Vol-au-vents of Mussel, Spinach and Roquefort

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/gas mark 4
2. Line a baking tray with baking parchment
3. Roll out the puff pastry to approximately 1cm thick and cut out four 9cm discs of the pastry. Lightly mark a 7cm circle indent in the centre of each disc for the lid
4. Transfer to the lined baking tray and bake in the oven for 12–15 minutes, or until golden brown
5. Allow to cool, then carefully cut around the indent to remove the centre of the puff pastry to create a lid. Set the cases and lids aside until needed
6. To prepare the filling, clean and wash the mussels in plenty of fresh water, discarding any with broken shells or that don’t close when tapped
7. Heat a little olive oil in a large pan and soften the chopped shallot. Add the mussels to the pan with chopped parsley and white wine
8. Cover the pan with a lid, and allow to steam for a few minutes until the mussels are cooked through (all the shells should have opened)
9. Drain the mussels but keep the cooking liquid. Pick through the mussels to remove them from their shells, checking for any remaining beards or broken shells
10. Pass the cooking liquid through a fine sieve into a clean pan, then return to the heat and boil down until reduced to a few tablespoons
11. Add the double cream and continue to cook until thickened and smooth, then add the mussels to the sauce to heat through. Crumble in the Roquefort cheese and remove from the heat
12. In a separate pan, wilt the spinach in a little olive oil until softened, then pat dry on kitchen towel and spoon some into each pastry case. Top with some of the creamy mussel mix and top each with a pastry lid
13. Brush the lids with a little olive oil and serve with fresh salad leaves, cress and chopped herbs