Vol au Vents took pride of place on every afternoon tea table during the 70’s. The height of sophistication, and of course. very French!! However, they can be a little fiddly to make but once made, they rarely get left on the side of the plate. So let us start with learning how to make the casings.
How To Make Vol Au Vent Cases
This is the basic pastry case which encloses a variety of fillings to make up the classic French Vol-au- Vent which is a light puff pastry case shaped into an oval, square or round.
Preparation time: 30 minutes Cooking time: 1 hour
Oven temperature: 475° F (240°C)
Yield: 1 x 8″ (20 cm) vol-au-vent case
1 lb. (450 g) Puff Pastry, chilled 1 egg lightly beaten with 1/2 tsp. salt (or make your own here)
- Sprinkle a large baking sheet with cold water and set aside.
- On a lightly floured surface roll out dough to 1″ (2.5 cm) thick. Cut out two 8″ (20 cm) ovals of dough. Place one oval on the baking sheet, and cut a small oval from the second oval for the lid. Set aside.
- Dampen edges of dough on baking sheet with water. Place second large oval on top as illustrated, gently pressing down with fingertips. Use a knife to flake-up or push up sides of dough as this helps it to rise evenly.
- Place the small oval on the baking sheet. Place baking sheet in refrigerator for 30 minutes.
- Remove dough on baking sheet from refrigerator. Use a knife to score pastry lid and vol-au-vent sides as illustrated. Brush top with beaten egg taking care not to let egg touch .sides of dough.
- Bake in the oven for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and transfer lid to a wire rack.
- Reduce oven temperature to 350° F (180°C).
- Scoop out any soft dough in inside of case with two spoons as illustrated.
- Return vol- au-vent to oven and bake for further 30-40 minutes or until crisp and golden brown.
- Remove from oven. It is now ready for filling.
©Marshall Cavendish Ltd
Now you’ve mastered how to make the basic cases, here’s a couple of vintage savoury and sweet recipes
Eggs Vol au Vents
Preparation: 15 mins Cooking: 15 mins
In this easy recipe, poached eggs, mushroom and tomatoes are served in a puff pastry case with a mock Hollandaise sauce.
For 4 servings
- 4 large vol-au-vent cases
- 4 spring onions, sliced
- 25 g (1 oz) butter
- 100 g (4 oz) mushrooms, sliced
- 2 tomatoes, skinned and chopped
- 1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley salt and pepper, to taste
- 4 eggs
- chopped parsley and paprika, to garnish Mock Hollandaise Sauce
- 2 tbsp mayonnaise
- 2 tbsp soured cream 1 tsp Dijon mustard squeeze of lemon juice
Preparation
Heat oven to 180C (350F/Gas 4) and warm pastry cases for 10-15 mins.
- Meanwhile, fry onions in butter in a frying-pan.
- Add mushrooms, tomatoes, parsley and salt and pepÂper.
- Cook, stirring until liquid has evaporated. Keep warm.
- Poach eggs lightly in salted water until whites are set, but yolks are still runny.
- Gently heat sauce ingredients together in small pan. Do not boil.
- Cut vol-au-vent cases in half horiÂzontally.
- Divide vegetables, spooning onto bases and top with poached egg.
- Replace tops. Spoon sauce over top and garnish with parsley and paprika.
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Chicken Vol au Vents
Serves: 4 people
Preparation time: 25 minutes Cooking time: 35 minutes
Oven temperature: 425°F/220°C Mark 7, then 350°F/18(TC Mark 4)
- 1 (13 oz/368 g) packet frozen puff pastry plus a little milk (or make your own here)
- 1/2 oz /40 g margarine
- 1/2 oz/40 g plain flour
- I pint/4 dl white stock or water and chicken stock cube
- 1 level teaspoon salt
- 1/2 level teaspoon pepper
- Few drops lemon juice
- 8 oz/225 g cooked chicken, cut into 1/2 inch/12 mm cubes
- 2 oz/50 g button mushrooms
- Parsley sprigs for garnish
- Roll out the prepared pastry on a lightly floured surface to a rectangle 8×16 inches/20x 40 cm.
- From the rectangle of pastry cut two 8 inch/ 20 cm diameter circles.
- Place one on a baking tray and cut another circle. 5 inches/13 cm in diameter, from the centre of the second circle.
- Roll out the 5 inch/13 cm circle until it measures 6 inches/15 cm across.
- Brush a little milk on the pastry on the baking tray, taking care not to spill any over the edges.
- Lay the second piece of pastry, with the centre removed, on top of the first, again brush with milk and prick the base with a fork.
- Place the 6 inch/15 cm circle also on the baking tray and brush with milk.
- Make lattice marks with a sharp knife on the pastry.
- Bake in a hot oven (425°F/220°C Mark 7) for 20 minutes.
- Remove the pastry lid and reduce the oven to moderate (350oF/180°C Mark 4) and bake for a further 5 minutes.
- Melt the margarine in a saucepan, stir in the flour and cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring continuously.
- Remove the pan from the heat and blend in the stock.
- Return to the heat, bring to the boil and cook for 2—3 minutes, stirring continuously.
- Stir in the remaining ingredients and reheat gently.
- Pile the chicken mixture into the hot vol-au-vent case, top with the pastry lid and garnish with parsley.
© Copyright The Hamlyn Publishing Group Ltd 1975 Printed in U.K.
Apple and Blackberry Vol au Vents
Cooking time: 20 mins. Preparation time: 40 mins.
Main cooking utensils: baking tray. 2 cutters of 3 inch and 2 inch in diameter
Oven temperature: 475- 500°F.-Gas Mark 9-10. and then 375°F. —Gas Mark 4-5
Oven position: above centre
For 6-8 portions you need:
Puff pastry:
- 8 oz. plain flour
- pinch salt
- squeeze lemon juice water
- 8 oz. butter
You can make your own pastry here
For the filling:
Cooked fruit or can fruit pie filling (blackberry and apple used in the picture) To fill vol-au-vent cases: Remove top circle with a sharp knife-put cases back in oven for a short time to dry out. If serving hot: put hot fruit into hot pastry. If cold: put cold filling into cold pastry.
- Sieve the flour and salt into a mixing bowl, add the lemon juice and water to make an elastic dough.
- Roll out to a neat oblong shape.
- Put butter in centre: bring up lower half of dough to cover butter, bring down upper part.
- Turn pastry at right angles, so that the open ends are towards you.
- Seal ends with rolling pin. ‘rib’ the pastry by pressing with rolling pin at intervals-this gives even rising.
- Dust rolling pin lightly with flour, roll out pastry to an oblong again, fold in three, turn, seal the edges.
- Repeat until pastry has 7 rolling’s and 7 folding’s-it will get sticky so put into a cold place for a time to harden then roll-lightly but firmly.
- Vol-au-vent-cases: Roll out pastry to i inch thick, cut into 3-inch rounds, mark a ring 1/4 inch deep with smaller cutter.
- Bake the pastry for approximately 10 minutes at the high temperature until risen, then lower heat until golden brown and firm.
© Copyright Paul Hamlyn Ltd 1967
Fruit Vol au Vents
Makes 12 vol au vents
- 12 medium-sized vol au vent cases
- 1 egg, separated
- 375 g (12 oz) fresh or canned peaches
- 1 tbsp water or brandy
- 1 tbsp cornflour
- 50 g (2 oz) caster sugar
Cook the vol au vent cases in advance and re-freeze, or store them in an airtight container, for up to 3 days
- Heat oven to 220C (425F/Gas 7).
- Place vol au vents on a damp baking tray.
- Lightly beat egg yolk, use to brush pastry cases. Cook for 10-12 mins.
- Remove centres from cooked pastry cases, leave to cool.
- Roughly chop fruit, place in pan with water or brandy, cook 5 mins.
- Blend cornflour with 1 tbsp water, stir into fruit until thickened.
- Spoon fruit into cooked pastry cases.
- Whisk egg white to stiff peaks. Whisk in half sugar, fold in remainder to form a glossy meringue.
- Pipe meringue onto pastry cases to completely cover fruit.
- Cook 10 mins until meringue is lightly browned.
- For a crisp meringue, cook at 150°C (300°F/Gas 2) for 30 mins.
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