Vol-au-vent
Ingredients
Directions
The book gives no oven temperature. The 400°F (200°C) in the steps was added when the recipe was transcribed, as a starting point.
Prepare the pastry
Press the inner circle of the pastry away from the outer circle with a knife to prevent them from closing.
Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).
Brush the top with beaten egg after it has risen.
Bake and hollow
Bake the vol-au-vent for 30 to 45 minutes until baked through.
Lift the cover with a knife where marked.
Scoop out the soft center without damaging the walls.
Return to the oven for a few more minutes to dry.
Fill and serve
Fill with savory mince.
Replace the cover.
Serve on a napkin.
Transcribed from a scanned cookbook and modernised for today's kitchens. Where the book gave no heat or time, or said "a moderate oven", the temperatures and times here may be modern equivalents rather than the book's own figures.
Explore the science
What each ingredient does
- Puff pastry
- Its layers puff with steam in the oven, forming the hollow, flaky case.
- Egg
- Beaten egg brushed on top promotes golden browning and a glossy finish.
The step that matters
Press the inner circle away from the outer circle before baking. If the cut lines are not separated, the pastry rises and sticks together, so the walls will not puff into a hollow case for the filling.
“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.
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