Stuffed Vol-au-Vent with Tuna

A finger food to eat in one bite, perfect for aperitifs, as a starter or for a standing dinner.

Personally, I love Vol-au-Vent, small puff pastry baskets, because they are quick to prepare (especially if you buy the ready-made baskets) and because they lend themselves to a thousand types of fillings.

For the filling today, I used a quick tuna mousse reminiscent of a Tuna Sauce, from the classic and timeless Vitello Tonnato.

The Stuffed Vol-au-Vent with Tuna are very easy to make and quick to prepare, perfect for any occasion, whether as an aperitif or a snack, practical and appetizing, visually appealing and perfect for holiday tables like Christmas, Easter, and New Year’s, but also to enjoy every day if you’re in the mood for a practical and tasty snack.

Making them at home is very simple; you will only need a roll of puff pastry and a few other simple ingredients to create these small delights. Then for filling them, you can explore a thousand different versions beyond the one proposed today such as: Gorgonzola and Walnuts, Shrimp and Pink Sauce, Salmon and Cream Cheese, or whatever your taste and imagination suggest.

And if you want to save time, you can opt for ready-made Vol-au-Vent which can now be found easily in any supermarket or bakery and you will only have to fill them: in any case, it will be a success.

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Difficulty: Very Easy
Cost: Economical
Preparation time: 15 Minutes
Cooking time: 12 Minutes
Portions: 12 vol-au-vent
Cuisine: Italian

296.60 Kcal

calories per serving

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Energy 296.60 (Kcal)
Carbohydrates 20.83 (g) of which sugars 0.40 (g)
Proteins 10.61 (g)
Fat 18.85 (g) of which saturated 3.00 (g)of which unsaturated 14.59 (g)
Fibers 0.91 (g)
Sodium 202.51 (mg)

Indicative values for a portion of 2 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA^* and FoodData Central^** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.

^* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ^** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov

Ingredients

2 rolls puff pastry (rectangular)
1 egg
4.23 oz tuna in oil
2 tbsp mayonnaise
0.35 oz capers in salt

Tools

Pastry Ring
Baking Tray
Bowl

Steps

First of all, prepare the Vol-au-Vent. Unroll the puff pastry, then cut 24 circles using a pastry cutter with a 2-inch diameter. Set aside 12 which will be the base of the vol-au-vent. At this point, using a smaller pastry cutter (about 1.18 inches), create a hole in the remaining 12 circles, removing the puff pastry from the center of the circles: thus creating rings.
Take the 12 bases, brush the edges with beaten egg yolk, stick a ring on top of each one, and lightly press so that the two parts adhere firmly. Prick the inner part with a fork to prevent it from puffing up during baking. Bake in a preheated convection oven at 356°F for about 15 minutes. They should become puffed and golden. Remove from the oven and let them cool before filling.
In the meantime, prepare the Tuna filling. Pour the tuna drained from its oil into a plate and break it up with a fork, add the mayonnaise and finely chopped capers, mix well to obtain a homogeneous cream. If you prefer a smoother and less coarse tuna cream, I recommend pouring all the ingredients into a blender and blending for a few minutes.
Now you are ready to prepare your puff pastry baskets. Fill the vol-au-vent with the prepared tuna cream using 2 spoons, decorate with a few capers and serve immediately. I recommend not putting the filling inside the Vol-au-Vent too far in advance, otherwise, the puff pastry tends to soften and loses its crunchiness.

VARIATIONS

Other tasty ideas for filling your puff pastry baskets are

Vol-au-Vent with Pink Sauce and Shrimp

Vol-au-Vent with Mortadella Mousse

Vol-au-Vent with Cheese Fondue

Vol-au-Vent with Gorgonzola and Walnuts

STORAGE

Vol-au-Vent with Tuna Sauce should be consumed immediately once filled. The empty base, however, can be stored in an airtight container, outside the fridge for a maximum of one week. Alternatively, it can be frozen.

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