Vol-au-Vent of Reedbirds, Diplomate—Small

With six turns of puff paste prepare eight small vol-au-vent crusts (No. 180); after taking them out of the oven detach them from the baking sheet and press on the center of the paste to enlarge the hollow space, and keep them warm. Roast two dozen reedbirds, having them rare; remove the breasts without any bones, suppress the skin and lay them in a small sautoir; mix with them an equal proportion of halved game quenelles, molded with a spoon (No. 155) and poached when wanted in salted water; also add three dozen cooked truffles trimmed into small olive shapes; mix these garnishings with a not too thin but very hot Madeira sauce (No. 492), and with this fill up the warm vol-au-vent crusts; instead of a cover close the apertures with a ring made of puff paste, and in the center have a large Spanish olive standing upright, stuffed with game baking forcemeat (No. 81) and foies-gras. Dress these vol-au-vent on a folded napkin and send them to the table at once.