Mushroom Strudel: 2000s Recipes + Menus : gourmet.com

2000s Recipes + Menus

Makes32 hors d’oeuvres

Active time:45 min
Start to finish:1 1/4 hr

February 2009

During a research trip to Budapest, food editor Paul Grimes ate his way through plates of wild mushrooms for dinner and servings of sweet strudels for dessert. When he returned, he came up with this elegant hors d’oeuvre of thin cylinders of phyllo filled with the woodsy intensity of mushrooms. Brushing the phyllo layers with duck or goose fat lends an authentic flavor; butter also works perfectly well.

10 g (about 1/2 oz) dried porcini (1/2 cup; also called cèpes)
1/2 cup boiling-hot water
1/2 lb fresh white mushrooms, trimmed and halved lengthwise
1/4 cup finely chopped shallots (about 2 large)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup dry white wine
2 tablespoons finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
4 (17- by 12-inch) phyllo sheets, thawed if frozen
2 tablespoons rendered duck or goose fat or unsalted butter, melted
Truffle oil for brushing (optional)

Equipment:

a wide-tooth serrated knife

Soak porcini in boiling-hot water in a small bowl until softened, about 10 minutes. Lift out porcini and squeeze excess liquid back into bowl. Rinse porcini well to remove any grit. Strain soaking liquid through a sieve lined with a dampened paper towel into another bowl and reserve.
Pulse porcini and white mushrooms in a food processor until finely chopped (but not minced).
Cook shallots in butter in a large heavy skillet over medium heat, stirring, until beginning to soften, about 1 minute. Add mushrooms, reserved soaking liquid, wine, 1/2 tsp salt, and 1/4 tsp pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until liquid has evaporated, about 8 minutes. Stir in parsley, then spread filling on a plate and chill, uncovered, until cold, about 10 minutes.
Preheat oven to 425°F with rack in middle.
While filling chills, put stack of phyllo sheets on a work surface and cut in half crosswise, then stack halves and cover with plastic wrap. Remove 1 phyllo sheet from stack (keep remaining sheets covered) and arrange with a long side nearest you, then lightly brush with some duck fat. Top with another phyllo sheet and brush with fat. Spread about one fourth of mushroom filling in a narrow strip along edge nearest you to within 1/4 inch of each end, then roll up phyllo tightly around filling, leaving ends open. Transfer roll, seam side down, to a baking sheet and make 3 more rolls in same manner, transferring to baking sheet. Bake until golden brown, 12 to 14 minutes. Cool slightly on baking sheet on a rack, then brush length of each roll with a very thin line of truffle oil (if using) with tip of a cotton swab. Gently cut each roll crosswise into 8 pieces with serrated knife. Serve strudel warm or at room temperature.

Cooks’ notes:

Mushroom filling can be made 2 days ahead and chilled (covered once cool).
Strudels can be assembled (but not baked) 1 day ahead and chilled, or 2 weeks ahead and frozen, wrapped well in plastic wrap. Bake (do not thaw first) in a preheated 350°F oven 20 minutes.
We’ve also got a web-exclusive recipe using the leftover phyllo.

Recipe by Paul Grimes

Photograph by Jonny Valiant