Neven's Portuguese Food Trails airs every Wednesday at 8pm on RTÉ One.
Ingredients
Serves 4-6
For the strudel
- 2 tbsp olive oil, plus extra for oiling
- 1 small onion, peeled and finely diced
- 2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
- 225g mixed wild mushrooms roughly chopped
- 1 small leek, washed and finely sliced
- 2 tbsp double cream
- 2 tbsp Madeira Wine
- 2 tbsp chopped parsley
- 4-5 sheets filo pastry, thawed if frozen (about 100g/4oz in total)
- 1 egg, beaten
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
- mixed salad leaves, to serve
For the madeira wine sauce
- 700ml beef stock
- 1 tbsp tomato purée
- 3 tbsp Madeira Wine
- 3 tbsp cream
Method
For the strudel
- Preheat the oven to 190°C/375°F/ gas mark 5.
- Line a baking tray with parchment paper.
- Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan.
- Add the onion, garlic and mushrooms and cook over a medium to high heat for 2-3 minutes until almost tender.
- Reduce the heat, add the cream and Madeira to the pan and cook for another minute.
- Add herbs and salt and pepper to taste.
- Sauté for another minute until the spring onions are just tender and the liquid has almost completely reduced.
- Allow to cool completely.
- Unroll the sheets of filo pastry and place them all, one on top of the other, on a work surface.
- Brush the top sheet of pastry with beaten egg and then spread over the mushroom mixture to within 4cm (1½in) of the edges.
- Fold the short ends inwards a little to meet the mushroom mixture and then, starting with a long edge, roll up the pastry fairly tightly like you would a Swiss roll, keeping the mushrooms in place as you roll.
- Place the strudel seam-side down on the parchment paper and brush it all over with the remaining beaten egg.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes until crisp and golden brown.
- Allow to cool for a few minutes before carefully placing on a chopping board.
- Cut the strudel into thick slices and arrange on warmed plates. Drizzle some sauce beside it and serve with some mixed salad leaves.
For the madeira wine sauce
- Heat a heavy based saucepan, add the Madeira Wine and reduce by half.
- Gradually whisk in the beef stock until smooth, followed by the tomato purée.
- Simmer for approximately 5 minutes, stirring occasionally until slightly thickened.
- Whisk in the cream, bring to the boil, season to taste and thicken with some diluted cornflower.
- Set aside until required.
