With Veal.—Fill the vol-au-vent with veal in blanquette, in ragout, or in bourgeoise, and serve. It is generally filled with what has been left the day previous, as it requires very little for a vol-au-vent.
With Brains.—It may be filled with brains of calf, pig, sheep, or veal; prepared in poulette, or stewed.
With Rabbit.—Fill it with part of a rabbit sauté.
It may also be filled with any other meat or fish, according to taste, and being cooked previously.
With Fruits.—Fill the vol-au-vent with any kind of stewed fruit, jelly, sweetmeats, etc. It may be only filled, or the fruit may be dressed in pyramid inside of it.
Bouchées.—Bouchées, or petites bouchées, as they are sometimes called, are small, round vol-au-vent, served warm. They are also called bouchées de dames and petites bouchées. Roll puff-paste down to a thickness of about one-quarter of an inch, cut it with a paste-cutter of any size, mark the cover, and bake in an oven at about 450° Fahr. A good size is about three inches in diameter. When cut, take another paste-cutter about two inches in diameter, place it on the piece of paste; press on it just enough to mark the place where it was, but not enough to cut the paste, remove it and then the cover is marked; that is, you have a circle on the top of the paste, half an inch from the edge all around. Glaze with egg and bake. Make one for each person. Immediately on taking them from the oven, cut off the cover with a sharp-pointed knife. That is easily done; it is only necessary to follow the mark made with the paste-cutter, which is just as visible as before baking. Remove the cover and then carefully take out some unbaked paste inside of the bouchée, fill with lobster prepared as directed below, put the cover on, and serve as warm as possible.
The Filling.—Cut some flesh of boiled lobster in dice. Put two ounces of butter in a saucepan and set it on the fire; when melted, add a tablespoonful of flour, stir for about one minute, and add also broth (the quantity must be according to the number of bouchées, but we will give here the quantity necessary for five or six bouchées), about three gills, also salt, pepper, then the cut lobster; stir now and then for five or six minutes, and use.
Of Oysters.—Prepare, fill and serve exactly as the above, except that you fill with oysters prepared as for vol-au-vent, instead of filling with lobster.
Of Cod-fish.—Fill the bouchées with cod-fish, prepared à la Béchamel, and serve warm.