Vol au vent

Vol-au-vent

Vol-au-vent
Type	Pastry
Place of origin	Belgium,France
Region or state	Paris
Created by	Antonin Carême
Main ingredients	Puff pastry

A vol-au-vent (pronounced [vɔlovɑ̃], French for "windblown", to describe its lightness) is a small hollow case of puff pastry. Vols-au-vent are typically made by cutting two circles in rolled out puff pastry, cutting a hole in one of them, then stacking the ring-shaped piece on top of the disc-shaped piece. This pastry is usually found filled with savory ingredients, but can also have a sweet filling.

The pastry and its catchy name vol-au-vent are sometimes credited to Antonin Carême. However, an entremet called petits gâteaux vole au vent is mentioned in François Marin's 1739 cookbook Les Dons de Comus, years before Carême's birth.

In France, it is usually served as an appetizer or a small snack, filled with chicken or fish. In Belgium, it is a common main dish that can be found on the menus of most restaurants, and is nearly always filled with a combination of chicken, mushrooms, and small meatballs, served with either mashed potatoes or fries. This Belgian variation is also available in some places in the Netherlands, where it is called pasteitje ("little pastry").

In England, vol-au-vents are often filled with local delicacies, such as baked beans, sausage meat or herby flour.

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Wikipedia