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Vol-au-vent with Mortadella Mousse

17/11/2023

The vol-au-vent with mortadella mousse is a rich and tasty appetizer, perfect for impressing guests. Here is the recipe with a truly Italian touch in the mousse.

Ingredients

  • 12 ready-to-use puff pastry vol-au-vents
  • 200 g of quality mortadella
  • 100 g of fresh ricotta
  • 50 g of grated Parmesan cheese
  • 2 tablespoons of fresh cream
  • Salt and black pepper, to taste
  • 1 teaspoon of chopped pistachios (optional for garnishing)

Preparation

  1. Start by preparing the mortadella mousse: cut the mortadella into pieces after removing the rind and put it in a food processor.
  2. Add the ricotta, Parmesan, fresh cream, a pinch of salt, and black pepper. Blend everything until you obtain a smooth and homogeneous cream.
  3. Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper if necessary. The mousse should be flavorful but not overly salty due to the presence of mortadella and Parmesan.
  4. Take the vol-au-vents and, if necessary, preheat the oven following the instructions on the package. Usually, the ready-to-use vol-au-vents just need to be slightly heated.
  5. Fill the vol-au-vents with the mortadella mousse using a piping bag. If you do not have one, you can use a teaspoon to put a small amount in each vol-au-vent.
  6. Garnish each vol-au-vent with some chopped pistachios to add a crunchy touch and color.
  7. Arrange the stuffed vol-au-vents on a serving plate and serve immediately, or keep them in the refrigerator until it’s time to serve.

Curiosity

The name “vol-au-vent” means “flight in the wind” in French, highlighting the lightness of the puff pastry that composes them. The idea of combining mortadella mousse links back to Italian culinary tradition, where mortadella is one of the excellences of charcuterie, especially that from Bologna. With this combination, you bring to the table a union between the finesse of French cuisine and the authentic Italian taste.