# Vol-au-vent, basic version



## chrisbelgium (Oct 2, 2010)

This is a simplified version of vol-au-vent that many of you may enjoy.

I used 3 entire chickenlegs this time instead of a whole chicken. Although when making it with a whole chicken you could store some away in your freezer.

*Start by making chickenstock*; put whole legs in a large cookingpot, add roughly chopped onion, leek, carrot, celerysticks. Also peppercorns, bay leaf, a little salt. Add cold water until the legs are under water. Put to a boil, reduce fire to low and let simmer for 45-60 minutes. If any scum floating on top; take it off with a ladle. Take out the chickenlegs, take skin off, take all meat from the bones and preserve. Only if you want to; bones and everything else can be simmered for another 30 minutes in the stock again to get more flavor.

*Make the sauce;* basically it's like wellknown béchamel, but made with the stock instead of milk, let's call it a velouté. You can make it with half milk, half stock; you're the chef.

Make a roux with equal parts butter and flour and let cook and dry for a while on low fire. Keep stirring and NO coloring of the roux! Now moist with a few ladles of chickenstock and stir. Keep adding stock until you reach the desired thickness. S&P. Add cream as you wish and certainly essential; some lemonjuice, in this case from 1/2 lemon. No more boiling when the cream is added! Add meat. Done. A little parcely on top if you like. I used some chopped wild garlic.

Serve with handcut fries or whatever you like. This dish is a classic in my country, homemade fries are a must to most of us, homemade potato croquettes even better!

　

　

The posh version of vol-au-vent is a little more elaborate. There will be tiny boiled veal meatballs in it too, and mushrooms. It will be served in a puff pastry cup with a tablespoon of Hollandaise on top.


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## chefedb (Apr 3, 2010)

Chris;

     I was always under the impression that Vol Au Vent was the puff pastry shell and shape by itself and  you could put any ceamed dish in it. Never heard of a chicken filling called Vol Au Vent. .Half stock 1/2 cream or milk version is in most cases used(Veloute)


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## cheflayne (Aug 21, 2004)

I pretty much concur with chefedb.


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## petalsandcoco (Aug 25, 2009)

Chris,

When you said "simplified" , then it must be without the pastry, right.


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## chrisbelgium (Oct 2, 2010)

The one-person-pastry shell is called a bouchée or a vidée. Filling that kind of pastry with a chicken preparation makes it a Bouchée à la Reine. In ancient times there were big pastry shells filled to serve to up to 8 persons. They were called vol-au-vent.

The name vol au vent is still in use in my country for the whole preparation, served with or without the pastry and always with chicken.

In France they will probably use the name bouchée for the whole dish and for the pastry.

And yes, I have eaten a puff pastry in a fish shape, filled with seafood, also in a velouté.

Seems the original was also never served with fries or anything else. It was a dish on it's own.

Simplyfied means without the pastry, without the veal meatballs, without the mushrooms, without (I forgot) sweatbread, without the Hollandaise...


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## ishbel (Jan 5, 2007)

ChrisB

vol-au-vents is the term used in the UK for the pastry case filled with various things like mushrooms or chicken or coronation chicken etc - served often as part of a buffet.  It is obviously a case of a dish being changed by where it is eaten!  I just cannot abide going to a party, and being offered vol au vents filled with horrid, chemical-tasting condensed Campbell's soups (usually mushroom or chicken with bits of fried mushrooms or overcooked chicken stirred through that stuff!)


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## panini (Jul 28, 2001)

Here in the States as well as the sections of Europe I've baked in, a Vol au vent is a one person Puff shell  with the center scored and saved. A one bite vol au vent is known as

a bouchee usually used for hors devours.

pan


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## chefedb (Apr 3, 2010)

Bouchee " and A la Reine  I have used both those terms here.  In the  US most of the time Chicken A La Reinne is a rich creamed soup with peas, rice, Brunoise of  Chicken and in some places diced piemento for color. It used to be finished with a Laisson (whipped egg yolk and cream)  for xtra richness and a velvet finish. I myself love it.


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## chrisbelgium (Oct 2, 2010)

panini said:


> ... a Vol au vent is a one person Puff shell with the center scored and saved. A one bite vol au vent is known as
> 
> a bouchee usually used for hors devours...


Hey Pan, have you ever heard of the term vidé or vidée while in Europe? Over here it's frequently used for both the entire dish as well as the shell.

Seems vidé(e) refers to what you said "_with the center scored and saved_". The freshly baked shells have to be emptied, hence the name vidé(e) which means literally "emptied". That small piece of pastry is often carefully removed and used as the lid of the puff pastry shell.

The term bouchée is also pointing at what you said. Bouchée simply means a mouthful, although in France it's also used for the bigger one person version.

Ah well, many dishes have indeed another content depending on the region they are cooked in.

Don't know about other parts of the world, but this dish is a big favorite of many people around this part of the world. It's been around since forever.


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## panini (Jul 28, 2001)

hummm?

Now you've got me thinking. I do recall vide.

 I suffer from acute chemo brain. Lately  have troubling what I had for breakfast.

 I will pull some books tonight and try to refresh my memory.

pan


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## nullifygirls (Mar 25, 2011)

hmmm yummy, i'll try this very soon


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