Rhubarb Tarragon Strudels Food

CRAB STRUDEL

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Heat 2 tablespoons butter in a medium saute pan, add the scallions and garlic and cook over medium-low heat until the scallions are soft, approximately 5 minutes. Add the curry powder and stir.
• Shred the crabmeat into a bowl and mix with the parsley, lime juice, salt, to taste, and pepper. Add the crabmeat to the scallion mixture.
• Melt 10 tablespoons of butter in a small pan and set aside.
• Unfold 1 sheet of the phyllo dough. Brush the sheet with melted butter and sprinkle with bread crumbs. Repeat the process by laying a second sheet of phyllo dough over the first sheet, brush it with melted butter and sprinkle with bread crumbs until 5 sheets have been used. Spoon a 1-inch wide row of the crab mixture along 1 edge of the phyllo dough. Roll it up. Brush the top with butter and set aside. Repeat the entire process using the all the phyllo dough and crab filling.
• Cover a sheet pan with parchment paper. Score the crab strudel diagonally into 1 1/2-inch pieces and bake for 12 minutes, or until the top is lightly brown. Slice and serve.

SALMON STRUDELS

Steps:

• In a saucepan melt butter over medium heat. Cook onion and mushrooms, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes or until softened. Add stock, water, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil. Add wild rice, return to boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 35 minutes. Stir in long-grain rice, simmer, covered, for 25 minutes or just until liquid is absorbed and rice is tender. Let cool.
• Trim spinach, rinse, shaking off excess water. In saucepan with just the water clinging to leaves, cook spinach over medium heat for 8 minutes or until wilted. Drain in sieve, pressing out moisture. Chop, toss with lemon juice and nutmeg. Cut salmon crosswise into 4 pieces. Separate some skin from flesh. Holding skin, insert knife at 45 degree angle. Slide along to cut fillet from skin.
• Lay 1 sheet of phyllo pastry on work surface, keeping remaining phyllo pastry on work surface covered with damp cloth. Brush with about 2 teaspoons of the butter. Place second sheet on top. Brush with butter.
• About 1-inch from 1 long side of pastry, spoon 1/2 cup rice mixture lengthwise into 3-inch wide strip, leaving a 4-inch border at each short side. Arrange 1/4 of the spinach over rice. Top with 1 piece of salmon.
• Fold 1-inch border over filling, fold each side over and roll up. Place, seam side down, on greased baking sheet. Brush with butter. Repeat with remaining ingredients to form 4 packages. Bake in preheated 425 degree oven for 15 to 20 minutes or until golden.
• Meanwhile, in saucepan, boil vinegar, wine, shallots, salt and pepper for 5 minutes or until reduced to 2 tablespoons. Reduce heat to low. Vigorously whisk in butter, a few cubes at a time, until thickened and smooth. Stir in parsley. Serve with salmon packages.

BANANA-PECAN STRUDELS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Brush 1 phyllo sheet with some of the melted butter. Sift 2 tablespoons of the confectioners' sugar evenly on top. Sprinkle evenly with 2 tablespoons of the nuts. Cut the phyllo sheet in half lengthwise. Place 1/4 of the banana along a short edge of each phyllo half. Starting with the short end, tightly roll up the banana in the phyllo. When you get almost to the end, dab a little bit of honey along the edge to help seal the package. Repeat with the remaining ingredients.
• Just before baking, brush the tops of the strudels with more of the melted butter and place them seam-side down on a baking sheet (preferably lined with parchment paper or a nonstick liner). Bake until the strudels are golden brown, 13 to 15 minutes. Serve immediately.
• Serving suggestion: Whipped creme fraiche.

RHUBARB STRUDEL

Steps:

• Cover rhubarb with boiling water and let stand for 30 seconds, then drain thoroughly.
• Combine sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, walnuts, raisins and orange peel in a medium bowl.
• Add the rhubarb and stir just enough to mix all of the ingredients.
• Prepare 2 15" x 10" cookie sheets by brushing them liberally with melted, unsalted butter.
• Stack 10 of the phyllo sheets between 2 slightly damp tea towels.
• Remove 1 sheet, recovering the rest; place it on a prepared cookie sheet and brush with melted butter.
• Sprinkle 1 to 2 tablespoons of crushed gingersnaps evenly over the phyllo sheet.
• Top with a second phyllo sheet and repeat the process with the butter and gingersnaps.
• Repeat with 3 more sheets, brushing each with melted butter and sprinkling with crushed gingersnaps; 5 sheets make 1 strudel.
• Spread half of the rhubarb mixture in a 2" strip along the edge of one of the long sides of layered phyllo sheets.
• Roll up the pastry (all 5 layers) just enough to cover the rhubarb mixture.
• If the edge has dried out a bit, brush with a small amount of melted butter to make the pastry more flexible.
• To keep the filling in place, make a 1" fold along the top, bottom and remaining side of the pastry.
• Continue rolling up the strudel and arrange, seam side down, on a cookie sheet.
• Cover with a slightly damp cloth while making the second strudel.
• Repeat the entire process with the second strudel.
• Prick 4 holes along the top of each strudel.
• Bake the strudels in a preheated 375 degree F oven for 30 to 35 minutes or until crisp and evenly brown.
• Transfer to a wire rack and cool.
• While the strudel is warm, not hot, sprinkle with icing sugar, or once strudel has cooled, drizzle your favourite vanilla icing over each roll.
• Serve warm or cold with whipped cream.

MUSHROOM & TARRAGON STRUDELS WITH MADEIRA SAUCE

Steps:

• Fry the onions in 50g of the butter in a large pan. Add the sliced flat and chestnut mushrooms, then soften for 5 mins. Stir in the shiitake mushrooms and garlic, then turn up the heat and cook quite fiercely to drive off as much moisture as possible. Stir in the madeira, tarragon, breadcrumbs and tomatoes, then take the pan off the heat.
• In a separate pan, cook the button mushrooms and pine nuts in the remaining butter until the nuts are golden. Add to the mushroom and tomato mixture, then cool.
• Lay a sheet of filo on the work surface and brush with oil. Top with another sheet, brush again, then continue until you have a stack of 4 sheets of pastry. Spread half the filling down the longest length, leaving several cms at each end. Fold the pastry ends up over the filling, roll up like a cigar, then carefully lift onto a baking sheet. Brush with more oil, then tear the last filo sheet into strips, scrunch up and place half on top to decorate. Repeat with the rest of the pastry and filling to make a second strudel, then chill until ready to cook. Can be made 1 day ahead.
• To serve, bake in a preheated oven at 200C/fan 180C/gas 6 for 30 mins or until golden and heated through. Serve in slices, scattered with extra pine nuts and tarragon, with the madeira sauce.