Puff pastries filled with a creamy, herb-flecked sauce get topped with fresh tarragon for a savory treat.
Creamed Tarragon Chicken and Bacon Vol-au-Vents
MAKES 24 SERVINGS
Ingredients
- 48 ready-to-bake round puff pastry shells*
- 1 (16-ounce) package thick-cut bacon, cut into ½-inch pieces
- 1½ teaspoons kosher salt, divided
- 3 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs, chopped
- 1½ cups finely chopped red onion
- 1 cup chopped celery
- 2 tablespoons minced garlic
- ¼ cup unsalted butter
- 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 cups chicken stock
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme
- ½ teaspoon ground red pepper
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- Garnish: fresh tarragon leaves, fresh thyme leaves, thinly sliced green onions
Instructions
- Bake pastry shells according to package directions until golden brown and puffed. Use tip of a knife to remove lids; discard or reserve for another use. Remove any uncooked pastry on inside of shells by scraping with tines of a fork. Set shells aside.
- In a heavy-duty Dutch oven, cook bacon over medium heat, stirring of en, until crisp, about 10 minutes. Remove using a slotted spoon, reserving 2 tablespoons drippings in pan; let drain on paper towels.
- Sprinkle 1 teaspoon salt on chicken. In Dutch oven with reserved bacon drippings, cook chicken over medium heat, stirring often, until cooked through, about 8 to 10 minutes. (Chicken doesn’t have to be brown.) Remove chicken from pan using a slotted spoon; set aside.
- In same pan, cook onions, celery, and garlic over medium heat, stirring often, until onions are soft, about 10 minutes. Remove and set aside.
- In same pan, heat butter over medium heat until melted. Add flour, whisking until mixture begins to brown, about 2 to 3 minutes. Whisk in stock and cream. Bring to a boil over high heat, whisking constantly; reduce heat to medium-low and simmer. Add cooked chicken, bacon, and onion mixture; cook until mixture begins to thicken, about 6 to 8 minutes. Stir in tarragon, thyme, red pepper, black pepper, and remaining ½ teaspoon salt.
- For each serving, spoon about ⅓ cup chicken mixture into each of 2 pastry shells. Garnish with tarragon, thyme, and green onions, if desired.
Notes
*We used Pepperidge Farm Puff Pastry Shells.
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