Vol-au-vents with Chicken and Asparagus

Name: Vol-au-vents with Chicken and Asparagus
Prep time: 55 min
Cook time: 130 min
Total time: 185 min
Yield: 4 servings personer
Cuisine: danish
Ingredients: 1.8 kg stewing hen; 3 l water; 2 carrots, cut into large pieces; 1 leek, rinsed and cut into large pieces; 1 onion, halved; 2 bay leaves; 1 tsp whole peppercorns; 2 tsp salt; 60 g butter; 60 g all-purpose flour; 6 dl chicken broth, from the poaching liquid; 3 dl heavy cream; 2 jar white asparagus; 1 dl asparagus liquid, from the jars; 1 pinch nutmeg, freshly grated; salt; white pepper; 12 puff pastry tarteletter; 1 handful fresh parsley, finely chopped

Classic Danish lunch dish: crisp puff pastry tarteletter filled with creamy chicken stew and white asparagus from the stewing hen's own broth.

🍽️ 4 servings personer⏱️ 3 h 5 min (55 min active)danish

The hen first becomes a clear, flavorful broth and tender meat, while the asparagus and tarteletter are readied at the end. As the meat cools, the broth is strained into a creamy stew, which only meets the crisp shells at the table. The smooth roux-based sauce determines whether the filling turns out silky.

Ingredients

Poaching the Hen

1.8 kg stewing hen
3 l water
2 carrots, cut into large pieces
1 leek, rinsed and cut into large pieces
1 onion, halved
2 bay leaves
1 tsp whole peppercorns
2 tsp salt

The Asparagus Stew

60 g butter
60 g all-purpose flour
6 dl chicken broth, from the poaching liquid
3 dl heavy cream
2 jar white asparagus
1 dl asparagus liquid, from the jars
1 pinch nutmeg, freshly grated
salt
white pepper

To Serve

12 puff pastry tarteletter
1 handful fresh parsley, finely chopped

How to make it

Place the stewing hen breast-side down in a large pot and pour the water over it so the bird is just covered. Bring it slowly to a boil uncovered, skimming off the gray foam with a spoon until the surface runs clear. If you don't skim it off, the broth will turn cloudy and slightly bitter. ⏱ 15 min
Add the carrots, leek, onion, bay leaves, peppercorns, and salt. Cover with the lid and reduce the heat so the water just barely simmers. Let the hen simmer for 90-120 minutes, until the meat is cooked through and pulls away from the thighbone without resistance (internal temperature at least 75°C). ⏱ 1 h 30 min–2 h · passive
Chef's tip A few bubbles every couple of seconds is plenty: below boiling, the connective tissue melts into gelatin while the meat holds on to its juices. A hard boil shreds the breast and dries it out long before the thigh is tender.
Lift the hen onto a platter with a slotted spoon and let it cool for 20 minutes, until you can handle it without burning your fingers. ⏱ 20 min · passive
Strain the hot broth through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl and discard the vegetables, bay leaves, and peppercorns, which have now given up everything they have. Measure out 6 dl for the stew.
Chef's tip Let the broth settle for a couple of minutes and skim off the glossy layer of fat first, or it will sit as a greasy film on the stew. And never press the vegetables through the sieve — that turns the broth cloudy.
Pick the meat from the cooled hen into bite-sized flakes and discard the skin and bones. The meat should be so tender that it falls off the bone almost on its own. ⏱ 15 min
Pour the asparagus into a sieve set over a bowl and reserve 1 dl of the liquid. Let the spears drain completely so they don't water down the stew, then cut them into 3 cm pieces.
Chef's tip Jarred asparagus liquid carries most of the jar's salt, so treat that 1 dl as seasoning and hold back when you salt at the end. Taste it on a spoon first — some brands are markedly saltier than others.
Preheat the oven to 200°C.
Melt the butter in a heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat and sprinkle in the flour while stirring. Stir the roux for 2 minutes, until it foams lightly and smells nutty without taking on color.
Chef's tip Stop the moment it foams and smells of warm biscuit, still pale as sand. Let it brown and the flour's thickening power drops noticeably, and the pale colour the dish wants is gone.
Gradually add the strained chicken broth and the reserved asparagus liquid a little at a time, whisking constantly, until the stew is completely smooth and glossy. If the liquid is added too quickly, the flour will form lumps.
Chef's tip The first splashes should thicken to a stiff, glossy paste before the next goes in — that's what breaks the flour up. Once it flows like a smooth sauce you can add faster.
Stir in the cream and let the stew simmer over low heat for 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it's thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
Chef's tip The stew must actually reach a lazy simmer, not just steam, before the flour gives its full thickening and loses its raw taste. Draw a finger across the coated spoon — the line should hold clean.
Gently fold the picked chicken meat and the drained asparagus into the stew and let it heat through for 4 minutes, until the filling is steaming. Stir only lightly with a rubber spatula, as the asparagus is tender and will otherwise fall apart.
Season the stew to taste with salt, white pepper, and the freshly grated nutmeg. The broth is already salted from the poaching, so taste your way forward in small increments.
Place the tarteletter on a baking sheet and warm them in the preheated oven for 5 minutes, until the puff pastry is crisp and smells freshly baked. ⏱ 5 min · passive
Set the warm tarteletter out on a platter with the stew in a warm bowl alongside. Sprinkle the parsley over the filling. Each guest fills their own three tarteletter on their plate at the table just before eating, so the pastry doesn't have time to go soft.