Recipe: Earth Nation ‘Cabbage Carts’ Vol-Au-Vents

There’s nothing more upsetting and iconic from Avatar: The Last Airbender than a broken cart of cabbages. These little edible carts feature a creamy, sweet and salty blue cheese mousse, an earthy filling of mushroom, apple and nuts and some soft mini-cabbages to sell (Brussel Sprouts glazed with apple jelly). If somebody destroys/eats one of these they’ll have you screaming ‘my cabbages’…

Ingredients

PASTRY CASES:

2 Sheets Ready Rolled Puff Pastry

BLUE CHEESE MOUSSE

5tbsp Cider Vinegar

3tbsp Brown Sugar

2 Shallots, finely chopped

150g Soft Blue Cheese

100g Cream Cheese

50ml Double Cream

CHOPPED MUSHROOM, APPLE, NUT LAYER

250g Chestnut Mushrooms, finely chopped by hand or with a mini-chopper

1 Eating Apple (e.g. Braeburn), washed and dried

2tbsp Salted Butter

1tbsp Olive Oil

2 Garlic Cloves, finely chopped

50ml Red Wine

2 Sprigs Rosemary

200g Hazelnuts and Pistachios

APPLE-GLAZED ‘CABBAGES’ SPROUTS

25-30 Sprouts

300ml Apple Juice

300ml Water

1tbsp Cider Vinegar

1/2 tsp Agar-Agar

Method

FOR THE VOL-AU-VENT CASES

1. Use a cutter or small knife to make rectangles 8cm long and 4cm wide. Split these rectangles into two groups, an even number of rectangles in both.
2. Leave one group whole and then cut another smaller rectangle out of the middles of the other group. You should leave a 0.5cm edge only.
3. Brush your whole rectangles with beaten egg and then place the rectangle-with-holes on top so that there is a hole in the centre of the vol-u-vent. Brush with more beaten egg.
4. Place on a tray and then leave in the fridge for 2 hours.
5. Preheat your oven to 200 degrees C.
6. Bake your pastry cases for 10-15 minutes or until golden brown.
7. Leave to cool.
8. Remove the puffed up centre of your pastry and fill with your filling below.

FOR YOUR BLUE CHEESE MOUSSE

1. Place a small pan on a medium heat and add a drizzle of olive oil to the pan. Allow the oil to heat for a minute.
2. Add your shallots and cook for 5 minutes or until they become soft and translucent.
3. Add your vinegar and sugar and turn the heat up to high. Reduce until the vinegar has all burned away and your shallots are sticky and brown. Remove from the heat and set aside until cool.
4. In a food processor or with a blender stick, blend your cream cheese and blue cheese together until all combined and smooth. Pour into a large bowl.
5. In a medium bowl, whisk your double cream until you reach stiff peaks.
6. Fold your thickened cream into your blue cheese mix, gently, and then fold in your cooled shallots. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
7. Spoon your blue cheese mousse into the base of your vol-au-vents (about a third of the way up). Place in fridge to set whilst you make the rest of your fillings.

FOR YOUR NUTTY MUSHROOM APPLE LAYER

1. Heat your butter and olive oil in a medium-large frying pan on a medium heat.
2. When you butter has melted add your mushrooms and cook until they have browned and caramelised. If your mushrooms seem really wet then allow to simmer until the water has almost all gone.
3. Grate your apple and garlic into the pan (don’t grate either of their cores into the pan). Cook for another 30 seconds.
4. Pour in your red wine and bring to the boil. Allow to reduce until there’s only around 1 tbsp left.
5. Add your nuts to the pan with your rosemary. Season to taste, remove from the heat and save for later.
6. To Finish: Add a layer of mushrooms and apple on top of your blue cheese mousse.

APPLE-GLAZED ‘CABBAGES’

1. Pour your Apple Juice, Cider Vinegar, and your Water into a medium-large sauce pan and bring to the boil.
2. Add your sprouts to the pan and cook for around 10 minutes on medium-high heat. They should be just soft enough to eat but still hold their shape.
3. Reserve your liquid and put your sprouts into a cold bowl.
4. Reduce your liquid until only around 125ml remains.
5. Bring to the boil and add your Agar-Agar, blend together and then remove from the heat. Allow to cool until it has started to thicken.
6. Cut your sprouts in half and then place two of your halves on each vol-au-vent, rounded side over.
7. Pour a thin layer of your apple jelly over the top of your sprouts and then leave to set in the fridge until service.