VACHERIN
A luscious meringue dessert usually made into a case or basket to hold a filling of fruits, creams or ice creams. Sometimes the base is a disc of sweet pastry or almond paste with the meringue piped on in rings one on top of the other around the edge. The filling is then piled into the centre. Vacherins can also be assembled with discs of meringue layered with filling.
VACHERIN MELBA
Vacherin meringue case
4 egg whites
1 cup caster sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla essence
Filling
3 cups vanilla ice cream
1 cup sliced canned or fresh peaches
½ cup fresh, frozen or canned raspberries, pureéd
To make the meringue case, cut a round of greaseproof paper 20 cm (8 in) in diameter, place on a greased baking tray and spray with non-stick cooking spray. Whisk egg whites and sugar together until very thick and glossy. Fold in vanilla. Put mixture in a piping bag fitted with a plain 1 cm (½ in) tube. Pipe (or spread) layer of meringue over paper round, then pipe several rings around outer edge, one on top of the other, to form a case. Bake in a preheated slow oven (150°C/300°F) for 35–40 minutes or until crisp and pale golden. Turn off oven and allow to cool completely in oven with door open. Just before serving, fill case with softened ice cream. Arrange peach slices on top and pour raspberry pureé over peaches. Serve immediately. Serves 8.
VARIATIONS
VACHERIN CHANTILLY WITH FRUITS: Make meringue case as above. Just before serving, whip 2 cups cream and fold in 2 tablespoons Grand Marnier and 1 tablespoon sifted icing sugar. Put a layer of fresh fruit, such as strawberries, or sliced peaches, bananas, apricots or grapes (or a mixture of fruits), in meringue case. Pile whipped cream on top and decorate with a little more fruit. If using peaches or bananas, first sprinkle slices with lemon juice to prevent discolouration. Serve immediately.
MOCHA VACHERIN
Vacherin meringue case
4 egg whites
1 cup caster sugar
½ teaspoon cinnamon
¾ cup ground hazelnuts
Mocha sauce
½ cup sugar
¾ cup water
1 tablespoon instant coffee powder
2 tablespoons boiling water
1 tablespoon rum
Filling
½ teaspoon instant coffee powder
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon hot water
¾ cup cream
Decoration
sifted icing sugar
½ cup whipped cream
whole hazelnuts
Cut 2 rounds of greaseproof paper 20 cm (8 in) in diameter. Place on a greased baking tray and spray with non-stick cooking spray. Whisk egg whites until stiff. Add 1 tablespoon caster sugar and beat for 30 seconds longer. Sift remaining sugar with cinnamon and fold into egg whites with ground hazelnuts. Spread or pipe meringue over the 2 paper rounds. Bake in a preheated cool oven (140°C/275°F) for 1–1¼ hours or until pale golden. Turn off oven and allow to cool completely in oven with door open.
To make mocha sauce, dissolve sugar in ½ cup water over low heat. Increase heat and boil without stirring until syrup is a rich golden-brown. Remove from heat and carefully stir in remaining cold water. Return to low heat and stir until caramel dissolves. Pour into a heatproof bowl and allow to cool. As syrup cools and begins to thicken, stir in instant coffee, dissolved in boiling water, and rum. When cold, sauce should be thick and syrupy.
To make filling, mix coffee and brown sugar with hot water and allow to cool. Whip cream and, as it begins to thicken, add coffee and brown sugar mixture. Continue beating until cream holds soft peaks. Sandwich 2 meringue rounds with filling. Dust top of gâteau with sifted icing sugar and pipe rosettes of cream around edge. Decorate rosettes with whole hazelnuts. Serve with mocha sauce. Serves 8.
VANILLA
Vanilla beans can truly be called fragrant; their aroma is one of the most pleasant of all. The vanilla bean is actually the pod of a climbing orchid native to Central America, and was first brought to Europe from Mexico. The flavour of vanilla is available in the form of beans, in vanilla essence and in tiny sachets of vanilla sugar. The essential flavouring of vanilla can be synthesised, and both imitation vanilla essence and sugar flavoured with imitation vanilla are to be found; neither of these, however, is a proper substitute for real vanilla. Vanilla finds its niche in the realm of desserts, and is also used as a flavouring for chocolate. In cakes, creams, custards, ice cream and sauces, vanilla is a vital ingredient. Poaching in a vanilla-flavoured syrup highlights the flavour of many fruits, especially apricots and pears. For custards and custard-based desserts, a piece of vanilla bean is left to infuse in the hot milk. This piece of vanilla bean may be washed, dried and reused. Store it in a jar of sugar or caster sugar, where it will gradually impart its flavour to the sugar; this vanilla-flavoured sugar can be used whenever a vanilla flavour is called for. When a piece of vanilla bean is infused in milk or added to a syrup, it is inevitable that tiny black specks of vanilla will remain after the piece of vanilla bean is removed. It is not necessary to remove these; anyway, they show that real vanilla has been used.
Vanilla Sugar: The easiest way to make vanilla sugar is simply to buy pieces of vanilla bean in a jar of sugar. A more strongly flavoured vanilla sugar can be made by blending a whole vanilla bean, cut into short sections, with 1 cup sugar. Sieve before use. The flavour is even better if the blended mixture is left for a week or so before sieving. Store airtight.
SYRUP FOR POACHING FRUITS
1 cup sugar
1½ cups water
2.5 cm (1 in) piece vanilla bean, split lengthways
Dissolve sugar in water, then add vanilla bean and bring to the boil. Simmer gently for 5–10 minutes. Remove vanilla bean. Add fruit as desired (apricots, pears, peaches, cherries, etc.) and poach gently until tender. Cool in syrup. Makes about 2¼ cups.
BAKED APRICOTS
1 kg (2 lb) ripe apricots, halved and stoned
2 tablespoons Vanilla Sugar (above)
¼ –½ cup water
Arrange apricots in an ovenproof baking dish. Sprinkle with vanilla sugar and water (if apricots are very ripe, very little water will be required). Bake in a preheated slow oven (150°C/300°F) for about 1 hour or until apricots are soft. Serve hot. Serves 6.
VANILLA BISCUITS
125 g (4 oz) butter or margarine
4 tablespoons caster sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
1 cup flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
blanched almond halves or glacé cherries to decorate
Melt butter or margarine; cook until it browns slightly. Cool over cold water, then add sugar and cream until light. Beat in vanilla. Gradually work in flour sifted with baking powder. Using floured hands, shape into small balls and flatten them slightly. Top each with almond or cherry. Place on lightly greased baking tray. Bake in a preheated moderately hot oven (190°C/375°F) for 12–15 minutes or until crisp and golden. Makes about 50.
RICH VANILLA CUSTARD
5 cm (2 in) piece vanilla bean
2 cups hot milk
1 egg
2 egg yolks
2 tablespoons sugar
15 g (½ oz) butter
Infuse vanilla bean in hot milk in heavy saucepan for 5–10 minutes, then remove. Beat egg, egg yolks and sugar together, pour on milk and mix well. Return to saucepan with butter and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until thick. Remove from heat and beat with rotary beater until slightly cooled. Pour into a bowl or jug and cool completely. Makes about 2¼ cups.
STRAWBERRIES IN VANILLA SYRUP
2 punnets (500 g/1 lb) strawberries, hulled
juice 1 lemon
1½ cups sugar
½ vanilla bean, split lengthways
1 cup water
Sprinkle strawberries with lemon juice and about ½ cup sugar. Leave to macerate for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, make a syrup with remaining sugar, vanilla bean and water. Poach strawberries in this syrup over very low heat for about 5 minutes. Cool, then chill for 5–6 hours before serving. Serves 6.
VANILLA CRESCENTS
These crescent-shaped almond shortbreads are an Austrian specialty.
1¼ cups flour
pinch salt
155 g (5 oz) unsalted butter, softened
¼ cup icing sugar, sifted
2 egg yolks
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
155 g (5 oz) ground almonds, preferably unblanched
extra icing sugar
Sift flour with salt onto a work surface. Make a well in centre and put in butter, sugar, egg yolks and vanilla. Sprinkle ground almonds onto flour. Work ingredients in centre with fingertips of one hand until they are well blended. With other hand, use a metal spatula to draw dry ingredients quickly into centre, and mix to a ball of dough. Knead dough lightly, wrap in plastic wrap and chill for 1 hour. Pinch off walnut-size pieces of dough, roll into balls, then roll under your hand to form little cylinders and bend into crescents. Place on a greased baking tray. Bake in a preheated moderate oven (180°C/ 350°F) for 10–12 minutes or until lightly coloured. Remove to a wire rack, placing a sheet of greaseproof paper underneath. Dredge the biscuits heavily with sifted icing sugar while they are still warm. Makes about 75.
VEAL
Since it comes from young animals, veal (calf meat) is tender and its flavour is delicate. Milk-fed veal, prized in Europe but not usually available in Australia, is very pale. Grass-fed veal is a little more pink but should not be red. Good veal is fine-grained and smooth, with only a thin edge of white satiny fat. The bones are large in proportion to the size and should be bluish white.
Veal has only a small amount of external fat and little internal fat, so care must be taken to guard against dryness when cooking. It should be cooked with low to moderate heat, either by a moist-heat method (stewing, braising, pot-roasting) or, for roasting or grilling, with plenty of additional fat provided by very frequent basting and perhaps a covering of streaky bacon for a roast. The two exceptions to the moderate heat rule are pan-fried cutlets or chops, which are browned quickly to seal them but then cooked gently until done, and the very thin slices called escalopes, which are sautéed briefly on medium to high heat.
See Meat for amount to buy, factors determining tenderness, testing meat for doneness, carving, etc.
ROAST VEAL
Choice cuts for roasting:
Leg: May be cut into 2 or more roasting pieces, on or off the bone.
Cushion (topside): A boneless leg roast.
Rump: Boneless.
Loin: The most succulent cut, which may be on the bone or boned, rolled and tied.
Fillet: Small, boneless and fatless, the most tender cut of all.
Economical cuts for roasting:
Shoulder: On the bone or boned and rolled.
Forequarter roasts: Boned and rolled breast, and foreloin rib, sold on or off the bone.
Pork and veal roast: A rolled roast with an outer layer of fatty pork made up by the butcher from various cuts of veal.
To roast: Choice and economical cuts are roasted in the same way (except for a pork and veal roast, which should be treated as a pork roast – see Pork). Weigh the veal roast and place it on a rack in a roasting tin. Smear the surface of the meat with butter and lay rindless rashers of streaky bacon or strips of fresh pork fat over the top. Place in a preheated moderately slow oven (160°C/325°F) and roast for about 45 minutes per 500 g (1 lb), basting with pan juices and extra butter, if necessary, every 15 minutes. Since underdone veal is indigestible and unpleasant, it should always be well-done. To test for doneness, use a meat thermometer or pierce with a fine skewer; juices should run clear. Rest for 15–20 minutes in a warm place before carving.
GRILLED VEAL
Veal is rarely grilled since it lends itself better to other methods of cooking. However, some cuts can be grilled, as long as they receive constant brushing with oil or melted butter to prevent the close-grained texture of the meat becoming dry and tough. Veal should always be served well-done, otherwise it is indigestible.
Choice cuts for grilling:
Loin chops: These may include a piece of kidney.
Cutlets: Rib chops.
NOTE: Both chops from the loin and those from the rib are sometimes called ‘cutlets’.The name is sometimes given, too, to 1 cm (½ in) steaks cut from the leg, but these are better pan-fried.
To grill: Have chops cut 2 cm (¾ in) thick and at room temperature. Cut through edge in several places to prevent buckling. Roll up tails of chops and secure with poultry pins or small skewers. Season on both sides with oil or melted butter. To give a golden finish, dust with a little flour. Place on a greased grill rack under a preheated grill and grill under moderate heat, brushing every 2 minutes with oil or melted butter. Turn the chops 2 or 3 times during grilling. Chops will take 12–14 minutes; they are cooked when the thickest part of the meat releases clear juice when pierced with a fine skewer.
SAUTÉED VEAL
This method is suitable for loin chops, cutlets and leg or fillet steaks, cut about 2 cm (¾ in) thick, and for the thin delicate slices called escalopes or scaloppini.
To cook escalopes, see EscalopeandScaloppine.
To sauté: Have the meat at room temperature and prepare it as for grilling. Heat enough oil to cover the bottom of a heavy frying pan generously. Add an equal quantity of butter, and add meat when foaming subsides. Cook for 30–60 seconds on each side or until browned, then lower heat and continue to cook gently, turning once, until cooked through – when the meat feels firm if pressed, or when beads of juice are clear if meat is pierced with a fine skewer.
Pan sauces for sautéed veal: Serve sautéed veal chops, steaks or escalopes with lemon wedges, or with one of the following quickly made pan sauces. Quantities are sufficient for 4 large chops or escalopes.
Sour Cream and Caper Sauce: After sautéeing veal, remove it to a heated platter and keep warm. Add ¾ cup sour cream to the pan, stir in 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard and bring to the boil, stirring in all the brown bits from the pan. Season with salt and pepper and stir in 2 teaspoons drained capers. Spoon over the veal and top each chop or steak with 2 crossed halves of anchovy fillets.
Cream and Lemon Sauce: After sautéeing veal, remove it to a heated platter and keep warm. Add ½ cup cream and 2 tablespoons lemon juice to the pan and boil for 1 minute, stirring in all the brown bits from the pan. Season with salt and pepper and spoon over the veal.
Port and Mushroom Sauce: While veal is cooking, gently cook 125 g (4 oz) sliced mushrooms in a separate, covered saucepan with 1 tablespoon each butter and lemon juice. When veal is done, remove to a heated platter and keep warm. Add 1 tablespoon finely chopped shallots to the pan and fry, stirring, for 1 minute, then stir in ¼ cup port and ½ cup dry white wine and boil on high heat for 2 minutes. Add mushrooms with their juices, season to taste and spoon over veal.
Ham Sauce: After sautéeing veal, remove it to a heated platter and keep warm. Add 2 tablespoons finely chopped shallot and 60 g (2 oz) cooked ham, cut into thin strips, to the pan. Fry for 2 minutes, then stir in ½ cup veal or chicken stock and 2 teaspoons wine vinegar. Boil, stirring in all the brown bits from the pan, for about 1 minute, then season with salt and pepper. Remove from heat and swirl in a knob of butter and 1 tablespoon chopped parsley. Spoon over veal.
Apple and Onion Sauce: Dust veal with seasoned flour before sautéeing as usual in oil and butter. Remove veal to a heated platter and keep warm. Add 30 g (1 oz) butter to the pan and when it is foaming, add 1 sliced apple. Fry until golden. Add ½ cup dry white wine, or ½ cup chicken stock and 2 teaspoons wine vinegar, and boil for 1 minute, stirring gently. Season with salt and pepper and spoon over veal.
PAN-FRIED CRUMBED VEAL
The most famous example of veal cooked this way is Wienerschnitzel, but thicker veal steaks and cutlets are juicy and delicious when fried with a crisp crumb coating. Coat meat with egg and breadcrumbs. In a heavy frying pan heat enough butter and oil to come halfway up the pieces of veal. When foam subsides arrange the pieces in one layer without crowding the pan. Cook over moderate heat until golden-brown then turn and cook other side, 12–15 minutes in all. Drain on crumpled paper towels and serve immediately.
BRAISED OR CASSEROLED VEAL
Braising (pot-roasting) in a covered casserole with aromatic vegetables is an excellent way to cook a large piece of veal for maximum juices and flavour. Serving-size or smaller pieces from the breast, neck or other areas are tender and melting when cooked slowly with cream, wine or other liquid.
See also Blanquette; Escalope; Osso Buco Milanese; Scaloppine; Schnitzel.
VEAL BIRDS
Thin slices of veal escalopes, pounded with a meat mallet, are wrapped around a filling, browned and then simmered in liquid which is made into a pan sauce or gravy for serving.
8 veal escalopes, about 10 × 15 cm (4 × 6 in)
flour
60 g (2 oz) butter
½ cup chicken stock
½ cup dry white wine
1 bouquet garni
salt and freshly ground black pepper
¼ cup cream
chopped parsley to garnish
Stuffing
30 g (1 oz) butter
1 small onion, finely chopped
125 g (4 oz) mushrooms, finely chopped
1½ cups fresh white breadcrumbs
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
finely grated rind and juice 1 lemon
To make the stuffing, melt butter in a frying pan, add onion and fry until golden. Stir in mushrooms and cook for 1 minute. Remove pan from heat, stir in remaining stuffing ingredients and allow to cool. If escalopes are not already beaten out, pound them between 2 sheets of plastic wrap until very thin. Place stuffing along one end of each escalope, roll up securely and tie with thread. Roll in flour until evenly coated. Melt butter in a flameproof casserole, put in rolls and brown quickly on all sides. Pour in stock and wine and bring to the boil, stirring constantly. Lower heat, and add bouquet garni, salt and pepper. Cover and simmer gently for 30–40 minutes or until meat is tender. Remove bouquet garni, stir in cream just before serving, sprinkled with chopped parsley. Serve with creamy mashed potatoes. Serves 4.
VARIATION
VEAL OLIVES: These are also made by rolling veal escalopes around a stuffing, but they are smaller than Veal Birds. Trim the escalopes to a smaller size, 5 × 8 cm (2 × 3 in) and follow recipe for Veal Birds.
VEAL AND HAM BIRDS WITH HAZELNUT SAUCE
8 veal escalopes, about 10 × 15 cm (4 × 6 in)
8 thin slices cooked ham
2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley
2 cloves garlic, crushed
90 g (3 oz) butter
½ cup chopped hazelnuts or walnuts
1 large onion, finely chopped
½ cup white wine
½ teaspoon cinnamon
salt and freshly ground black pepper
2–3 tablespoons sour cream
If escalopes are not already beaten out, pound between 2 sheets of plastic wrap until very thin. Place a slice of ham on each slice of veal, and sprinkle with parsley and garlic. Tuck sides in, and make into neat rolls, securing with white thread or fine string. Heat butter in a large, heavy frying pan and gently brown rolls on all sides. Remove, and arrange side by side in a casserole just large enough to take them comfortably. Add hazelnuts and onion to butter remaining in frying pan, and fry until onion is soft and golden. Add wine, cinnamon, salt and pepper. Stir well to get up any brown bits from bottom of pan, and pour over veal rolls. Cover casserole and bake in a preheated moderate oven (180°C/350°F) for 20–25 minutes or until veal is tender. Take rolls out, remove strings and arrange on a heated serving platter. Stir sour cream into juices in casserole, and return to oven for a minute to heat through. Adjust seasoning and pour over rolls. Serves 4.
VEAL BREAST WITH SPINACH STUFFING
In Italy, veal is served in a number of interesting ways. This economical cut of veal is most delicious with its spinach and rice stuffing and is a meal in itself. Ask the butcher to cut you 4 slices of pickled (salt) pork belly or back fat; use these to cover the meat and give it richness.
1 × 1.5–2 kg (3–4 lb) boned veal breast, cut with a pocket
salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons butter
1 medium onion, chopped
250 g (8 oz) mushrooms, chopped
500 g (1 lb) spinach
½ teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary or basil
1 cup cooked rice
1 egg, lightly beaten
4 slices pickled (salt) pork belly or back fat
1 tablespoon flour
1 cup chicken or veal stock
Season veal with salt and pepper. Heat butter, add onion and fry until transparent. Add mushrooms and cook, stirring often, for about 3 minutes. Meanwhile, cook spinach, tightly covered, for 3–4 minutes. There is no need to add water; spinach will cook in water which clings to leaves. Drain and, when cool enough to handle, squeeze as dry as possible, then chop. Mix spinach, onion and mushrooms with herbs, salt and pepper, rice and egg. Use mixture to fill pocket in veal and close with metal skewers. Place meat on a rack in a roasting tin. Arrange slices of pickled pork or fat over veal and add enough water to tin to cover bottom by about 1 cm (½ in). Cover with foil and bake in a preheated moderate oven (180°C/350°F) for 2 hours. Uncover and bake for 30 minutes longer. Remove meat to a heated plate and keep warm while you prepare gravy. Add flour to tin and allow to brown a little over a gentle heat, then add stock and stir into a smooth gravy. Serves 6–8.
VEAL CUTLETS MODENA-STYLE
Plump veal loin cutlets cooked in a style commonly used in Modena, Italy. Just a little Marsala is added, but its distinctive qualities flavour the sauce and the meat.
6 veal cutlets, 2.5 cm (1 in) thick
1 egg
salt
¼ cup flour
dry breadcrumbs
125 g (4 oz) butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 tablespoons Marsala
2 teaspoons tomato paste
½ cup white stock (chicken or veal)
freshly ground black pepper
Fold tail end inside each cutlet and secure with a small skewer. Beat egg with a pinch of salt on a plate. Dip cutlets in flour, then egg, and coat with breadcrumbs. Heat butter with oil in a heavy sauté pan or frying pan. Add cutlets and brown well on both sides. Add onion and fry until it begins to brown. Pour on Marsala and cook until it evaporates to 1 tablespoon. Stir in tomato paste, stock, salt and pepper, and continue cooking for 15–20 minutes or until cutlets are tender when tested with a skewer. Remove skewers from cutlets. Arrange cutlets on a heated serving dish and spoon pan juices over. Serves 6.
VEAL POT ROAST
2 tablespoons oil
30 g (1 oz) butter
1 × 2.5 kg (5 lb) shoulder of veal, boned, rolled and tied
1 cup diced onions
1 large carrot, sliced
1 cup diced celery
1 bay leaf
10 black peppercorns
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon paprika
½ cup dry white wine
1 tablespoon Beurre Manié
Heat oil in a heavy, flameproof casserole, add butter and, when turning brown, add meat and brown it on all sides. Lift meat out. Add all remaining ingredients, except wine and beurre manié, to casserole and cook for 1–2 minutes over moderate heat, stirring, until onion begins to soften. Set a rack over vegetables and put meat on it. Pour over wine and add enough water to cover vegetables. Cover casserole tightly and place in a preheated moderately slow oven (160°C/325°F). Cook for 2½ hours or until tender. Uncover and cook for a further 20 minutes. Remove meat to a heated platter. Remove rack and, on moderate heat on top of stove, whisk beurre manié little by little into gravy. Stir until smooth and cook gently for 5 minutes. Discard bay leaf. Serve gravy with sliced meat. Serves 8.
VEAL BRAISED WITH VERMOUTH
1 kg (2 lb) boneless lean veal, cut into 4 cm (1½ in) cubes
60 g (2 oz) butter
4 medium onions, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons flour
½ cup dry white wine
¼ cup dry vermouth
2½ cups chicken or veal stock
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 bouquet garni
250 g (8 oz) button mushrooms
1 egg yolk
1 teaspoon lemon juice
½ cup cream
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
hot buttered rice and 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese to serve
Brown veal cubes in butter in a wide, heavy saucepan, deep sauté pan or flameproof casserole. Add onions and cook until they colour lightly, then stir in flour and cook stirring gently, for 2 minutes. Add wine, vermouth and enough of the stock barely to cover meat, and stir until simmering. Season with salt and pepper and add bouquet garni. Cover and simmer for 40 minutes. Add mushrooms and cook for 10 minutes longer or until veal is tender. Beat egg yolk and lemon juice with cream, stir in a little hot liquid from veal, then stir this back into pan. Cook gently, stirring, until liquid thickens a little more and becomes glossy; do not allow to boil. Adjust seasoning and discard bouquet garni. Serve veal scattered with parsley, on a bed of hot buttered rice with 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese folded through it. Serves 6–8.
BRAISED VEAL SHOULDER WITH SPINACH AND MUSHROOM STUFFING
1 × 2 kg (4 lb) boned shoulder of veal
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
3 tablespoons oil
60 g (2 oz) butter
2 carrots, sliced
2 medium onions, sliced
1 bouquet garni
1 cup dry white wine
1 cup chicken or veal stock
salt and freshly ground black pepper
Stuffing
500 g (1 lb) spinach
2 tablespoons finely chopped shallots
30 g (1 oz) butter
250 g (8 oz) mushrooms, thinly sliced 
cup cream
½ cup fresh breadcrumbs
90 g (3 oz) cooked ham, diced
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 egg, beaten
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
salt and freshly ground black pepper
nutmeg
Lay veal flat, slice part way through thickest part of meat and open it out. Spread cut surface of meat with mustard, and set aside.
To make stuffing, cook spinach, with only water that clings to leaves after rinsing, in a tightly covered saucepan for 3–4 minutes. Drain, squeeze out as much moisture as possible and chop finely. Cook shallots gently in butter for 3 minutes, then add mushrooms and cook for 5 minutes more, stirring several times. Remove from heat and mix in spinach and remaining ingredients for stuffing.
Spread stuffing over meat. Roll up and tie firmly with string at intervals along its length to make up plump sausage shape. Heat oil and butter in a heavy, flameproof casserole and brown meat roll on all sides.
Remove meat. Add carrots and onions to casserole and brown them lightly. Add bouquet garni, wine and stock and bring to the boil, stirring and scraping the bottom of casserole to mix in brown bits. Place meat on bed of vegetables. Cover tightly and cook in a preheated moderate oven (180°C/350°F) for 2 hours or until veal is tender, turning it after first hour.
Remove meat to a warm place and let it rest for 15 minutes, then remove strings and carve across into thick slices. Arrange veal down a heated serving platter. Bring pan juices to the boil, adjust seasoning, discard bouquet garni, and spoon a little over veal. Serve remainder in a sauceboat. Serves 8.
NOTE: The veal can be served cold: allow to cool before removing string, and slice a little thinner than for hot veal. Meanwhile, strain cooking liquid and boil it down until it is syrupy. Arrange veal slices on a serving platter and brush several times with the reduced liquid to glaze it.
SAUTÉED VEAL WITH LEMON AND ROSEMARY
4 veal cutlets or 8 small escalopes
2 tablespoons olive oil
60 g (2 oz) butter
8 paper-thin slices lemon
½ teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary, or pinch dried
4 tablespoons dry white wine
salt and freshly ground black pepper
Sauté veal in oil and half the butter, adding lemon slices to pan for the last 5 minutes of cooking. Remove veal to a heated platter, arrange lemon slices on top and keep warm. Add remaining butter to pan and, when it is frothing, add rosemary and wine. Bring to the boil, stirring in all the brown bits from pan. Season with salt and pepper and spoon over veal. Serves 4.
VEAL CHOPS STUFFED WITH CHEESE
A speciality of the Piedmont region of Italy.
6 veal chops
125 g (4 oz) Fontina, Gouda or Jarlsberg cheese, thinly sliced
salt and freshly ground white pepper
flour
beaten egg
dry breadcrumbs
90 g (3 oz) butter
Slit each chop horizontally almost to bone to make a pocket. Stuff pockets with slices of cheese. Lay chops flat and press edges together, then seal by beating with heel of heavy kitchen knife. Season chops on both sides with salt and pepper, dust with flour and coat with egg and breadcrumbs. Heat butter and fry chops on moderate heat for 10–15 minutes or until golden-brown on both sides and cooked through. Serves 6.
VEAL PATTIES WITH SOUR CREAM SAUCE
500 g (1 lb) minced veal
½ cup fresh breadcrumbs
1 teaspoon grated lemon rind
1 teaspoon chopped fresh marjoram, or ¼ teaspoon dried
½ teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary, or
¼ teaspoon dried
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons sour cream
1 egg
flour
45 g (1½ oz) butter
Sauce
1 tablespoon butter
1 onion, finely chopped
1 cup sour cream
salt and freshly ground black pepper
pinch nutmeg
Mix veal, breadcrumbs, lemon rind, herbs, salt, pepper, sour cream and egg. Shape into 8 patties about 2 cm (¾ in) thick and flour lightly. Heat butter in a heavy frying pan and brown patties on both sides, then turn heat low and cook gently for about 5 minutes more on each side. Remove to a heated platter and keep warm.
To make sauce, add butter and onion to pan and cook until onion is lightly browned. Add sour cream and heat slowly, stirring in all brown bits from pan. Do not allow to boil. Season with salt, pepper and nutmeg, and spoon over patties. Serves 4.
VEAL IN WHITE WINE
Shoulder veal is good for this, or your butcher may sell lean stewing veal already chopped into cubes.
3 tablespoons oil
1.5 kg (3 lb) boneless lean veal, cut into bite-size cubes
1 large onion, finely chopped
½ cup tomato pureé
1 tablespoon flour
2 cups chicken stock
1 cup dry white wine
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 bay leaf
½ teaspoon dried thyme
½ teaspoon dried rosemary
salt and freshly ground black pepper
chopped parsley to garnish
Vegetable addition
125 g (4 oz) butter
12 small white onions
1 tablespoon sugar
12 small mushroom caps
3 large tomatoes, peeled, quartered and seeded
Heat oil in a deep, heavy saucepan and brown veal cubes on all sides over medium heat. Add onion and tomato pureé, and stir together for 2 minutes. Mix flour with a little stock, and add to pan with remaining stock and white wine. Add garlic, bay leaf, thyme and rosemary, and season generously with salt and pepper. Stir until boiling, then cover tightly and simmer for 1 hour. Meanwhile, heat half the butter in a heavy frying pan and slowly brown small onions over medium heat. Sprinkle with sugar and stir until onions are glazed. Remove onions to a plate. Heat remaining butter in same pan. Add mushroom caps and toss until coated with butter. Remove. Add onions, mushrooms and tomatoes to veal and simmer for a further 30 minutes or until meat is tender. Adjust seasoning, discard bay leaf and spoon into a serving dish. Sprinkle with parsley and serve. Serves 8.
VEGETABLES
See individual entries.
VELOUTÉ SAUCE
See Sauces.
VENISON
Venison is the meat from several species of deer, which may be raised commercially or hunted as game, as in parts of northern Europe. Vension meat is very lean, and joints for roasting may need to be larded or covered with a fine sheet of pork fat. The farm-raised venison is milder in flavour, moister and often younger than game venison, and if cooked quickly and carefully does not need to be larded. Also, it does not need to be hung or marinated, as is sometimes recommended for game.
As with beef, the forequarter cuts of venison are best used in casseroles. The saddle, or both sides of the loin, is roasted while the leg may either be roasted or cut into steaks. Venison steaks should be pan-fried and served fairly rare; overcooked, they are too dry. Marinating steaks in a basic wine-oil marinade helps counteract this dryness.
Traditional vegetable accompaniments to venison include chestnuts, potatoes, Brussels sprouts and lentils. Sauces for venison are usually based on red wine, and redcurrant jelly may also accompany venison.
VENISON CASSEROLE
1 kg (2 lb) boned shoulder venison, sinews removed, cubed
about 2 tablespoons flour
2 onions, chopped
2 tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped
1 bouquet garni
small piece cinnamon stick
5 pickled walnuts, sliced
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon Angostura bitters
¾ cup dry red wine
Coat meat cubes lightly in flour and place in greased casserole. Arrange onions and tomatoes on top, add bouquet garni, cinnamon and walnuts, and season with salt and pepper. Stir bitters into wine and add to the casserole. Cover lightly and cook in a preheated moderate oven (180°C/350°F) for about 2 hours, until tender when pierced with a fork. Discard bouquet garni. Serves 4–6.
ROAST SADDLE OF VENISON
1 × 3.5–4 kg (7–8 lb) saddle of venison
½ teaspoon dried thyme
salt and freshly ground black pepper
8–10 thin slices pickled (salt) pork
½ cup fresh orange juice
3 tablespoons redcurrant jelly
2 tablespoons brandy
Wipe meat with a damp cloth, and rub well with thyme, salt and pepper. Place on rack in roasting tin and cover with pork slices. Roast in a preheated very hot oven (230°C/450°F) for 45–60 minutes (venison is more tender if quite rare).Remove pickled pork, transfer venison to heated plate and keep warm. Skim off excess fat from roasting tin, place tin on heat and add orange juice, scraping up any residue from bottom of pan. Add redcurrant jelly, stirring constantly. Bring to the boil, pour in warmed brandy and flame. Serve immediately with venison. Serves 8.
VERJUICE
The word ‘verjuice’ comes from the French for green juice, vert jus. This gentle acidulant is made from green, unripe grapes or other sour fruits such as crab apples. Verjuice, or, to the Italians, agresto, was a common flavouring in the Middle Ages and Renaissance, when it was used as we would use lemon juice or vinegar today, to add sharpness to the flavour of food.
Verjuice is excellent used for deglazing a pan to make a sauce. Remove any excess fat from the pan in which meat or vegetables have been roasted or fried, leaving just a little. Add 1 cup verjuice and place over a moderate heat. Scrape up the crusty bits, incorporating them into the verjuice. Reduce until jus is just beginning to coat the spoon. Add a knob of butter for richness and shine and strain into a jug or spoon over the food. Use verjuice in place of vinegar in salad dressings and marinades, and splash a little over cooked vegetables to give them a special tang.
VERMOUTH
Vermouth is an aperitif wine, made by infusing selected herbs and spices in a base wine then fortifying the resultant wine with distilled spirits. There are many brands of vermouth, each with slightly different infusion mixtures, but most brands include a dry white, sweet white and sweet red vermouth.
Because their flavour is more concentrated than that of a table wine, vermouths are particularly useful when finishing a sauce, mixing a forcemeat stuffing or assembling the meats for a pâté or terrine – they flavour without making the mixture too liquid.
Simple and delicious sauces can be quickly made by deglazing a pan in which meat, chicken, scallops or prawns have been pan-fried; try deglazing with dry white vermouth for seafood or veal escalopes, with red vermouth for chicken breasts. Sweet vermouths can enhance the flavour of fresh summer fruit, lightly chilled, and red vermouth can substitute for red wine and some of the sugar when poaching fruits such as prunes or pears. Fresh or poached fruit may also be treated to a sabayon sauce based on vermouth.
PEARS IN VERMOUTH
2 cups sweet red vermouth
1 cup sugar
½ cup orange juice
1 teaspoon grated orange rind
6–8 pears, peeled, halved and cored
1 lemon, halved
Combine vermouth, sugar and orange juice and rind in a saucepan. Bring to the boil, stirring to dissolve sugar, and simmer gently for 5 minutes. Rub pears with lemon to prevent browning. Place pears into simmering syrup, and simmer for 8–10 minutes longer or until tender. Cool in syrup, then remove. Reduce syrup to 1 cup by rapid boiling and pour over pears. Cool then chill. Serve chilled, with sweetened whipped cream flavoured with orange liqueur if desired. Serves 6–8.
NOTE: It is preferable to peel and poach only 2 pears at a time in order to prevent any discolouration.
VEAL ESCALOPES WITH MUSHROOMS
12 small, thin veal escalopes, trimmed
60 g (2 oz) butter
1 tablespoon oil
3 tablespoons chopped shallots
¼ cup dry vermouth
½ cup chicken stock
1 tablespoon cornflour mixed with 2 teaspoons water
1 cup cream
salt and freshly ground black pepper
250 g (8 oz) mushrooms, sliced
Fry veal escalopes in 30 g (1 oz) of the butter and oil over moderately high heat for about 4 minutes on each side. (It is preferable to cook veal in 3–4 batches, using a proportion of butter and oil for each batch.) Remove escalopes to heated dish when cooked. Pour off some of the oil mixture, leaving 2 tablespoons. Add shallots and cook gently for 1 minute. Add vermouth and stock and scrape up residue from bottom of pan. Reduce over high heat to about 3 tablespoons. Blend cornflour mixture with cream, add and boil, stirring, until thickened. Season with salt and pepper, and remove from heat. In a separate pan, fry the mushrooms in remaining butter for 4–5 minutes. Season, then add to cream sauce. Simmer for 1 minute. Season escalopes lightly with salt and pepper, and add to sauce in pan. Cover and warm through for 4–5 minutes, basting veal with sauce occasionally. To serve, arrange veal on heated dish and spoon sauce over. Serves 4–6.
VERTE SAUCE
See Salad Dressing.
VICTORIA SPONGE
A classic sponge sandwich layered with jam, the top lightly dusted with caster sugar. It keeps well, and was a great favourite at tea parties in Victorian times. The success of the cake depends on the air beaten into the mixture. Use an electric mixer if you wish, or beat by hand using a whisking movement from the wrist, lifting the mixture as you whisk.
VICTORIA SPONGE
2 cups self-raising flour
pinch salt
250 g (8 oz) butter
½ teaspoon vanilla essence
1 cup caster sugar
4 eggs, beaten
jam
caster sugar to dust
Sift flour with salt. Cream butter and vanilla thoroughly, then beat in sugar by degrees until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in eggs until thoroughly combined. Be careful not to add eggs too quickly or mixture will curdle and texture of cake will be affected. Fold in flour. Spoon mixture into 2 × 20 cm (8 in) sandwich tins that have been greased, bottom-lined with greased greaseproof paper and dusted with flour. Bake in a preheated moderately hot oven (190°C/375°F) for 40–45 minutes or until cakes have shrunk slightly from sides of tins. Turn onto a wire rack to cool. When cold, sandwich together with a good jam of your choice and dust top with caster sugar.
VICHYSSOISE
One of the specialties created by the great French chef Louis Diat for the old Ritz-Carlton in New York. Vichyssoise now appears on restaurant menus throughout the world and is made in many homes. It had its origins in the simple leek and potato soup, potage bonne femme of France, which when put through a mouli became potage parmentier. Both of these soups are served hot.
Casting around for a new cold soup to entice his clientele, Diat remembered how his mother used to cool her potage by adding cold rich milk to it. A cup of cream, an extra straining, a sprinkle of chives et voilà! He had his new soup. Diat named it after Vichy, the famous spa located near his boyhood home, as a tribute to the fine cooking of the region.
For recipe.
VINAIGRETTE
The classic vinaigrette or French dressing is a subtle mixture of good-quality olive oil, wine vinegar, salt and pepper. To this basic mixture is sometimes added mustard, fresh herbs or, as in southern France, garlic. Flavouring depends on taste and the type of salad the vinaigrette is to dress. Vinaigrette can also be used as a dressing for cooked, cooled vegetables. Serve vegetable vinaigrette as an hors d’oeuvre, or as an accompaniment to hot or cold meats.
For vinaigrette dressing recipe.
VEGETABLE VINAIGRETTE
500 g (1 lb) vegetables (cauliflower, baby onions, carrots, button mushrooms, patty-pan squash, zucchini, asparagus, green beans, snow peas or mixture)
Dressing
3 tablespoons oil
1 tablespoon wine vinegar
1 clove garlic, crushed
½ teaspoon finely chopped mixed fresh herbs, or 1 tablespoon parsley chopped with 1 teaspoon dried mixed herbs salt and freshly ground black pepper
Trim vegetables; break cauliflower into florets; cut carrots into sticks. Cook vegetables separately in boiling salted water just until crisp-tender – minutes only for most, 45–50 seconds for snow peas. Drain and refresh under cold running water. Make a dressing by combining remaining ingredients. Arrange vegetables on a serving dish, spoon dressing over, cover and marinate for 2 hours. Serve slightly chilled. Serves 6.
VINEGAR
Vinegar is the acid liquid obtained from various fruits and grains after alcoholic and acetous fermentation takes place. Thus wine vinegar is fermented from fresh wine, malt vinegar is made from malt liquor, cider vinegar from cider, and sweet and sour vinegars from rice wine. They vary greatly in strength and flavour according to the grain of fruit from which they are made.
Vinegar is an essential ingredient in salad dressings, mint and horseradish sauces, and can be used sparingly instead of lemon juice in hollandaise, béarnaise and mayonnaise sauces. Many marinades for meat and game contain vinegar (the acid has a tenderising effect), and it is used in pickling of all kinds – fruits, vegetables, meat, fish and eggs.
All vinegars are corrosive so when mixing pickles, or using marinades or any recipes containing vinegar, use utensils made of glass, earthenware, china, or stainless or enamelled steel.
Store vinegar in sterilised jars or bottles (see Jams).
Types of vinegar:
Wine vinegar:Wine vinegars can be red or white and are sometimes quite strong, but always have a delicious flavour. They can be diluted according to taste with the addition of a little red or white wine as appropriate. The best and purest wine vinegar probably comes from Orléans in France. Use white wine vinegar in mayonnaise and red or white in vinaigrette.
Balsamic vinegar: An aged reduction of sweet white grapes boiled to a syrup, produced in the regions of Modena and Reggio in Italy. The grapes are cooked very slowly in copper cauldrons until reduced by over 50%.The resulting ‘must’ is placed into wooden barrels and an older balsamic vinegar is added to assist in the acetification. Each year the vinegar is transferred to different wood barrels so that the vinegar can obtain some of the flavours of the different woods. The only approved woods are oak, cherry, chestnut, mulberry, acacia, juniper and ash. True aceto balsamic vinegar must be aged a minimum of 10 years. The better balsamic vinegars are aged 25–50 years (these balsamics are not to be poured, but used by the drop). Find a good-quality medium-priced one to use in your cooking. In the Middle Ages, it was used as a disinfectant and enjoyed a reputation as a miracle cure, good for everything from sore throats to labour pains.
Cider vinegar: This has a strong, distinctive flavour and is much sharper than wine vinegar. Makes an excellent vinaigrette to use with a fresh tomato salad.
Malt vinegar: A strong, dark vinegar made from malted barley. The colour does not necessarily denote the strength as it is sometimes coloured with caramel to varying degrees of brown. Use for pickling. Distilled or white vinegar: Not as strong as malt vinegar; use for pickling when the vinegar needs to be clear to enhance the colour of the pickle.
Rice vinegar: Often used in Asian cooking especially in the Japanese dish sushi or vinegared rice. It has a sweet, delicate flavour.
Flavoured vinegars: Red or white vinegar and distilled white vinegar can be flavoured with spices, herbs, chillies or garlic. These are steeped in the vinegar for some days, and the liquid is then strained and decanted into sterilised bottles for use. Use flavoured vinegars for salad dressings, sauces and vinaigrettes.
HERB VINEGAR
1 cup fresh herbs (thyme, mint, tarragon, basil, etc.)
4 cups red or white wine vinegar
Pack herbs into jars (use 4 × 1-cup jars or 2 × 2-cup jars), fill with vinegar, cover; store at room temperature. Leave for 2–3 weeks, shaking jars once each day. Strain vinegar into sterilised bottles, insert a few sprigs of chosen herbs, cover and store. Makes 4 cups.
CHILLI VINEGAR
Add a few drops of this hot vinegar to fresh chutneys that are to accompany curries or use when you want a hot, spicy salad dressing.
4–6 fresh chillies, or 1 tablespoon dried
2 cups white vinegar or malt vinegar
Put chillies into a sterilised jar. Bring vinegar to the boil and pour over chillies. Cool, cover and store for 5–6 weeks before use, shaking jar occasionally. Makes 2 cups.
SPICED VINEGAR
A good, all-purpose spiced vinegar for use when pickling. Malt vinegar gives a good flavour, but for a clear pickle use distilled white vinegar.
4 cups vinegar (malt or white)
6 black peppercorns
6 cloves
1 cinnamon stick
5 blades mace
2 teaspoons whole allspice
Place vinegar in saucepan with spices. Bring slowly to boiling point, then remove pan from heat, cover and leave for 2 hours. Strain if desired. Use spiced vinegar cold. Makes 4 cups.
VARIATIONS
Add one of the following: 1 tablespoon celery seeds or mustard seeds; 5 cm (2 in) piece fresh ginger; 1 clove garlic; 3 bay leaves.
PICKLED EGGS IN SPICED VINEGAR
12 hard-boiled eggs
Spiced vinegar
2.5 cm (1 in) piece fresh ginger, lightly crushed
1 tablespoon white peppercorns
4 cups white wine vinegar
4 chillies
Tie ginger and peppercorns in a muslin bag. Bring vinegar to boiling point and add ginger and peppercorns. Lower heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Allow to cool. Shell eggs and pack into sterilised jars. Put 1 or 2 chillies in each jar and fill with spiced vinegar, making certain eggs are covered completely. Cover and store for 3–4 weeks before using. Makes 4 × 1-cup jars or 2 × 2-cup jars.
SPICED ORANGES
4 medium oranges, each cut into 8 wedges
¼ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
1 teaspoon whole allspice
12 cloves
2 cups malt vinegar
8 cm (3 in) cinnamon stick
2.5 cm (1 in) piece fresh ginger
2 cups sugar
Put oranges into a saucepan and add water to cover and the bicarbonate of soda. Bring to the boil and simmer gently for 15 minutes. Place remaining ingredients in another saucepan and bring to the boil, stirring until sugar has dissolved. Drain orange wedges and place in vinegar syrup. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Remove orange wedges with a slotted spoon and pack into sterilised hot dry jars. Boil syrup and top up jars. Cover and seal. This pickle with be ready in 1 week. Makes about 6 cups.
VINE LEAVES
Probably the most familiar use of vine leaves in cookery is to stuff them with an aromatic mixture of meats or rice. The result is delicious. These little parcels are enjoyed in the Middle East and Mediterranean countries (see Dolma, Dolmades).They are served hot or cold, with or without a sauce.
Quail and other small birds acquire a faint lemony flavour when wrapped first in bacon and then in vine leaves before cooking in a casserole. Vine leaves can also be used to line baskets for bread or fruit for a fresh and pretty effect when entertaining.
Fresh vine leaves for cooking should be medium light green and not too young. Any leaves from any vine bearing edible grapes are suitable. If you do not have fresh vine leaves, buy those preserved in brine available from good delicatessens.
Basic preparation (fresh and preserved vine leaves): Rinse leaves in cold water. Boil a large saucepan of water, drop in leaves and blanch for 3 minutes to soften leaves. Remove with a slotted spoon to a bowl of cold water; drain and dry with paper towels before using. You may have to blanch leaves in several batches.
To stuff vine leaves: Place the leaves shiny side down on a work surface. Trim off stalks. Place filling in centre of each leaf and roll up, turning in sides of leaf so filling is completely encased.
VINE LEAVES AND MUSHROOMS
500 g (1 lb) mushrooms
1 clove garlic
250 g (8 oz) fresh or preserved vine leaves, blanched
olive oil
salt and freshly ground black pepper
Remove and chop mushroom stems finely with garlic. Place vine leaves in layers in bottom of an oiled flameproof dish. Cover them with a film of olive oil and place over moderate heat until oil is hot. Add mushroom caps, stalk side up, cover dish with a lid or foil and cook in a preheated moderate oven (180°C/350°F) for 20 minutes. Remove from oven. Add chopped stems and garlic, and season with salt and pepper. Return to oven and cook for a further 10 minutes. Serve hot as a first course. Serves 4.
VOL-AU-VENT
Ever-popular vol-au-vents are tender light cases of puff pastry containing a filling of seafood, poultry, eggs, ham or vegetables, usually bound with a deliciously creamy sauce. They are versatile enough to be served as hors d’oeuvre in tiny bite-size cases or as large individual ones that are perfect as an entrée.
Vol-au-vents can also have sweet fillings. Vol-au-vent cases can be brought prepared and ready to be filled at cake shops, supermarkets and delicatessens or frozen, ready to be baked. You may prefer to shape your own cases using either commercial frozen or home-made puff pastry.
BASIC VOL-AU-VENT CASES
1 × 375 g (12 oz) packet frozen puff pastry, thawed, or 1 quantity Puff Pastry
beaten egg yolk to glaze
Roll out chilled pastry to a thickness of about 5 mm (¼ in). Cut into rounds with a floured pastry cutter to size of your choice. Arrange half the rounds on a dampened baking tray. Cut centre out of remaining rounds with a slightly smaller cutter to leave a ring of pastry about 3 cm (1¼ in) wide. Gather trimmings together (do not knead) and roll out to make more vol-au-vent cases. Prick rounds previously placed on tray with a fork and brush edges with water. Carefully place a pastry ring on top of each round and press gently to seal. Mark a crisscross pattern with tip of a sharp knife around tops of rings and brush with a little beaten egg yolk.
Bake on top shelf of a preheated very hot oven (230°C/450°F) for 10 minutes or until well puffed, crisp and golden. Remove any soft dough from inside and cool cases on a wire rack.
One 375 g (12 oz) packet frozen pastry makes 3 × 10 cm (4 in) cases or 9 × 5 cm (2 in) cases. One quantity home-made puff pastry makes 4 × 10 cm (4 in) cases or 12 × 5 cm (2 in) cases.
NOTE: Vol-au-vent cases can be made ahead and stored in an airtight tin. Reheat for 5–6 minutes in a preheated moderate oven (180°C/350°F) when required and spoon hot filling into centre.
FILLINGS FOR VOL-AU-VENTS:
The following quantities are sufficient for 2 × 10 cm (4 in) cases or 12 × 5 cm (2 in) cases.
ASPARAGUS: To 1 cup hot Béchamel Sauce, add ½ cup cooked, chopped asparagus. Season with 1 teaspoon lemon juice, salt and freshly ground black pepper.
CREAMED SPINACH: To 1 cup cooked, well-dried, pureéd spinach, add ¼ cup sour cream, ¼ teaspoon nutmeg, and 2 tablespoons finely chopped shallots fried in 1 tablespoon butter. Reheat, stirring, before filling cases.
SEAFOOD: To 1 cup cooked shelled prawns, crab or fresh bottled oysters, drained, add ½ cup hot thick Béchamel Sauce, 1 tablespoon cream, 2 drops Tabasco sauce and a squeeze of lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
HAM AND EGG VOL-AU-VENTS
4 large vol-au-vent cases, about 10 cm (4 in) diameter
1 cup diced cooked ham
2 hard-boiled eggs, chopped
2 shallots, finely chopped
1 tablespoon chopped green pepper
45 g (1½ oz) butter
1 cup hot Béchamel Sauce
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
salt and freshly ground black pepper
Place vol-au-vent cases on a lightly greased baking tray and heat in a preheated moderate oven (180°C/ 350°F) for 5–6 minutes. Meanwhile, gently fry ham, eggs, shallots and green pepper in butter until hot. Stir into hot sauce with mustard, salt and pepper. Spoon into hot cases. Serves 4.
CHICKEN VOL-AU-VENTS
4 large vol-au-vent cases, about 10 cm (4 in) diameter
1 cup cooked, chopped chicken
6–8 button mushrooms, sliced
45 g (1½ oz) butter
½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons finely chopped pickled cucumbers
1 cup hot Béchamel Sauce
salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons toasted slivered almonds to garnish
Place vol-au-vent cases on a lightly greased baking tray and heat in a preheated moderate oven (180°C/ 350°F) for 5–6 minutes. Meanwhile, gently fry chicken and mushrooms in butter until heated through. Stir chicken, mushrooms,Worcestershire sauce and pickles into hot Béchamel Sauce, and season to taste. Spoon into hot cases and sprinkle with almonds. Serves 4.