From page 35 of Sunset Eating up the West Coast: The best road trips, restaurants, and recipes from California to Washington.
By Brigit Binns
Published April 28th, 2015
At The Ranch House, these bite-sized mushroom strudels are served with a decadent wine-cream sauce and sprinkled with diced green onions and red peppers, but you can also serve them as finger food as part of a buffet, or pass them on a platter.
Makes 28 mini strudels, served 6-8 as an appetizer.
1 1/2 hours, plus 4 hours to thaw filo.
INGREDIENTS
Mushroom Filling
1/2 oz. dried wild mushrooms (morel, porcini, or shiitake)
1/2 cup Madeira wine
12 oz. button mushrooms
12 oz. portobello mushrooms
4 tbsp. butter
1 large shallot, peeled and finely chopped
1 cup finely chopped yellow onion
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
3/4 tsp. fine sea salt, plus more to taste
1/4 tsp. pepper, plus more to taste
1/8 tsp. grated nutmeg
Dough
7 (14- by 18-inch) sheets filo dough, thawed*
1/4 cup warm melted butter
INSTRUCTIONS
Make the mushroom filling: Rinse the dried mushrooms and combine in a small bowl with the Madeira. Let stand for 1 hour. Brush the fresh mushrooms and clean and trim off the woody ends of the stems in a food processor, pulse the fresh mushrooms until very finely chopped. Place a large pan over low heat and add the butter. When it has melted, add the shallot and onion, cover the pan, and cook gently, stirring occasionally, until tender and slightly golden, about 25 minutes.
Add the fresh mushrooms, thyme, salt, pepper, and nutmeg to the skillet. Increase the heat to medium-high and cook uncovered, stirring, until the mushrooms have rendered their juices, about 5 minutes. Meanwhile, transfer the reconstituted dried mushrooms and any soaking liquid to the food processor and pulse until finely pureed and smooth. Add the puree to the pan, reduce the heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is reduced and thickened, about 40 minutes. Near the end, pay close attention, as the mixture can scorch. It should be quite dry. Remove from heat, correct the seasoning with salt and pepper, and cool to room temperature. Cover and chill, about 1 hour or up to overnight.
Preheat the oven to 400 F and lightly oil two rimmed baking sheets. Unwrap the thawed filo and separate out 7 sheets.* Place on a work surface with one long end facing you and cut the whole stack crosswise into quarters - each strip will be approximately 3 1/3 inches wide. Cover the strips with a barely damp kitchen towel. Working with 1 filo strip at a time, and keeping the others covered with the damp towel, place the strip on a dry work surface. Brush lightly but thoroughly with the melted butter. Place about 1 tbsp. of the filling 1 inch from the bottom edge. Fold the lower right corner of the pastry up and over the filling, forming a triangle, and continue folding back and forth (as though you were folding a flag) until you reach the end of the strip. Transfer to the baking sheet and brush the top of the triangle with a little more of the butter. Make the remaining triangles the same way, dividing them between the baking sheets.
Bake until the triangles are crisp and golden brown, 15-20 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes, then serve.
*Filo pastry takes about 4 hours to thaw at room temperature. Re-roll the unused sheets of filo and wrap them securely with plastic to exclude any air. Return to the box, chill, and use within 1 week. Or refreeze and use within 2 months.
MAKE AHEAD: The strudels can be frozen for up to 1 week in airtight containers, separated by layers of parchment or waxed paper. When ready to serve, cook them straight from frozen, adding 5 minutes or so to the cooking time.
Per Serving: 252 Cal., 63% (159 Cal.) from fat; 4.3 g protein; 18 g fat (9.2 g sat.); 19 g carbo (1.9 g fiber); 742 mg sodium; 35 mg chol. V.