Vol-au-Vent Crust

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Heavy flat baking sheet
• •8-inch (20 cm) plate or saucepan lid
• •Small sharp paring knife
• •Rolling pin
• •Ruler
• •Pastry brush
• •Wire cooling rack

Instructions

1. 1

   Heat the oven

   Set a conventional oven to 425°F (220°C) with a rack just below the centre. Wipe the heavy baking sheet with the cold water, leaving only a faint film and no droplets. This slightly moistened metal is the home equivalent of the original round baking sheet and helps the pastry settle without adding another layer beneath it.

2. 2

   Roll the paste

   Dust the work surface very lightly and roll the Puff-paste (No. 2366) into an even round a little larger than 8 inches (20 cm) and exactly four-fifths inch (2 cm) thick. Work from the centre outward, lifting the paste occasionally without stretching it. Measure in several places because a thin quarter will rise less than the rest. If the paste springs back or the butter begins to feel soft, stop and chill it for 10 to 15 minutes. Ça se rattrape. Forcing warm, elastic paste only makes it shrink in the oven.

   Use very little flour. Loose flour trapped against the cut edge dries the surface and separates the pastry less cleanly than buttered layers should.
3. 3

   Cut on the slant

   Set an overturned 8-inch (20 cm) plate or saucepan lid in the centre. Draw a small, very sharp knife around it once, holding the blade at a slight inward angle so its tip slopes toward the centre beneath the template. Do not saw or press the edge flat. Lift away the trimmings, remove the template, then turn the pastry round completely over. The broader face created by the oblique cut now rests underneath, while the exposed layers are positioned to climb.

4. 4

   Groove and gild

   Transfer the turned round to the barely moistened baking sheet. Chiqueter the edge, meaning make shallow, evenly spaced grooves around the circumference with the back of the small knife. Gild the top with a thin, even brushing of beaten egg, keeping the brush away from the outer cut edge. Egg running down the side acts like glue; if it drips, wipe it away at once with the corner of a clean cloth.

5. 5

   Trace the lid

   With the point of the knife, describe a circle exactly 1¼ inches (3.2 cm) inside the outer edge. Cut about halfway through the paste, never through the base, to form the removable cover. Streak the cover in a shallow criss-cross pattern, then continue the same light pattern over the surrounding body. Score without crushing. These marks should decorate the surface, not pin the layers together.

6. 6

   Bake it high

   Bake at 425°F (220°C) for 15 minutes without opening the door, then reduce the heat to 400°F (200°C) and continue for 20 to 25 minutes. The case is ready when it stands high, feels firm along the walls, and has gone deep butter-gold rather than merely pale. This stepped heat translates the book's rather hot oven: strong heat begins the lift, then slightly gentler heat cooks the thick centre. If one side rises faster, rotate the sheet only after the first 20 minutes, when the structure has set. If the top colours too quickly, lay foil loosely over the crown without pressing the walls.

7. 7

   Lift and clear

   While the vol-au-vent is still warm, follow the scored circle with the knife and lift away the cover. Pull the soft crumb from the underside of the lid and clear it carefully from the cavity with a small spoon, leaving the outer walls intact and a base about ⅜ inch (1 cm) thick. If the exposed interior is damp or doughy, do not fill it. Ça se rattrape: return the open case and its lid to a 375°F (190°C) oven for 5 to 8 minutes, until the inside feels dry and delicately crisp.

8. 8

   Cool before filling

   Move the hollowed case and lid to a wire rack and let them cool for at least 15 minutes. Fill the vol-au-vent close to serving so its walls remain crisp, then replace the lid over the opening. Never apologize at your own table. À table!

Chef Tips

• •Use Puff-paste (No. 2366) from one properly rested block. Thin pre-rolled sheets stacked together don't reproduce the book's continuous lamination, and their joined edges rise irregularly.
• •Cold but pliable is the useful condition. The paste should accept a fingertip without cracking or smearing; hard butter fractures between the layers, while soft butter escapes before the structure sets.
• •Four-fifths inch looks extravagant on the board. It is exactly right. That thickness supplies both the hollow cavity and the tall walls, so don't roll it thinner merely because it resembles more familiar pastry.
• •The filling waits for the crust, never the reverse. Keep any warm filling ready in its pan and spoon it in shortly before serving, because a filled vol-au-vent left standing exchanges its crisp base for a soggy one.
• •Stack the trimmings flat before chilling and rerolling them. Never knead them into a ball, which tangles the layers and throws away the work already inside the paste.

Advance Preparation

• •Puff-paste (No. 2366) can be completed according to its own entry and refrigerated for up to 2 days, tightly wrapped, or frozen for up to 1 month. Thaw it in the refrigerator so the butter remains cold.
• •The crust can be cut, turned, grooved, gilded, and scored up to 4 hours before baking. Keep it uncovered in the refrigerator until the Gild sets, then cover it loosely without touching the surface.
• •A baked and hollowed case keeps for 1 day in an airtight container at room temperature. Recrisp it uncovered at 375°F (190°C) for 5 to 7 minutes, then cool it before filling.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 190g)