By Chef David “Smitty” ·
The last article I wrote was the Chicken wrapped in Phyllo dough and I have received a few questions about the dough. I was asked about ideas regarding the leftover dough.
Of course, as long as you wrap it well, it can be refrozen and used at a later date. I’ve had luck using it up to three months later, but after that it really does seem to get a little too brittle. My first thoughts was to make an Apple Strudel (available at TheTahoeWeekly.com). I have given you that recipe in the past, so I wanted to try something else.
After looking around, I found I did have pretty much everything I needed to try a Blueberry Pecan Strudel. This is pretty easy to make, so if you do make it, let me know what you think. My personal reaction was that I will be making it again.
For the filling, I thought about using pretty much the same recipe as a pie filling as long as it was a recipe that used cornstarch instead of flour and butter. I also thought about making the strudel in the same log shape I make the apple strudel, but because I figured it to be a runnier filling, as well as using a large amount of berries, I decided individual portions would be the way to go.
Also, if you don’t have pecans or would rather use a breadcrumb filler between the dough layers, simply sauté some plain breadcrumbs in butter with a little sugar and sprinkle that between the dough layers as you did with the chicken dish.
As for the dough usage, each package of Phyllo dough, at least the Athens brand, comes with two sleeves of dough. I made 3 portions of chicken and 6 individual desserts and that used one sleeve. There was one sheet of dough left over that I cut into strips and used to seal the seams of the strudels to keep the leakage to a minimum. I also ended up using huge berries that made the folding a little harder, but gave me a small amount of leftover berries, but I think I would keep the amounts the same especially if using normal-sized blueberries. You can always make an easy crisp topping for the small portion of leftover berries if you need to.
At any rate, this ended up taking maybe 30 to 45 minutes tops and was definitely a dessert worth trying. Enjoy.
Blueberry Pecan Strudel
1 stick butter, melted for brushing the dough layers
1/3C medium to fine chopped pecans, lightly sautéed to release the oils
13-14 sheets Phyllo dough
2 C blueberries
1 T cornstarch
¼ t lemon zest (about half of a large lemon)
1½ T lemon juice
1/8 t cinnamon
4 T sugar
Pinch of salt
Combine all the ingredients from cornstarch down in a bowl. Add the berries and use your fingers to coat all the berries evenly.
Lay a sheet of dough lengthwise going left to right on the counter and brush with butter. Add one more layer and after brushing with butter sprinkle with pecans or breadcrumbs. Repeat that step and then add one last layer brushed with butter but no crumbs.
Use a sharp knife to cut the dough width-wise from top to bottom into 3 columns and place about 2 T of berry mixture at the bottom of each section. Fold the strudels from bottom to top into triangles (the same as folding a flag.) Brush with butter and use a strip of dough to be sure the seam is sealed well. You might even use two strips if it appears the seam will leak. Brush those strips with butter and place on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper.
Repeat until all strudels are done and bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 25 minutes and golden brown. Let sit for 5 minutes before serving.
Smitty is a personal chef specializing in dinner parties, cooking classes and special events. Trained under Master Chef Anton Flory at Top Notch Resort in Stowe, Vt., Smitty is known for his creative use of fresh ingredients. To read archived copies of Stir it Up, visit chefsmitty.com or TheTahoeWeekly.com. Contact him at smitty@chefsmitty.com or (530) 412-3598.
