SAVORY STRUDEL
The Savory Strudel is the ideal solution when you have little time but still want to bring something delicious to the table that makes everyone happy.
A rustic roll, savory version of the sweet apple recipe, with a thin and crispy shell and a delicious filling based on potatoes, provolone, and speck for a result that is cheesy and flavorful.
The first time I tasted it was in Trentino Alto Adige, and I must admit it won me over at the first bite, both for the fragrant consistency of the crust and the richness of the filling.
There are several versions of this recipe, always very simple and without particular pitfalls: some prepare the Savory Strudel with a dough made of flour and oil, while others for practicality use ready-made puff pastry bases. The filling can also be varied in a thousand ways: ham, mushrooms, and mozzarella, vegetarian based solely on vegetables and cheese, broccoli and sausage, and I could go on.
The one I propose today is the same I tasted in Trentino, based on potatoes, speck, provolone, and cabbage, all ingredients that blend perfectly together to give you pleasure at the first bite.
A simple recipe that is prepared in a few minutes and pleases everyone, ideal to serve as an appetizer sliced, to propose at aperitif time, or for a party buffet.
You just have to find out how to prepare the Savory Strudel by following my step-by-step recipe with procedure and tips.
Below I leave you some recipes from Trentino Alto Adige that you might like
- Difficulty: Very Easy
- Cost: Economical
- Preparation time: 20 Minutes
- Portions: 6
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Energy 266.74 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 31.56 (g) of which sugars 1.06 (g)
- Proteins 13.44 (g)
- Fat 10.35 (g) of which saturated 1.53 (g)of which unsaturated 1.88 (g)
- Fibers 1.68 (g)
- Sodium 595.84 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 100 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 7 tbsps water (lukewarm)
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tsp salt
- 3 potatoes (medium size)
- 1 leek
- 3.5 oz speck (cut into strips)
- 4.5 oz smoked provolone
- 1 egg (+ 1 yolk to brush pastry)
- to taste salt
- 1 pinch pepper (ground)
Tools
- 1 Bowl
- 1 Pan
- 1 Small pot
- 1 Baking tray
Steps
In a bowl, pour the sifted flour and add a pinch of salt, add a lightly beaten egg and mix. Finally, pour in the lukewarm water and extra virgin olive oil. Mix the ingredients well with a spoon, then transfer the mixture to a lightly floured work surface. Knead with your hands lightly greased with oil until you get a soft and elastic texture. Form a ball and let it rest in a bowl covered with plastic wrap at room temperature for about 40 minutes.
Clean the leek and slice it into rings, slice the cabbage thinly. Wash the potatoes and peel them, then cut them into small cubes and boil them in boiling water for 5 minutes. Drain them and let them cool slightly.
Pour 3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil into a pan, heat it, then add the leeks. Add the cabbage and sauté, stirring occasionally. Wet with a ladle of hot water and let cook for about 10 minutes.
At this point, add the potatoes, season with salt and pepper, and continue cooking for another 10 minutes. When the ingredients are well cooked but not mushy, remove from heat and let cool. Once they are cold, add the speck cut into strips, the provolone cut into pieces, and 1 egg, mix well to combine.
After the dough resting time, take the dough and roll it out with a rolling pin on a sheet of parchment paper, trying to obtain a thin rectangle of about 16 x 12 inches. Fill it with the filling placed in the center and leaving about 0.5 inches from all the edges. Brush the edges with a drop of water then fold them over the filling and seal the closure and edges well.
Beat the yolk of one egg together with two tablespoons of milk and brush the surface of the savory strudel. Bake it in a preheated static oven at 350°F and let it cook for about 30/35 25 minutes. It should become lightly golden. Once cooked, remove the Potato, Speck, and Cheese Strudel and let it cool slightly before slicing and serving.
TIPS
DOUGH. To save time, you can replace the dough with puff pastry or shortcrust pastry.
FILLING. Instead of speck, you can use other cold cuts like cooked ham, raw ham, or even sausage. The same goes for the cheese; sweet provolone, Fontina, Mozzarella, or Emmental are also fine.
POTATOES. To speed up the process, you can cook the diced potatoes directly in the microwave. Simply wrap them with microwave-safe plastic wrap, prick it, and cook the potatoes at full power for 1-2 minutes.
STORAGE
Once cooked, the Savory Strudel can be stored in the fridge, closed in an airtight container for a maximum of 2 days. The pastry will not be as crispy as before but can be reheated in the oven to regain some crunchiness. It is possible to freeze it raw and bake it directly from frozen.
VARIANTS
VEGETABLE STRUDEL: Fill it with various vegetables like eggplants, zucchini, onions, and peppers. Just sauté them in a pan with a little oil and enrich them with smoked provolone or mozzarella.
SAVORY STRUDEL ALLA NORMA: Based on eggplants sautéed and then passed in a light tomato sauce, then placed in the strudel dough along with grated Parmesan and mozzarella.
MUSHROOM STRUDEL: A fragrant shell enclosing a filling based on provolone and porcini mushrooms sautéed in a pan with oil, garlic, and fresh thyme leaves.
