Makes 4

This classic French first course can be a real pain in the euphemism to make if you plan to make the classic version which is the recipe listed here.  However, for something that is a near facsimile and still delicious, yet quite easy to make see the recipe for Quick and Easy Bouchée à la Reine.  Incidentally, the literal translation of Bouchée à la Reine is, “The Queens large mouthfull.”

4 puff pastry shells*

Small quenelles

Béchamel Sauce

¼ cup grated fresh Parmesan cheese

¼ cup grated good Swiss cheese like Gruyere  or Emmental

½ cup blanched  button mushrooms

½ cup cooked baby shrimp meat

Finely chopped fresh chives

Finely chopped fresh dill weed

Extra grated cheese

Fresh lemon slices

Bake the puff pastry shells according to the manufacturer’s directions and set aside.  Make the quenelles and set aside.  Make the cream sauce and add the cheeses, stir gently and set aside.  Place a baked pastry shell on each of 4 individual heat proof serving plates.  Divide the quenelles, mushrooms and shrimp between the puff pastry shells.  If they don’t all fit, allow some to spill over onto the plate.  Divide the cream sauce between the four servings, again,

allowing some of it to spill over onto the plate.  Top each with a light sprinkling of chives and till weed and finish with a light sprinkling of each cheese.

These may be assembled to this point 2 or 3 hours before serving and refrigerated.  Just before serving pop in a hot oven just long enough to heat and melt the cheeses on to.  Garnish each plate with a sprig of whole dill weed and a slice of lemon.

* Sure, you can make your own puff pastry shells, but what’s the point?  I am an impassioned advocate of making it yourself, but not just to prove that I can do it.  I do it because it’s better.  Puff pastry, sure you can make it at home, but it is extremely tedious and time consuming and that which is available in your market is certainly adequate.  I will be posting the method for making puff pastry at some point, however, in the meanwhile, the commercial product is just hunkey-dory.  When buying it for this recipe, make sure you get the box that has “shells” not sheets.  

When buying it for this recipe, make sure you get the box that has “shells” not sheets.  The boxes look the same.  You will find it in the freezer section.  Most brands package six shells to the box.