Curried Chicken Vol-au-Vent
Ingredients
For the filling:
- 3 tablespoons olive oil (or virgin coconut oil)
- 2 teaspoons ground coriander
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste
- 3/4 teaspoon sea salt
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon peeled and grated fresh ginger
- 2 medium sweet potatoes (approx. 450g), peeled and cubed into 1 cm pieces
- 200 ml coconut milk
- 60 ml chicken broth (or water, 1/4 cup)
- 700 g chicken breast filets (boneless, skinless), cut into 2.5 cm cubes
- 1 cup frozen peas, thawed (160 g)
- 1 small bunch fresh coriander leaves, finely chopped (3-4 tablespoons)
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint leaves, finely chopped
- 2 green onions, finely chopped
- 1 red chili pepper, thinly sliced or seeded and finely chopped (optional, for heat)
For serving:
- 12 small vol-au-vent puff pastry cases/shells
Method
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Cook the aromatics: Heat the oil in a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and grated ginger, and sauté for 1 minute until fragrant.
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Cook the sweet potatoes and spices: Stir in the sweet potatoes, ground coriander, cumin, cinnamon, turmeric, cayenne pepper, salt, and black pepper. Mix well and cook for 3 minutes, stirring often, to allow the spices to coat the sweet potatoes.
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Simmer with chicken: Pour in the coconut milk and chicken broth, stirring to combine. Add the cubed chicken, cover the skillet, reduce the heat to medium-low, and simmer for 10 minutes. Stir occasionally, until the chicken is cooked through and the sweet potatoes are tender.
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Add finishing touches: Stir in the thawed peas, fresh coriander, mint, green onions, and red chili (if using). Cook for an additional 2 minutes to meld the flavours. Taste and adjust salt as needed.
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Prepare the pastry cases: Shortly before serving, preheat the oven to 170°C (or follow the instructions on the puff pastry packaging). Bake the vol-au-vent cases for 5-6 minutes until golden and crisp. Remove from the oven and set aside.
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Assemble and serve: Spoon the curry filling into the warm puff pastry shells. Serve immediately and enjoy!
Notes
- Phyllo variation: Skip the vol-au-vent shells and serve as a skillet pie with crispy phyllo topping. Preheat the oven to 190°C. Brush 6 sheets of phyllo dough with oil, scrunch each one, and bake on a parchment-lined tray for 6–8 minutes until golden. Place the crispy phyllo on top of the curry, served directly in the skillet.
- Make-ahead tip: Prepare the filling a day ahead and store it in the refrigerator. Reheat gently before serving with freshly baked pastry shells.
- Vegetarian option: Replace chicken with chickpeas for a meat-free version.
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