Oyster Vol Au Vents Recipes

CHEESE AND OYSTER VOL-AU-VENTS

Steps:

• Place half a teaspoon of cream cheese into each vol-au-vent shell.
• Cut oysters in half (or appropriate size for shells) and place on top of cream cheese.
• Combine diced cheddar, parsley, pepper and bread crumbs in a small bowl and mix.
• Place a teaspoon of mixture on top of each oyster.
• Cook in an oven for 10 minutes at 200 Celsius (400 Fahrenheit).
• Allow 5-10 minutes cooling time before serving.

OYSTER VOL-AU-VENTS

Steps:

• Pat the oysters dry with paper towels and set aside.
• Prepare béchamel sauce by combining the milk, bay leaf, onion, peppercorns and celery in a small, heavy-based saucepan, over a medium heat until bubbles form around the edge of the saucepan. Remove from the heat and stand at room temperature for 15 minutes to cool. Strain and reserve the milk.
• Melt the butter in a small saucepan until hot and bubbling. Add the flour and stir constantly for 1 minute. Remove from the heat and gradually add the milk, whisking constantly to avoid the sauce from becoming lumpy.
• Return the saucepan to the heat and cook the sauce, stirring constantly on a medium-high heat until it comes to the boil and thickens. Season to taste with salt, pepper and nutmeg.
• Preheat the oven to 200ºC.
• Spoon 1 teaspoon of béchamel sauce into the base of each vol-au-vent case, top with an oyster and spoon over a little extra béchamel sauce.
• Bake in the oven for 8-10 minutes, or until the pastry is crisp and hot. Just before serving, sprinkle with chopped chives.
• Note: These vol-au-vents can be prepared a few hours in advance and put in the oven just before they are required.