The "Queen" cookery books: Entrees

TIMBALES, VOL-AU-VENT, PATTIES, Ac. Like souffles, mousses, &c., the entrees treated of in this chapter have been pretty generally relegated to the haute cuisine, and as such considered entirely outside the sphere of the ordinary cook. This, however, is a mistake, for, granted that cook ” can produce good pastry, she can perfectly well make either vol-au-vent, or even a timbale ; while, if she lias not got what is technically known as “a light hand for pastry,” the most ordinary meat pie or fruit tart is beyond her reach. Unfortunately, the art of pastry making is not easily acquired from description, so, if possible, a cook should always be taught this part of her profession by demonstration and practice. Have ready |lb. of good puff paste, to which you have given six turns (be very careful in the rolling out of this ; all puff paste needs rolling evenly if it is to rise properly; but for vol-au-vent, which, as its name implies, is the lightest form of pastry, this precaution is doubly requisite), and with a round or oblong cutter, about 8in. in diameter (or, if oval, 9in. by 6in.), stamp out evenly a round of this paste from fin. to l|in. thick, and slip it on to a buttered TIMBALES, VOL-AU-VENT, PATTIES, &c. 85 baking disli ; now, with another cutter, stamp out a round inside the first, allowing an inch margin all round, and being careful to press the inner cutter only about two-thirds the depth of the crust ; then brush it all oyer with a beaten egg, and place the sheet with the vol-au-vent upon it into a brisk oven and bake for twenty to thirty minutes, according to the thickness you elect to make your vol-au-vent. You then lift out the inner rim, and carefully scrape off all the inside underdone and rather greasy paste, without injuring the sides of the case, and cover any thin places with a flake or two of the crust removed from the centre, or the gravy will leak out and spoil the appearance of the dish. If properly made, the paste will have risen pretty high and be quite light and flakey. It is now filled with any rich ragout to taste, the inner round, carefully freed from any greasy underdone paste, being placed lightly on the top to act as a cover. Little patty cases, which are simply miniature volau-vent, are made in precisely the same way. Some cooks make their vol-au-vent by stamping out three or four rounds of puff paste, according to the height they wish the vol-au-vent to be, leaving one round whole, but cutting the centres out of the others, and these are then baked for fifteen to twenty minutes, and wdien cooked lightly brushed over with white of egg, and piled one on the other, one of the inner circles being used as a cover. But though this is a trifle easier to make than the proper wav, the effect is not nearly so satisfactory. The difference between a timbale