_Ingredients._—¼ lb. of vermicelli, 2 quarts of clear gravy stock.
_Mode._—Put the vermicelli in the soup, boiling; simmer very gently
for ½ an hour, and stir frequently. _Time._—½ an hour. _Average cost_,
1_s._ 3_d._ per quart. _Seasonable_ all the year. _Sufficient_ for 8
persons.
VOL-AU-VENT (an Entrée).
_Ingredients._—¾ to 1 lb. of puff-paste, fricasseed chickens, rabbits,
ragoûts, or the remains of cold fish, flaked and warmed in thick white
sauce. _Mode._—Make from ¾ to 1 lb. of puff-paste, taking care that it
is very evenly rolled out each time, to ensure its rising properly;
and if the paste is not extremely light, and put into a good hot oven,
this cannot be accomplished, and the _vol-au-vent_ will look very
badly. Roll out the paste to the thickness of about 1½ inch, and, with
a fluted cutter, stamp it out to the desired shape, either round or
oval, and, with the point of a small knife, make a slight incision
in the paste all round the top, about an inch from the edge, which,
when baked, forms the lid. Put the _vol-au-vent_ into a good brisk
oven, and keep the door shut for a few minutes after it is put in.
Particular attention should be paid to the heating of the oven, for the
paste _cannot_ rise without a tolerable degree of heat. When of a nice
colour, without being scorched, withdraw it from the oven, instantly
remove the cover where it was marked, and detach all the soft crumb
from the centre: in doing this, be careful not to break the edges of
the _vol-au-vent_; but should they look thin in places, stop them with
small flakes of the inside paste, stuck on with the white of an egg.
This precaution is necessary to prevent the fricassee or ragoût from
bursting the case, and so spoiling the appearance of the dish. Fill
the _vol-au-vent_ with a rich mince, or fricassee, or ragoût, or the
remains of cold fish flaked and warmed in a good white sauce, and do
not make them very liquid, for fear of the gravy bursting the crust:
replace the lid, and serve. To improve the appearance of the crust,
brush it over with the yolk of an egg _after_ it has risen properly.
_Time._—¾ hour to bake the _vol-au-vent_. _Average cost_, exclusive of
the interior, 1_s._ 6_d._ _Seasonable_ at any time.
[Illustration: VOL-AU-VENT.]
_Note._—Small _vol-au-vents_ may be made like those shown in the
engraving, and filled with minced veal, chicken, &c. They should be
made of the same paste as the larger ones, and stamped out with a small
fluted cutter.
[Illustration: SMALL VOL-AU-VENTS.]