minimum 30% fat), well chilled
- 1 tsp lemon zest, finely grated
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 1 tbsp fresh chives, finely snipped
- 1 pinch sea salt flakes
- 1 pinch freshly ground white pepper
- 50 g caviar (such as Oscietra, Baerii, or trout roe)
- 12 pcs small fresh dill sprigs
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200°C (180°C fan). Line a large flat baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Unroll the cold puff pastry onto a lightly floured surface. Use a 5 cm fluted round cookie cutter to stamp out 24 rounds. Using a smaller 3.5 cm cutter, stamp out the centers of 12 of the rounds to form rings, leaving 12 solid round bases.
- Whisk the egg with 1 teaspoon of water to make an egg wash. Place the 12 solid rounds on the prepared baking sheet and prick their centers lightly with a fork, avoiding the outer rim. Brush the top rims of the bases lightly with egg wash, being careful not to let it drip down the cut sides.
- Carefully align and place a cut pastry ring on top of each solid base to form the walls. Brush the top surface of the rings with egg wash, again taking care not to drip onto the edges, which prevents even rising.
- Bake for 16–18 minutes until deeply golden, crisp, and puffed tall. Remove from the oven and transfer to a wire rack. If the centers have puffed up, gently press them down with the back of a teaspoon while still warm to hollow out the cavity. Allow them to cool completely.
- In a chilled bowl, whisk the crème fraîche, finely grated lemon zest, lemon juice, snipped chives, a small pinch of sea salt flakes, and white pepper for 30–45 seconds until it holds soft peaks. Transfer the mixture to a piping bag fitted with a medium round or star nozzle.
- Pipe the seasoned crème fraîche into each cooled vol-au-vent cavity, filling it level with the top rim.
- Top each pastry with a generous half teaspoon of caviar and garnish with a tiny sprig of fresh dill. Serve immediately.