Consuming Passions - Worldwide Events Managers

Vol-au-vent variations

Serves: 6 as entree

Notes

Two variations, one hot and one cold. Both may be served in large vol-au-vent cases for individual entrees or snacks, or in small cases as finger food. The hot ones have a base of smoked salmon topped with a creamy mixture of scrambled eggs and asparagus with a hint of lemon and mustard, and topped with asparagus spears. The cold ones are filled with prawns and chopped hard-boiled eggs in homemade mayonnaise.

Ingredients

Salmon and Asparagus vol-au-vents

• 6 large vol-au-vent cases
• 250g fresh, young asparagus spears (green or white)
• 1 tsp butter
• 50ml cream
• 4 eggs (any size)
• 100g smoked salmon (optional) cut into six pieces
• ½ tsp lemon juice
• ½tsp grated lemon rind
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• Salt and black pepper
• Dill (or other herb) to garnish
• Sprinkling paprika or cayenne pepper to garnish (optional)

Prawn and egg vol-au-vents

• 6 large vol-au-vent cases
• 300g cooked prawns, shelled and de-veined
• 3 large hard-boiled eggs, chopped
• Salt and pepper
• Mayonnaise (see below)
• Lettuce leaves to serve

Mayonnaise:

• 2 egg yolks
• 1 tsp English mustard (or 1 tsp Dijon)
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 Tbsp wine vinegar
• 1 Tbsp lemon juice
• 500 ml oil (lightly- flavoured such as peanut or canola)
• 1 Tbsp chopped chives or Italian parsley

Method

For Salmon and Asparagus:

Wash asparagus. Trim off bottoms and discard. Cut off top 10cms or so and reserve. Plunge the rest of the spears into boiling water and allow to cook for 2 or 3 minutes. They should still have a little crunchiness. Drain. Cook tips for 30 seconds or so. Keep the two batches separate and warm. (Wrap in cloth napkin). Warm vol-au-vent cases in oven. Melt butter in saucepan. Lightly beat eggs together and add. Simmer gently. When eggs start to thicken, stir in lemon juice and rind, mustard, salt, pepper and cream. Chop spears of asparagus finely (but not tips). Add to egg mixture. While mixture is still creamy, stir in chopped asparagus. Put smoked salmon slice in bottom of vol-au-vent cases. Pour over scrambled egg mixture. Top with asparagus spears. Garnish with dill and sprinkle with paprika or cayenne pepper.

For Prawn and Mayo:

Bring vol-au-vent cases to room temperature. Chop prawns, leaving six whole. If making homemade mayonnaise: In a mixing bowl, put all mayonnaise ingredients except chopped chives or parsley and oil. Beat well with whisk. Slowly, drip by drip, add oil while whisking all the time. Increase the rate you add oil as the mixture starts to thicken. When all oil has been incorporated and the mayonnaise is thick, check for flavour adding more lemon or salt and pepper if required. Mix hard-boiled egg, chopped prawns and chopped chives and gradually add mayonnaise until a stiff mixture is achieved. Put spoonfuls of the mixture into each vol-au-vent case. Top with whole prawn and serve on a bed of lettuce.

Note: as an alternative to chopped hard-boiled eggs, julienne strips of celeriac work really well.