White Vol Au Vent

1. marinate diced chicken in oil, sugar and salt 2. melt a thin slice of butter into pan, add a generous dash of olive oil 3. fry finely chopped garlic for a few minutes, then add chicken and fry till sealed 4. season with salt, thyme, chives and parsley 5. pour in all of stock and most of the wine, let it heat till bubbles then turn heat down to a simmer. 6. after 45 mins, add diced carrots (preheat oven to 200oC) 7. after another 15 mins, add mushrooms and pour in rest of wine 8. time to prepare vol au vents! roll out pastry onto dry clean surface to roughly a bit more than half a centimeter thick. cut the sheet into half. 9. cut out 2 holes with the the small cutter in one sheet, ensuring sufficient space around each hole. if you're using a cup as cutter like me, run a sharp knife around the edge to cut the pastry. (note, we're primarly using the pastry on the outside of the cutter) 10. Brush the other uncut half with water 11. Lift the half with the cut holes and place it onto the uncut half. 12. Position the bigger cutter onto the stacked pastries on top of each of the small holes, making sure the small hole is in the middle of the cutter. run knife around the edge of big cutter. this is to create vol au vents. (here we're using the pastry inside the cutter) 13. Roll back out unused pastry and repeat if needed, i made four vents. 14. Save the pastry cut out from making the holes to make lids for the vol au vents - try to keep its circular shape as you lift them onto the baking tray. (if you're still confused, it should all look like this: http://www.toomanychefs.com/images/rawrings.jpg) 15. place pastry onto a non stick oven dish, then brush the pastry all over with beaten egg, place in oven for 15 - 20 mins or until golden brown. go back to chicken stew right after you put the pastries into the oven. 16. make sure the heat is low on the hob and that the chicken stew is not bubbling. add a few more slivers of butter and pour the cream into the stew and slowly stir. make sure it stays at low heat to prevent the cream from curdling. season with a bit more thyme, chives and parsley to taste, then heat until pastries done. 17. take out pastries when done and ladle the chicken and veg into the middle of the pastries even if it is puffed up. the weight of the chicken will push it down, while the walls will stay and support its structure.