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Elegant Ham Salad Tartlet
Individual tartlets are lots of fun to eat. When the tart shell is made with puff pastry, they are known as vol au vents. These tasty little shells can be filled with anything from chicken pot pie filling to cool, refreshing salads. Our vol au vent is filled with a delicious ham salad. They are a great way to use up leftover salad and give it new life. You can even use these kinds of tartlet appetizer recipes for parties.
Tartlet fillings are fun to experiment with. Ham or chicken salad is perfect for a summer picnic. You can also fill them with anything from chili to roast chicken and gravy. Vol au vents can also be used to make desserts. Puff pastry works well with both sweet or savory dishes. Fill them with custard and fruit or your favorite pudding. Cooked apple pie filling also makes a great dessert served in tart shells.
This is another great way to use up leftover ham after the holidays. Mix up a big batch of ham salad. One meal can feature the salad, while another can feature the salad served in these delightful puff pastry shells. Presentation makes all the difference. People of all ages never fail to be charmed by these little individual tartlets. Serve them on special occasions or just because it is fun. Kids, especially, will get a real kick out of them. They may end up eating something they would ordinarily turn their noses up at just because it looks cool.
Vol au Vents with Ham Salad
Ingredients -
1 package frozen puff pastry, thawed
1 egg yolk
1 (20 ounce) bag frozen peas
½ cup sweet pickle relish
1-½ cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup mayonnaise
¼ cup onion, minced
4 cups cooked ham, cubed
1 cup celery, chopped
Preparation:
Roll out the room temperature puff pastry dough on a lightly floured surface until it is about ¼ inch thick. Use a biscuit cutter to cut out twice as many rounds as you need. Cut a smaller circle out of half of the pastry circles. Brush the whole pastry rounds with water. Stack the donut shaped circles on top of the large complete circles and press gently so they adhere to each other. Save the small circles to bake as toppers or add them back to your pastry dough. Refrigerate overnight to help the vol au vents keep their shape while baking.
Cook the frozen peas as directed on the package. Drain them and let them chill.
In a bowl, combine the relish, mayonnaise, salt, and onion; mix well. Add the chilled peas, cubed ham, celery, and cheese. Toss until well mixed. Cover the bowl and let it chill in the refrigerator.
Beat the egg yolk to make an egg wash. Glaze the vol au vents with egg yolk. Do not let it drip onto the baking sheet. Bake at 450 degrees Fahrenheit for 5 minutes. Reduce heat to 400 degrees and bake another 5 minutes. Continue in 5 minute increments until the pastry is golden brown. Remove the pastry to a wire rack for cooling.
When cool, fill with ham salad. Garnish with parsley or green onions if you wish.
(Makes 18 to 24, depending on size of pastry shells.)
Photo Description:
Serving anything in a vol au vent pastry shell makes anything look elegant. See how nice our ham salad looks? Suddenly it has become an upscale recipe due to its presentation. You can use vol au vents for anything, but in the summer, they are particularly nice for salad fillings. Use ham, chicken, or seafood salad. You can even fill them with green salad fixings before serving them to your guests. Vol au vents make perfect appetizers for parties, wedding receptions, and any formal gathering. They are also fun to eat. Kids love them because they are small.
