Vol-au-Vent a la Financiere

For this purpose one pound of puff-paste will be required; and, when mixing it, the juice of a whole lemon must be added. The paste, see No. 323, must be kept perfectly square at the ends, and folded with great correctness, in order to insure the vol-au-vent rising straight and evenly all round, which cannot be expected if the puff-paste is rolled unevenly; five turns and a half must be given to the paste, allowing five minutes to intervene between each turn—observing that, previously to folding up the last turn and a half, the paste must be brushed over with lemon-juice.

Vol-au-vent a la Financiere

Attention must be paid while giving the last turn and a half, to keep the form of it to the size of the intended vol-au-vent, in order to give it all the thickness it requires.

About two ounces of common paste, after being rolled out to the size of a plate, should be stuck on the upper surface of the paste, turned upside down on a wetted baking-sheet, and set on the ice for five minutes; and at the expiration of this time, for the purpose of guiding the hand, a stewpan lid, or any other circular flat, should be placed on the paste, and then with a sharp-pointed knife proceed to cut all round the extreme edge of the lid of the stewpan, causing the point of the knife to bear under the lid to the extent of the sixteenth of an inch.

When the vol-au-vent is cut out, egg it over without touching the sides, and with the point of a knife, the point held on a slant inwardly towards the centre, make a slanting circular incision within an inch of the edge, and with the point of a knife press the inner disk away from the incision to prevent them from closing up again. The vol-au-vent should now be put in the oven (not too hot, as excess of heat, by too precipitately colouring the edges, prevents it from rising); as soon as it begins to rise, let a trivet be quickly slipped under it, and the oven be closed.

When the vol-au-vent has risen about two inches, and before it has acquired any colour, protect it from too much heat, by placing the hoop of an old sieve round it, and a piece of paper over it; and allow it to remain in the oven until done: this will take about three-quarters of an hour; it must then be removed, and the greasy centre carefully taken out without damaging the case.

When about to send to table, make the case hot; place it on its dish; garnish with a Financiere ragout, No. 124, The top may be finished by placing a larded sweetbread surrounded by decorated quenelles, or truffles and cray-fish, as represented in the woodcut; or the vol-au-vent may be served in a plainer style.