I’ve been fortunate enough to have seen Canada from coast to coast, with a number of stops in beautiful British Columbia. I’ve water skied Lake Okanogan with no Ogopogo sightings in the fertile Okanogan Valley. Had fun crossing the suspension bridge and searching for banana slugs on Vancouver Island as a boy. Most recently I adventured north to Langara Island on a fishing trip, and hooked a 53.5 lb Chinook salmon (biggest fish of the trip!) I can’t wait to take my family out west!
This winter the world is watching as the spotlight falls on Vancouver, Canada for the Olympics. As a proud Canadian I hope our athletes do well, be sure to cheer them on! I know our friends and family will be getting together to watch some of our favourite events - Alpine Skiing and Speed Skating. If you are having some friends over to watch the Olympics, why not serve them some Canadian classics like poutine, peameal bacon sandwiches and beaver tails for dessert? Perhaps you want to get a little more sophisticated? February in British Columbia means great seafood; oysters, clams, mussels and prawns are all in season. They also have a great selection of mushrooms: chanterelle, morel and lobster mushrooms are just some of my favourites.
Mushrooms are super versatile and full of flavour. For this recipe I used a combination of Compliments White and Mini Bella Mushrooms, but if you can get your hands on some fresh wild mushrooms from BC, even better! The phyllo pastry helps keep this strudel feeling fairly light, while the goat’s cheese and fresh herbs provide nice subtle background flavours that compliment the earthy mushrooms. The trick to this recipe is controlling moisture, so the mushrooms need to be cooked until very dry. If there is too much water left in the mushrooms the resulting strudel will be soggy. It may seem a bit over the top to wring out the mushrooms in a kitchen towel, but this step really helps cut down their cooking time and keep the phyllo pastry crisp.
Mushroom Strudel
Makes 2 Strudels (12 Servings)
Prep time: 20 minutes
Total time: 50 minutes
2 lbs (908g) assorted Compliments Mushrooms
½ cup (125 mL) melted butter, divided
¼ cup (63 mL) finely minced shallot
1 tbsp (15 mL) Compliments Pure Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper
150g Compliments Original Goat’s Milk Cheese
3 tbsp (45 mL) chopped Compliments Fresh Parsley
2 tbsp (30 mL) chopped Compliments Fresh Tarragon
2 tbsp (30 mL) finely sliced Compliments Fresh Chives
1/3 cup (80 mL) bread crumbs
1 package Compliments Phyllo Pastry, thawed
- Pre-heat your oven at 400°F (204°C). Finely mince the mushrooms, wrap them in an older kitchen towel and squeeze them as dry as possible.
- Heat 2 tbsp (30 mL) of the melted butter and the olive oil in a large sauté pan over moderately high heat. Sauté the mushrooms and shallots, stirring frequently until all liquid has evaporated. Season to taste with salt and pepper, let cool to room temperature. Once the mushrooms have cooled, combine them with the goat’s cheese and herbs, set aside.
- Spread a sheet of phyllo pastry on a clean work surface. Brush with the melted butter and sprinkle evenly with some of the bread crumbs, repeat the process with three more sheets, stacking them on top of the first. Spoon half of the mushroom mixture down the length of the dough leaving a 1 to 2 inch (2. 5 cm to 5 cm) border at the sides. Fold in the ends over the filling and then roll the strudel up tight into a log. Place the strudel on a parchment lined baking tray, and repeat the process making a second strudel.
- Brush the strudels with butter and bake in the oven for 20-22 minutes, until crisp and golden. Let cool slightly, slice and serve.
Happy Cooking and Go Canada!
Chef Ryan Skelton
Nutritional Analysis per Serving:
Energy: 270 kcal
Protein: 7 g
Fat: 14 g
Saturated Fat: 7 g
Cholesterol: 35 mg
Carbohydrates: 28g
Fibre: 2 g
Sodium: 340 g
Potassium: 367 mg
