From Our Kitchen
Classic Apple
Classic Apple
Strudel
Thin pastry, tart cherries, warm spices. A recipe that has been on the 21 Espresso menu since 1958. Here is how to make it at home.
Thin pastry, tart cherries, warm spices. A recipe that has been on the 21 Espresso menu since 1958. Here is how to make it at home.
Peel, core and thinly slice the apples — around 3mm thick. Toss with the caster sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, lemon zest, and sultanas in a large bowl. Set aside for at least 20 minutes. The sugar will draw liquid from the apples; you will need to drain this off before rolling or the base of your strudel will be soggy.
Melt a tablespoon of the butter in a wide pan over medium heat. Add the breadcrumbs and stir continuously until they are an even golden brown — around four minutes. Watch them closely; they catch quickly at the end. Tip onto a plate and allow to cool completely before using.
Heat your oven to 190C fan forced (200C conventional). Line a large baking tray with baking paper. Lay a clean, dry tea towel on a large flat work surface — this is what you will use to roll the strudel.
Place one sheet of filo on the tea towel with the long side facing you. Work quickly — filo dries out fast. Brush the sheet generously with melted butter all the way to the edges. Lay the next sheet directly on top, brush again, and repeat with all six sheets. You are building a laminated base that will crisp and shatter when baked.
Drain the apple mixture well, pressing gently to remove excess liquid. Scatter the toasted breadcrumbs over the pastry, leaving a 5cm border on all sides. The breadcrumbs absorb moisture during baking and prevent a soggy base — do not skip this step. Spread the drained apple mixture evenly over the breadcrumbs in a layer about 3cm thick.
Fold in the short edges of the pastry over the filling, then use the tea towel to roll the strudel away from you into a tight log. The towel does the work — lift and roll, don't push. Transfer to the prepared tray seam side down. It will not be perfectly neat, and it does not need to be. Brush the entire surface generously with remaining melted butter.
Bake for 35 to 40 minutes until the pastry is a deep, even golden brown and the kitchen smells unmistakably of caramelised apple and butter. Allow to rest on the tray for at least 10 minutes before slicing — the filling needs time to set slightly or it will spill when cut.
Strudel is best eaten warm from the oven, dusted with icing sugar and served with cold thickened cream. It will keep for a day at room temperature and can be reheated in a 160C oven for 10 minutes to restore some of the crispness. Leftovers, if there are any, are excellent with strong black coffee the following morning.
The original is still on the menu at 21 Knox Street, Double Bay.
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