Vol-au-Vent
Ingredients
Directions
The book says “a brisk oven”. The 400°F (200°C) in the steps is the modern equivalent, not the book's own figure.
Prepare
Roll out puff pastry to ¾ inch thick.
Cut out a circle using a saucepan lid.
Trim excess pastry for other uses.
Trace a smaller inner circle with a heated knife, leaving a 1‑inch edge.
Glaze and bake
Glaze the surface with egg.
Bake in a brisk oven at 400°F (200°C) until risen and golden brown.
Hollow and fill
Remove from oven, lift the cover, and carefully remove the underdone pastry to create a hollow for filling.
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 many buttery layers puff with steam in the hot oven, forming the light, flaky shell.
- Egg
- Glazing the surface promotes even browning and gives the pastry a glossy, golden finish.
The step that matters
Tracing the inner circle with a heated knife. Score only partway through the pastry, not all the way. Cutting through the layers stops the rim from rising, so the edge stays flat and the centre cannot be lifted out cleanly. The heated knife helps the cut stay clean and sealed.
“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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