Ingredients

• 500g/1lb 2oz plain flour
• 1½ tsp table salt
• 560g/1lb 4oz unsalted butter
• ½ tsp lemon juice
• 1 large free-range egg
• for egg wash
• vegetable oil
• for frying
• 300g/10½oz boneless chicken thighs
• chopped into small pieces
• 1 medium white onion
• roughly chopped
• 1 small green pepper
• seeds removed and roughly chopped
• handful fresh coriander
• roughly chopped
• 2 small green bird's-eye chillies
• seeds removed and finely chopped
• 2cm/¾in fresh root ginger
• peeled and finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves
• finely chopped
• 1 tsp table salt
• 1 tsp ground coriander seeds
• ¼ tsp ground turmeric
• 1 tbsp full-fat Greek yoghurt
• 1 lemon
• juice only
• vegetable oil
• for frying
• 400g/14oz pork shoulder steaks (6 Steaks)
• 500ml/18fl oz clear apple juice
• 2 tbsp dark soy sauce
• 2 tsp fennel seeds
• 25g/1oz butter
• 2 tsp chopped fresh rosemary
• ½ tsp salt

Directions

• For the puff pastry
• in a food processor combine the flour
• salt and 60g/2¼oz of the butter. Add 225ml/8fl oz water and the lemon juice and knead to a smooth dough. Cover with cling film and leave to rest in the fridge.
• Take two large pieces of baking parchment and lay them either side of the remaining butter block. Bash the butter block with a rolling pin into a square shape until smooth and pliable. Once the dough has rested for about 15 minutes
• roll out to a square large enough so that it will envelope the butter. Seal the butter into the dough and then roll out to a long rectangle and fold the dough over itself into thirds (like folding a letter).
• Turn the dough 90 degrees
• roll out and fold over again. Cover with cling film and rest in the fridge again. Repeat this process to give 6 turns in total. Rest the dough in the fridge again for about 20 minutes.
• While the pastry is resting make the fillings. For the coriander chicken
• heat some oil in a frying pan over a medium heat and cook the chicken until browned all over.
• Meanwhile
• put the onion
• peppers
• coriander
• chillies
• ginger
• garlic and salt in a blender and blend to a paste.
• In another pan
• cook the ground spices in a little oil for 1 minute. Add the chicken and cook for a further minute. Add the coriander paste and cook for 5-10 minutes over a medium heat. Add salt as needed and then finish by stirring in the yoghurt and lemon juice to taste.
• For the pulled pork
• heat a little vegetable oil over a medium heat and brown the pork shoulder steaks on all sides. Add the apple juice and soy sauce and simmer
• covered
• for 1½-2 hours on a medium heat.
• Once the pork is cooked and nearly falling apart
• leave to cool in the pan with the juices. Remove to a plate after 15-20 minutes and shred using your hands or two forks.
• Grind the fennel seeds in a pestle and mortar. Heat the butter in large wok over a medium heat and add the fennel seeds and rosemary. Cook for 1 minute and then remove the pork from its cooking juices and add it to the wok with the salt. Fry on a medium heat for 2-3 minutes
• adding in some of the cooking juices if the meat starts to dry out.
• When all the turns are completed
• roll the dough out to 5mm thick. Cut out rings using a 5cm/2in crinkled cookie cutter
• then
• using a 2½cm/1in round cookie cutter
• remove the middle. Make 48 of these in total.
• Preheat the oven to 200C/180C Fan/Gas 6.
• Take the scraps of remaining dough and knead them into a ball. Roll out thinly to 4mm and cut out 48 bases
• using the 5cm/2in cutter. Arrange on 2 baking trays lined with baking parchment. Brush the bases with egg wash and prick all over with a fork. Place the rings on top and brush with egg wash again
• being careful not to let any egg wash drip down the sides. Bake for 17 minutes
• or until cooked through and golden-brown. Remove and set aside to cool.
• Assemble the vol-au-vents by placing a little of the chicken or pork filling in each pastry. Top the pork filling with a splash of some of the reserved juices. Serve immediately.