Chicken and Asparagus Vol-au-Vents

Bring the chicken stock to a boil, add the chicken breast and simmer covered over low heat for 15 minutes, until the meat is fully cooked through. Remove the breast and measure out 300 ml of the stock for the sauce.

Let the chicken cool slightly, then shred it into small pieces using two forks.

Trim the tough ends off the green asparagus and cut the stalks into diagonal slices about 1 cm thick.

Melt the butter in a saucepan, stir in the flour and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Gradually whisk in the 300 ml of chicken stock, whisking constantly, then add the milk and cream. Bring to a boil and cook for 2–3 minutes, until the sauce thickens.

Add the asparagus to the sauce and heat for 3–4 minutes, until tender but still slightly crisp. Stir in the chicken, lemon juice, salt and black pepper.

Warm the vol-au-vent shells in the oven at 180°C for 5–7 minutes. Fill them with the hot filling just before serving.