Fat Ladies Prompt A Strudel-do
Newcastle Herald
Wednesday March 11, 1998
IN the new edition of The Two Fat Ladies cookbook, there is a wonderful recipe for Danish Apple and Prune Cake.
Nobody who has seen these two indefatigable gastronomes at work and play on television will forget the way they put together a menu.
Proper acknowledgement for the cake recipe is given to the Australian cook Greta Anna and it reminded me of another recipe by her that I had not made for some years.
The cold snap in the weather makes a revival of this dish especially welcome.
It uses Filo pastry and can be prepared the day before and is ideal for a luncheon.
Filo is a pastry of wafer-like thinness from the Midle East used in the preparation of both savoury and sweet dishes. It is very difficult to make but prepared sheets can be bought at supermarkets or delicatessens.
Mushroom Strudel: 1kg mushrooms, finely chopped
3 medium-sized white onions, finely chopped
4 tablespoon light olive oil
4 tablespoon butter
4 tablespoon sour cream
salt and pepper to taste
3 teaspoons chopped fresh dill or sweet marjoram leaves
250g Greek Filo pastry
5 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flaked almonds
sprigs of fresh herbs for garnish
Saute the mushrooms and onions together in the oil and butter until the moisture in the pan has evaporated.
Drain any remaining liquid from the pan then add sour cream and dill or marjoram to the mushroom mixture, seasoning with salt and pepper to taste.
Set aside to cool.
Melt 5 tablespoons butter in a small saucepan.
Take 3 sheets of Filo pastry, brushing each sheet with melted butter and place one on top of each other.
Place half the mustroom mixture in a 10cm band on the nearest side of the prepared Filo sheets, leaving sufficient free pastry to wrap in the near edge and the 2 sides.
Next fold the whole thing over on itself to form a parcel and place, seam side down, onto a buttered ovenproof serving dish.
Repeat the whole process and place the second parcel alongside the first.
Cover with foil or Gladwrap until ready to cook.
Add flaked almonds to the remaining melted butter and spread over both parcels.
Bake in a 190oC oven for 30-40 minutes until crisp and golden brown.
Serve decorated with sprigs of fresh herbs.
Serves 8.
Cook's Tips:
Filo pastry will dry out very quickly, so keep sealed and refrigerated until ready for use.
While in use, cover with a damp tea towel and brush the pastry liberally with melted butter.
© 1998 Newcastle Herald