Wild Mushroom Strudel

[mudbug]

Impress your friends with this as a first course.

2 cups chopped mixed fresh wild mushrooms (chanterelles, shiitakes, morels)
2 cups common mushrooms
5 T butter
2 medium shallots, chopped
salt and pepper to taste
2 T chopped mixed herbs (your faves) or 2 t dried
1 egg, lightly beaten
3 sheets phyllo dough
1/4 cup lightly toasted bread crumbs
two 6-inch crepes

In a large pan, saute all the mushrooms in 2 T of the butter over medium-high heat until all their liquid has been rendered and evaporated and the mushrooms are golden and crisp, 8 to 10 minutes. Add shallots, season with salt and pepper, and continue cooking for 2 more minutes. Remove from heat and stir in herbs. Taste and correct seasoning, then chill mixture. When mushrooms are cool, stir in the beaten egg.

Preheat oven to 400. Melt remaining butter. Lay out one sheet of phyllo on work surface, with long sides running vertically. Brush entire surface w/melted butter, then sprinkle with 1/3 of bread crumbs. Cover first sheet with second sheet and repeat with butter and crumbs. Repeat with third sheet.

Place 2 crepes across the closest short side and mound chilled mushroom mixture in a line across the crepes, leaving a 1-1/2 margin at either end. Pat the mushrooms into a neat cylinder, fold the margins in, then roll the crepes and phyllo hseets around the filling. Continue rolling until all the pastry is wrapped around the filling.

Place roll, seam side down, on a baking sheet and brush entire surface with more melted butter.

Bake in preheated oven until golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes. Cool for 15 minutes before slicing. Use serrated knife for best results.

This is from The Greenbrier Cookbook. The Greenbrier is a fancy-schmancy resort in West Virginia that I intend to spoil myself at someday for a nice long me-fest.

[Audeo]

Wow! This DOES look like an outstanding attention-getter! It took me several minutes of painfull concentration to envision how the crepes-rolling procedure would go, but I think I have that now. And I do love mushrooms so...

Outstanding suggestion, bug. I am going to paste this one in my "possibilities" file for this year's Christmas party.

me-fest. Love it!

[mudbug]

Ya know what? You can actually skip the crepes if you want. I think they are included just to help with the rollup.

I made this for my Master Gardener class graduation ceremony and it was a big hit. I've been thinking that its excellent-ness could be enhanced by some sort of sauce. Got any idears?

[marmalady]

Mudbug, I'm thinking a tarragon veloute - which is just a bechemel, only the liquid you use is chicken stock instead of milk.

Basic formula - 2T butter + 2T flour + 1 cup stock/broth

Melt butter, add flour, stir to cook a minute or so, then add warm stock a little at a time, whisking to keep smooth; bring to a boil til it thickens. Add chopped fresh tarragon and salt/pepper to taste. You can also add a little chopped shallot if you like when you're melting the butter.

The French guy I worked with used to do this awesome 'salmon en croute', which was a whole salmon filet on a bed of mushrooms, wrapped in puff pastry and baked - then he served the above sauce with it - yum!

[mudbug]

thanks, marmalady. The veloute (one of the mother sauces, right?) sounds very good. Will let you know how it turns out next time I make this.

[mudbug]

Originally Posted by marmalady

The French guy I worked with used to do this awesome 'salmon en croute', which was a whole salmon filet on a bed of mushrooms, wrapped in puff pastry and baked - then he served the above sauce with it - yum!

I knew I'd find this if I looked hard enough! Marm, I have some salmon fillets and puff pastry in the freezer. Can get shrooms in a hearbeat.

Now, what else do I do?