Petite Vol au Vent & Roasted Bone Marrow
La Femme Apéro Hour
Petite Vol au Vent with Fine Herbs (scoll for recipe)
Roasted Bone Marrow (scoll for recipe)
La Femme is a dinner of contrasts and balance, inspired by the duality of women. The menu moves from delicate to decadent starting with the apéro hour: an airy puff pastry filled with gently melted leeks, raw beef finely minced for tartare, and the primal indulgence of eating soft, melt-in-your-mouth marrow out of its bone.
Petite Vol au Vent with Fine Herbs
serves 4
For a dinner party or date night, most of this can be done ahead of time. The puff pastry can be cut out and stored in the freezer and baked in the afternoon, and the leeks can be melted a few days prior. You could also make a larger one to all share at the table.
When buying leeks, look for ones that have the longest white part. If they’re a little stubby, increase the amount you use.
Shopping List
for the vol au vent
2 sheets of puff pastry
egg wash
for the melted leeks
4-6 leeks, white parts only
5-6 tbsp butter
crème fraîche
to garnish
toasted walnuts, chopped
upland cress or arugula
fine herbs: sliced chives & picked parsley, tarragon, and chervil
Equipment —
sauté pan
3 1/4 inch round cookie cutter
2 1/2 round cookie cutter
Steps —
for the melted leeks
Slice the leeks in half the long way and thinly slice into rainbows. Add the leeks to a bowl of water and agitate them to remove any dirt. Pull out the leeks, drain the water, and repeat if needed.
Add butter to a pan on medium low heat to melt. Add the leeks to the pan, increase the heat to medium, season with salt, and sweat them. Add more fat as needed if the pan or the leeks look dry. Continue to cook until the leeks are completely soft and “melted,” stirring occasionally. Decrease the heat if the leeks look like they’re cooking too fast. You can also use a cartouche to cover the leeks to keep them from browning (see the bottom of this recipe to learn how to make one).
Once the leeks are soft, fold in the the crème fraîche. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Remove to cool if you’re making them ahead.
for the vol au vent
Preheat the oven to 400ºF
Lay out the puff pastry. Cut out 8 circles using the 3 1/4 inch round cookie cutter and transfer 4 of them to a parchment-lined sheet tray. Brush them with an egg wash.
Using the 2 1/2 round cookie cutter, cut out the center of the remaining 4 circles to create rings.
Lay the rings on top of the circles, pressing the rings gently on top of the circles to seal. Brush the tops with the egg wash.
Chill in the refrigerator for at least 15 minutes.
Bake from chilled for 20-25 minutes or until puffed and golden brown. While still warm, press down the center for a deeper bowl.
to serve
Mix some of the sliced chives into the warm melted leeks.
Fill the vol au vents with the melted leeks, top with the chopped walnuts and garnish with fine herbs and upland cress. Serve with a fork and knife.
Roasted Bone Marrow
serves 4
While it may not be the first thing that comes to mind when you're writing your dinner party menu, serving bone marrow will certainly impress your guests.
An acidic garnish is essential to help cut through the fat of the bone marrow. I didn’t give you specific measurements for the parsley salad so just use your intuition and plating eyes:)
Shopping List —
2 pounds beef marrow bones, split lengthwise
picked parsley
cornichons, thinly sliced lengthwise
Dijon mustard
apple cider or champagne vinegar
olive oil
toast points, crostini, or warm baguette
Equipment —
sheet tray
mandoline
small mixing bowl
Steps —
Soak the bones in salted water for a few hours or overnight in the refrigerator to draw out any remaining blood.
Preheat the oven to 450ºF.
Place the marrow bones, marrow side up, on a sheet tray. Roast the bones until lightly browned and the marrow is soft and beginning to pull away from the bones, about 15-20 minutes. Don’t overcook or the marrow will melt.
Season the bone marrow with salt and freshly cracked black pepper.
In a small mixing bowl, toss the parsley and sliced cornichons with a good amount of vinegar, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Garnish directly over top of each bone. Serve immediately with a spoon, dijon mustard, and toast.
