Apple Strudel, a traditionally Sweet dish is given a re-vamp with this Savoury twist. A range of vegetables included in the dish transforms a personal favourite desert into this – great for a starter, main course, or as a snack.
It can be frozen once cooked, and then heated up, so it’s a good dish to have as a back-up in case you need something for short notice.
To Serve 6
150g Butter or Margarine
2tbsp Olive Oil
450g Waxy Potatoes (such as Maris Bard or Wilja), peeled and diced
450g Carrots, peeled and diced
225g Leeks, trimmed and sliced
1 small bunch Spring Onions
450g Spring Greens, thick stalks removed and shredded
1 Garlic Clove, peeled and crushed
1tbsp Lemon Juice
300ml Fromage Frais
Ground Mixed Spice
Salt and Pepper
4 Large Sheets Filo Pastry
75g Ground Almonds
Poppy Seeds
1. Melt a third of the Butter with half of the Olive Oil in a large saucepan, before adding the Potatoes, Carrots, Leeks and Spring Onions for four or five minutes stirring all the time. Add 125ml of Water, lower the heat, cover and cook gently for ten to fifteen minutes. Leave to cool.
2. Heat twenty five grams of the butter with the rest of the Oil in a large pan, add the Garlic and Greens, then stir fry for two or three minutes or until softened. Stir in the Lemon Juice, then leave to cool.
3. In the bowl of Potato and Leek, stir in the Fromage Frais, and season to taste with the Mixed Spice, Paprika and Salt and Pepper.
4. Melt the remaining Butter. Lay the sheets of Filo Pastry on a clean and dry work surface, and brush lightly with melted Butter. Lay a second sheet over the top to make a forty five centimetre square. Repeat with the remaining sheets to make a double-thick square, and sprinkle the Ground Almonds evenly over the Pastry.
5. Spoon half of the Potato mixture over a quarter of the Pastry, making sure you leave a border around the edge, then layer with the Greens, then the rest of the Potato mixture.
6. Fold the sides in, then roll the Strudel up like it was a Swiss Roll. Transfer to a baking sheet, with the final join at the bottom. Brush with melted Butter, and sprinkle with Poppy Seeds.
7. Bake in an oven at 200C, for around twenty to twenty five minutes, until Golden Brown. Leave to stand for five minutes before serving.
Photo Courtesy of: stu_spivack