We often find ourselves paging through The Oregonian Cookbook seeking a new culinary treat. It's such a great resource. This month's recipe is one of the gems amongst the 360 recipes tucked inside the 18 chapters that comprise the volume.
You might be tempted to dismiss the Savory Mushroom Strudel as something only to be served for an exceptional occasion. Instead, we recommend that you consider offering it now as an entree for you and the special one in your life. After all, shouldn't every meal with that person be out-of-the-ordinary? The strudel's a memorable choice for an intimate dinner for two. Just add a rich, festive red wine and a mixed greens salad with a light hazelnut dressing followed by a fresh fruit platter, and you've got a menu for a magical evening.
The forestlands are currently offering a variety of delicious wild mushrooms that will bring a flavor punch to the preparation. Be daring: fill the strudel with a combination of Golden and White Chanterelles, Oysters, Boletes and perhaps a rehydrated Morel that you've been storing since the spring's bounty dictated that you bring out your dehydrator. Whatever combination of mushrooms you select, you won't be disappointed with the preparation.
We encountered boletes and suillus fruiting in the duff at
Massachusetts' Walden Pond (yes, THAT Walden!).
The Oregonian Cookbook's Savory Mushroom Strudel
From Ivy Manning
1 pound mixed fresh mushrooms, such as shiitake, portobello, oyster, and/or morel
2 tablespoons olive oil (divided)
3/4 cup thinly sliced yellow onion
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
4 teaspoons soy sauce
3 tablespoons water
1 cup shredded jarlsberg or gruyere cheese (4 ounces)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
10 sheets phyllo dough, thawed
1/3 cup butter, melted
1/2 cup rye breadcrumbs (from about 1 slice of bread)
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Brush the mushrooms clean with a soft-bristled mushroom brush and rinse briefly under cold running water. Remove the tough stems from shiitake and portobello mushrooms; discard. Thinly slice mushrooms.
- In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil over medium-high heat. When it is hot, add the onion and saute, stirring frequently, until golden brown, 4 minutes. Add the garlic, thyme, and half of the mushrooms. Cook until the mushrooms have released their liquid, about 4 minutes. Continue to cook until all of the liquid has cooked off, 1 minute. Transfer mixture to a large bowl.
- Return the skillet to medium-high heat and add remaining tablespoon of oil. Saute the remaining mushrooms until tender. Add the soy sauce and simmer, stirring constantly, until all the liquid has cooked off, 1 minute. Add to the mushrooms in the bowl.
- Add the 3 tablespoons of water to the pan and cook, stirring up any bits from the bottom of the pan, until the water has reduced to about 1 tablespoon. Scrape into the bowl with the mushrooms and chill for 10 minutes.
- Combine mushrooms with cheese, and season with salt and pepper.
- Place 1 piece of phyllo dough with the long side toward you on a large cutting board. Brush with some melted butter, and sprinkle with some breadcrumbs. Top with another sheet of phyllo dough, brush with butter, and sprinkle with crumbs. Repeat, buttering and sprinkling the remaining phyllo sheets, but do not add crumbs to the final sheet.
- Spread the mushroom mixture over the phyllo, leaving a 1/2" border on all sides. Starting from a long side, roll phyllo up tightly around filling and place seamside down on the prepared baking sheet. Brush with butter and bake until golden brown, 35 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes. With a sharp serrated knife, slice the strudel into 8 slices.