Maine Vol Au Vent
Recipe By:
Jacqueline Clarke
Indulge in the ultimate treat with this Maine-inspired Vol Au Vent, featuring Nor’Easter’s succulent shucked oysters nestled in a flaky puff pastry shell, and accompanied by some of the oyster’s most beloved seafood counterparts—scallops and lobster. Creamy, buttery, and elegantly decadent, it’s the perfect recipe for a special occasion, or a moment of self-love.
Serves
2-3
1 cup carrots, peeled, and rough chopped into 1” slices
3 stalks of celery, rough chopped into 1” slices
1 bunch of scallions, rough chopped into 1” slices
1 yellow onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, grated
1 TBSP flour, plus a handful for dusting
2 cups heavy cream
3 TBSP dill, rough chopped
1 TBSP lemon zest
2 bay leaves
1/8 tsp cracked black pepper
1/2 cup white wine (we used a delicious 2019 Stewart Sonoma Mountain Chardonnay, and had a couple of glasses as we cooked!)
1/2 lb lobster meat, claw and knuckle
1/2 lb fresh scallops, 10/20 size preferred
12-16 small oysters
1 egg lightly beaten
2 sheets puff pastry
Ingredients
Directions
Roll the pastry sheets out on a lightly floured worksurface until roughly 1/2 cm thick. Cut a large circle from each sheet of the pastry sheets so you have 2 total. (We wanted to have a little fun, and made our own stencil using a scallop shell photo that we found on Canva). For the second circle, you will want to trace a circle within that circle - so you have a smaller circle and then a rim of that circle. (By separating the second circle into a smaller circle and a “rim,” you have created your “cap” to your stew).
Brush the circles (or the scallop) on the baking paper with beaten egg. Place the largest circle down first. Prick the middle with a fork. On top of that, place the second circle, with its “rim.”
Pre-heat your oven 375F. Place the puff pastries in a tray in the oven and bake for roughly 20 minutes, until the puff pastry rises, and is golden brown. Cool.
Make the base. Place 2 TBSP unsalted butter into a cast iron skillet or large sauté pan over medium-low heat. Once butter has melted, add diced carrot and celery, and stir to coat in butter.
Once the carrots and celery have begun to soften, add in chopped onion and scallion, and stir to combine. Once onion has begun to soften, add in grated garlic.
Add in 1 TBSP flour to the vegetable mixture. Whisky to combine until vegetables are coated with flour.
Add in heavy cream, bay leaves, dill, and lemon zest. Stir to combine. Simmer from 15 minutes. While the vegetable and cream base simmers, you can prep your seafood.
Prep the Oysters: Carefully drain oysters from their jar using a colander. Give them a gentle rinse under your kitchen faucet, and place them on a paper towel to remove excess moisture.
Prep Scallops: Pat scallops dry with paper towel. Using a sharp paring knife, remove the scallop’s foot. Sprinkle each scallop with flake salt.
Melt 1 TBSP unsalted butter in a cast iron skillet or sauté pan. Increase the heat to medium-high, and add the scallops. As the scallops sear, add in a few cracks of black pepper. It should only take 1-2 minutes for the scallops to get a nice crusted sear. Flip the scallops, and continue to cook over medium-high heat. Add the oysters to the sauté pan. Add in the zest of 1/2 a lemon. The remaining side of the scallops and oysters should cook quickly, within less than 2 minutes.
Turn the heat up high, and add in the white wine. The butter and wine mixture should immediately steam, and reduce quickly. Remove the pan from heat, but do not strain out any of the juices!
Add in the sautéed scallops, oysters, and drippings from the pan. Add in picked lobster meat. Continue to simmer for another 10 minutes.
Once warmed throughout, remove the “cap” of your puff pastry, and ladle your stew into your puff pastry bowl. Garnish with a few sprigs of dill, and enjoy with a glass of wine!