Porcini Mushroom Strudel

The idea of a savory strudel with porcini mushrooms is very appealing, especially to bring an autumnal touch to your table. Here’s the recipe to prepare a porcini mushroom strudel:

Ingredients

• 1 roll of puff pastry or strudel dough
• 300 g of fresh porcini mushrooms
• 1 small onion
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 100 g of fontina or other soft cheese
• A sprig of parsley
• 50 ml of white wine
• 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Melted butter as needed for brushing
• 1 egg for brushing the pastry

Preparation

1. Carefully clean the porcini mushrooms with a brush or a damp cloth, avoiding washing them under running water so they don’t absorb too much moisture. Slice them thinly.
2. Finely chop the onion and garlic. In a large pan, heat the extra virgin olive oil and sauté the onion and garlic until golden brown.
3. Add the porcini mushrooms to the pan and cook over medium-high heat for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4. Deglaze with white wine and let it evaporate. Reduce the heat, cover with a lid, and cook for another 10-15 minutes. Add salt, pepper, and chopped parsley at the end of cooking. Let the mushroom mixture cool down.
5. Preheat the oven to 180 °C.
6. Roll out the puff pastry on a work surface and evenly spread the cooled mushroom mixture, leaving a border of about 2 cm free.
7. Cube the fontina cheese and distribute it over the mushroom mixture.
8. Roll up the puff pastry on itself starting from the long side, seal the edges by brushing them with a little water and also fold over the ends.
9. Place the strudel on a baking tray lined with parchment paper with the seam side down.
10. Brush the strudel with a beaten egg to get a golden and shiny surface.
11. Bake for about 25-30 minutes or until the puff pastry is well browned and crispy.
12. Let rest for a few minutes before cutting and serving.

The porcini mushroom strudel is a versatile dish that pairs well both as an appetizer and as a main course. If you want an even more Italian touch, you might add some smoked bacon to the filling, which will complement the flavor of the porcini with an additional smoky taste.

Curiosity

Strudel is a typical dessert of the Alpine regions, but the savory version with mushrooms is a modern variant that combines the tradition of sweet strudel with the Italian passion for porcini mushrooms.