What I can’t seem to ascertain is whether or not there is a size difference. Patty shells, at least in the New Orleans area, are invariably about 1.5"-2" in diameter (~4-5 cm). Stuffed patty shells are kind of a two-bite hors d’ouevres around here. Are the vol au vents small like that, too? Some of the images I’ve run across make the vol au vents look about palm-sized (call it 4"-5" or 10-12 cm). Maybe the v-o-v’s vary more in size?
Chicago here and (I’d thought) pretty well plugged into the food scene. I’ve never heard the term patty shell. The linked photos are what I’d call puff pastry.
“Patty shells” are widely known in the New Orleans area – patty shells with various stuffings (seafood, especially oyster, is most popular) are a popular upscale hors d’oueuvre. Many locals also prepare them for Thanksgiving and Christmas.
Google, and the responses to this thread, suggest that “patty shells” are known by that name by some people in other parts of the U.S. but that the term doesn’t break cleanly by either regional or generational lines.
Something else: I don’t think I’ll be able to cite it … but I would bet that the “patty” in “patty shell” ultimately derives from French pâte (dough, pastry). In the U.S., the term may have originated in French-speaking areas of Louisiana and spread from there – perhaps up river along the Mississippi originally.
DC/Northern Virginia here (with stints in MD, PA, NJ, TX, CA, Germany, and England) and I’d never heard the term “patty shell” or “vol au vent.” I’ve also never seen one, going by the pictures on Google. At first I thought the OP was talking about an English pasty, but with those the dough is thicker and they’re closed – kind of like a Hot Pocket (but much better). I’ve never seen a tall, open shell of puff pastry before, but I think I would like it!
