Austrian Potato Strudel Recipes

AUSTRIAN POTATO STRUDEL

Steps:

• 1. Preheat your oven to 390 degrees F or 200 degrees C. Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Throw in the cubed potatoes and the caraway and cook until tender, about 10 or 15 minutes. Drain and put the cubed potatoes back in the pot. Some caraway will have gone out with the water, but some will still be stuck to the potatoes. Mash loosely with a fork. Mix in the Quark until well combined, and salt and pepper to taste. Mix the minced mint into the potatoes. Set aside. 2. Heat a tablespoon of butter or oil in a skillet and add the bacon. If using regular bacon, you can simply render its fat in the skillet without using any additional fat. Add the leek and onion and sauté, stirring, until glossy and wilted, about 10 minutes. Turn off the heat. 3. Mix the egg into the potatoes and then the bacon-leek mixture. Combine well. 4. Unfold one dough sheet on a damp towel. Brush with some of the remaining melted butter. Unfold the second sheet over the first and, again, brush with the rest of the melted butter. Spread the potatoes over the second sheet evenly, leaving room at the edge of the dough. Do not overfill - leftover mashed potatoes are delicious if fried into croquettes the next day. 5. Using the damp towel to assist you, gently lift one edge of the strudel and begin rolling it over the filling. "Glue" the edges to the side of the roll and arrange the strudel, seam-side down, on a baking sheet fitted with parchment paper. Beat the egg yolk and brush the strudel thoroughly with the egg yolk. 6. Bake the strudel for 30 minutes, until the strudel pastry is shiny, golden brown and crackling. Remove from the oven, setting the pan on a cooling rack. Slice into thick pieces and serve immediately, with a green salad.

POTATO STRUDEL

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Heat the butter in a large sauté pan. Add the potatoes, sweet potato, carrot, onion, beets, thyme and flour. Mix well and sauté a few minutes. Add the wine and simmer until it starts to thicken, 3-5 minutes.
• Beat egg and cream together. Pour into pan and stir well. Add mushrooms and parsley. Simmer until root vegetables are barely tender and the sauce is very thick. Allow to cool slightly while you proceed.
• Lay out one sheet of phyllo on top of a kitchen towel. Brush with melted butter. Lay another sheet of phyllo on top and brush with melted butter. Repeat with each additional sheet of phyllo until 7 sheets are buttered and stacked. Add an 8th sheet, but do not butter. (Keep sheets covered with damp towel until ready to use.). Place half the potato mixture in a line across the phyllo stack, about 2" from the end, and leaving a 1 1/2" border on either side. Use the towel to roll the phyllo over the potato mixture once. Fold in the bare edges of the phyllo. Using the towel, continue to roll the log, shaping and packing it tightly. Tuck in the ends when the roll is complete. Repeat with the remaining phyllo and potato mixture.
• Transfer the rolls to a parchment-lined or oil-sprayed baking sheet. Brush with clarified butter. Bake 25-30 minutes until golden brown.
• Carefully move to a cutting board. Slice with a serrated knife. Remove the very ends and discard. Slice into 3" segments, then cut each segment into 2 pieces on an angle. Serve 2 such pieces per person as an appetizer, or 1 piece as a side dish. Garnish with a sprig of fresh thyme.

POTATO STRUDEL (ERDAEPFELSTRUDEL)

Steps:

• Put the potatoes in a saucepan; add cold water to cover and salt. Bring to a boil and let simmer 20 minutes or longer, until the potatoes are tender. Drain.
• When the potatoes are cool enough to handle, peel them. Grate or, preferably, put them through a food mill or ricer. Do not use a food processor, or they will become gummy. There should be about 1 3/4 cups, the amount needed.
• Cut the bacon into 1/4-inch cubes. Add the cubes to a saucepan and cook, stirring constantly, until rendered of fat and golden brown.
• Add the onion and cook, stirring, until lightly browned.
• Put the potatoes in a mixing bowl and add the bacon mixture, the parsley, salt and pepper. Add the egg yolks and blend.
• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Melt the butter.
• Carefully lay out one rectangle of phyllo-strudel pastry. Brush it with half the butter. Carefully lay a second rectangle on top of the first. Brush it all over with the remaining butter.
• Spoon the potato mixture onto the bottom half of the strudel layer, leaving a 1-inch margin right and left. Using a spatula, carefully spread the mixture over the bottom half of the pastry (remember that this pastry tears easily). Fold over right and left edges of the pastry. Roll the dough bottom to top to enclose the filling in a sausagelike shape.
• Butter a large baking sheet. Carefully transfer the potato-filled pastry, seam side down, onto it.
• Place in the oven and bake 15 to 20 minutes or until piping hot throughout and golden brown on top. Cut on the diagonal into slices about 1 1/2 inches thick and serve.