Austrian Potato Strudel

Alright, poppets, this one has to be quick. In one hour and 35 minutes, I am leaving the house to get on a bus to drive through the night from Berlin all the way down to Austria, where I will be skiing for the next 8 days. Ooh! The last time I did this was in the 8th grade. I remember that drive as a long night filled with classmates taking turns on some lucky kid's brand-new Game Boy and a lot of dirty, well, for 14-year-olds at least, jokes. This time, instead of the Game Boy, we've got an iPod, a couple of books and maybe even a few better jokes than last time up someone's sleeve. Honestly, I just can't wait.

While I'm gone, eating more ham sandwiches than I care to count, I leave you with a true Austrian gem in the spirit of my vacation, if you will. Potato strudel, which is sort of like the most delicious, most elegant potato knish you'll ever eat, only studded with bacon. It's tasty. And you don't need German strudel dough to do this, you can use plain old phyllo (or filo) instead.

Let's get started, shall we? My long underwear won't pack itself. Pardon the iPhone photos, I know they are hideous, but the night I made this, my camera battery died and this was all I had.

First you boil a whole mess of peeled, cubed potatoes. They will take far less time or elbow grease to prepare than you think. In the time it takes to boil a pot of salted water, basically, you should be able to take care of those babies. Add some caraway to the cooking water. It imbues the potatoes with wonderful flavor and some even make it into the strudel later. By the way, in case you didn't know, potatoes and caraway? Soulmates, star-crossed lovers, meant to be.

You mash those potatoes with Quark and a good amount of salt and pepper. In New York, I know, you can find Quark at the farmer's market and at Whole Foods and Fairway. It's a fresh German cheese. You can substitute fromage frais, if that is easier to find. The recipe I used has you thrown in minced mint, too, which sounds lovely. I didn't have any, so I left it out and no one missed a thing. Do as you like.

Next up is the bacon. Here at the grocery store, you can find ready-cubed bits of bacon just as you can in France. When I went grocery shopping, the store was all out of the regular stuff and only had "diet" cubed bacon left. One cold look at the package and I realized it was just regular cubed bacon, with all the fat cut off. Uh. Thank you for doing my work for me? (Incidentally, the brand-name of this bacon was Abraham, I kid you not.) So. Anyway. Bacon. Fry up a bunch of it, cubed, until the fat renders or, if you're using the superlean kind, sauté it in some olive oil. Then add sliced leeks and minced onions and cook until everything is wilted and glossy and fragrant, about 7 to 10 minutes.

Go back to the mashed potatoes and mix in an egg and then the leek mixture. Ooh, it will be hard not to stick your finger into those potatoes and have a taste! Oh, go on. Have a taste. Lovely. Make sure there is enough salt and pepper and set aside.

On a damp towel, spread out the strudel or phyllo dough that you've layered and brushed with butter (don't worry, I've written it all out below). Pile on the mashed potatoes, but don't overdo it. My split strudel is not very Austrian. They are far more restrained, I hear.

Using the towel, instead of pulling on that oh-so-delicate baby's bottom strudel dough, gently roll the strudel over itself, making one big long log. Gently glue the ends to the side of the strudel, making a nice neat package.

You brush this thing with egg yolk to make it all shiny and burnished later and bake it in a hot oven until it smells irresistible and is crackling with excitement. We ate great big slices of it next to green salad dressed with pumpkinseed oil. It doesn't keep particularly well, so try to come hungry, will you? Everyone takes two helpings, no discussion.

The outside casing is thin and crispy and sort of shatters under your fork, while the filling is fluffy and yielding and creamy and wonderful, the Quark and leeks and bacon and caraway combining to glorious effect. This food is fancy and peasant at the same time, easy enough for a weeknight (I swear), yet impressive enough for dinner with your mother-in-law.

See the split? Tsk tsk.

Alright, I think that's it. I have to go: less than an hour and still no packed suitcase, eep. Have a lovely week, you all. Enjoy your strudels! Stay warm!

Austrian Potato Strudel
Serves 6

1 lb (500 grams) floury potatoes, like Russet, peeled and cubed
1 teaspoon caraway seed
1 cup (250 grams) Quark
Salt
Pepper
2 teaspoons fresh mint, minced (optional)
3 tablespoons unsalted butter or oil
3.5 ounces (100 grams) lean bacon, diced
1 leek, thinly sliced
1 onion, diced
1 large egg and 1 egg yolk
2 sheets of prepared strudel dough or phyllo dough (do not use puff pastry dough)

1. Preheat your oven to 390 degrees F or 200 degrees C. Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Throw in the cubed potatoes and the caraway and cook until tender, about 10 or 15 minutes. Drain and put the cubed potatoes back in the pot. Some caraway will have gone out with the water, but some will still be stuck to the potatoes. Mash loosely with a fork. Mix in the Quark until well combined, and salt and pepper to taste. Mix the minced mint into the potatoes. Set aside.

2. Heat a tablespoon of butter or oil in a skillet and add the bacon. If using regular bacon, you can simply render its fat in the skillet without using any additional fat. Add the leek and onion and sauté, stirring, until glossy and wilted, about 10 minutes. Turn off the heat.

3. Mix the egg into the potatoes and then the bacon-leek mixture. Combine well.

4. Unfold one dough sheet on a damp towel. Brush with some of the remaining melted butter. Unfold the second sheet over the first and, again, brush with the rest of the melted butter. Spread the potatoes over the second sheet evenly, leaving room at the edge of the dough. Do not overfill - leftover mashed potatoes are delicious if fried into croquettes the next day.

5. Using the damp towel to assist you, gently lift one edge of the strudel and begin rolling it over the filling. "Glue" the edges to the side of the roll and arrange the strudel, seam-side down, on a baking sheet fitted with parchment paper. Beat the egg yolk and brush the strudel thoroughly with the egg yolk.

6. Bake the strudel for 30 minutes, until the strudel pastry is shiny, golden brown and crackling. Remove from the oven, setting the pan on a cooling rack. Slice into thick pieces and serve immediately, with a green salad.

Comments

[Maggie]

Oooh! This looks so delicious! Have a fabulous vacation.

[Martina]

Luisa, do you think this Strudel would taste good without bacon, leek and onion?
(I am vegetarian and can't eat anything of the leek family)

Have a great time skiing in the Alps!

[radish]

Ha, bacon's brand Abraham? That's hysterical. Have a lovely skiing vacation. I'm a fan of anything with potatoes encased in dough - this looks AMAZING.

[Robin]

Whew, I was worried you were not going to tell us how to make mashed potato strudel after teasing us with it in your last post. Now if only I can convince my grocery store to carry diet bacon. Have fun on the slopes!

[Vanessa]

I don't know why but leaving at night always makes me feel more that I'm going on an exciting journey. Despite my 3 years in Germany and Austria, I have never eaten potato strudel (the shame!) but this looks great for those cold winter nights that never seem to end in Berlin. I made my brownies for my students today and was very popular. They were wolfed down in minutes. Have a great trip and lots of fun!

[Dawn (KitchenTravels)]

Your first cooking post from your new place? How wonderful! I don't know what's more exciting - the fact that you've moved in enough to cook again, or the fact that you're going skiing for 8 full days. I do know that I am really envious of the latter. ;) Have fun!

[Luisa]

Martina - hmm, maybe add sauteed mushrooms and thyme instead? You really need something herbal and savory to balance all those potatoes and Quark. Otherwise it can tend toward the very heavy.

[Beth]

I want to eat that right now!

[magdalena]

Hello again...this is absolutely wonderful and reminds me - again - that we have in Poland similar potato "cakes" or "baba" . I did not know it exists in Austria...Good dish for skiing...
In Polish version, usually leeks are not added.. but this time I'm going to follow your recipe, those regional differences.
Regards

[KT]

This post sounds so cheerful and happy. "Go on - have a taste." You must be a fun person to cook with. :) Have fun skiing!

[Claire]

Pastry AND potatoes - what's not to like! Enjoy skiing.. last time I went I broke my leg on the first morning - before lunch... humph!

[Pam]

I so enjoy your writing! I'm looking forward to seeing more pictures of your Berlin kitchen. Love the picture you posted of your cookbooks and food-related books. Some of them are on my shelf, too. What are some of your most frequently used cookbooks?

[Adrienne]

This is EXACTLY the kind of recipe I was hoping you'd post when you went and left us for Germany. Hooray! I have phyllo in the freezer and potatoes in the cupboard. Strudel this weekend, yes!

Have a wonderful wonderful time skiing :)

[the lacquer spoon]

This is my first meeting with "savoury" strudel, thanks! Happy holiday!!

[CJ]

I am so hungry (and hung over) that I could eat the photo. Looks like the perfect cure. Now, make sure you do a bit of local food shopping in Austria, as well as hitting the slopes.

[Jill]

Looks and sounds delicious and perfect for a winter day. But I'm a little confused about the rolling - do you actually roll it or just fold it over?

[Uncle Bob]

I admit that I had never heard of Quark before, but I was able to locate some (from The Vermont Creamery) at Bristol Farms market here in San Diego. The recipe looks great. I'll give it a try probably this weekend. Enjoy the snow and your new place!

[Jennifer W.]

I have been a longtime lurker on your blog, but this is my first comment. This looks absolutely fabulous and I can't wait to try it!

BTW, my mother in Peruvian, my father is German (from Berlin!) and I lived for four years in New York City in the early 1990's as well as in Germany for two and a half years after college. Now I'm in the Pacific Northwest, splitting my time between Washington and Oregon while raising a family, working full-time, and enjoying things like cooking, gardening, and exploring the outdoors. I love trying new recipes and I can't wait for your cookbook to come out! I'll be one of the ones pre-ordering it! Thank you for this wonderful blog - I enjoy it greatly.

[Paige Orloff]

Good lord, that looks good. Happy schussing.

[bobbinis-kitchen.com]

You did a great job with that strudel.
Thank you for the idea!

[Matthew]

Want to know how to make the best All American Pot Roast? Check out College Inn's recipe at http://www.collegeinn.com/recipes/all-american-pot-roast.

This message is being posted on behalf of College Inn and we hope that it is of interest for you.

[Katie @ Cozydelicious]

Oooh, this looks amazing. I have made knish and let me tell you - this looks WAY yummier! (is yummier a word?) I am going to have to make this soon, before swimsuit season is on the horizon. Thanks Luisa!

[Rowdy Chowgirl]

Ooh, this looks way too decadent for a weeknight at my house. Definitely weekend food to be lingered over...

[tobias cooks!]

I never new we had potato strudel. Looks great though!

[Leah]

Abraham has a whole line of cured pork products! Herr Abraham owned the apartment I used to live in and gave us packages of ham in the mailbox every year for Christmas. It really is weird. But kind of great, too.
This strudel is in the oven at our house: minus the quark and leek and with mushrooms and parsley instead. The potatoes already taste amazing, despite lacking those tasty items. I had better go check that the world's most unpredictable oven hasn't burned it. xx

[Catscooking]

just in case you read all your comments and can use hearing how fabulous your postings are: here is it, you are fabulous. I love your posting discipline, wished I had it too. Enjoy your trip.

[Annie Browne]

Wow!!! Definitely gonna try this one. What's better than potatoes, bacon, and cheese all rolled up and baked? Lovely! Hope you're enjoying your latest wonderful adventure...and I have a feeling the ham sandwiches are pretty dang tasty when you pair them with an all night train trek, good friends, an iPod and some beautiful slopes on your horizon. Cheers!

[Irina]

I think combining potatoes and dough (and onions!) results in the ultimate comfort food - warming, filling, easy on the stomach, and delicious. One of my favorite comfort foods, especially during cold weather, are vareniki (a Russian dumpling similar to tortellini) filled with mashed potatoes and sauteed onions.

[elisabeth]

wow, even though i'm austrian i have never heard of potato-strudel before. must try it though, it looks delicious!

[Culinspiration]

Yum. Something about living in Berlin gives me the itch to cook Central and Eastern-European food. Maybe it's the cold, dark days or just the easy access to ingredients.

Your strudel looks delicious. Have you thought about trying it with pumpkin? The Muskatkürbis is pretty good right now. I can see that being delicious wrapped in flaky pastry and served up with a drizzle of Kürbiskernöl.

If you like game, keep an eye out for specials around the holidays (Netto has especially good deals). I just made a Hungarian stew with some venison I picked up...perfect on a frigid day like today!

http://culinspiration.wordpress.com/2010/03/09/not-goulash/

[Delishhh]

What a great blog you have. I hope to try one of your recipes soon and will report back.

[Claudia]

I knew it. I looked at that first photo, and said to myself, she's got bacon in there. And, after just commenting on how the price of pork bellies must be soaring, at the rate that bacon is going into almost everything. Not that we mind. It's gotta make it better, right? Sounds like a real comforting meal.

[Jen]

I just bought a bunch of buy one get one puff pastry! And I bought a bunch of potatoes! This comes with perfect timing.

[Einmaleins]

Oh, delicious. Bacon, potatoes, wrapped in goodness... lovely, will make that this weekend - thanks!

[Melinda]

What can be better than a leek mixture? Enough said. After that, I was sold!

[emiglia]

Sounds incredible, Louisa! And I don't mind a split strudel, myself... As long as it still tastes good, which I'm sure yours did!

[kristinek]

I made this strudel and it was great. I used plain greek yogurt b/c I don't have access to quark. Damp towel means damp, not wet. My towel was too wet and first layer of phyllo turned into goo. Not pretty. Luckily, I used more than two layers ans was able to save the strudel. It was delicious and beautiful!

[Dave]

Great site, I have just started my own blog yesterday so am very new to this
David

[pity]

lovely comfort food, i love it all! have a wonderful time in austria, cheers from london

[Amanda]

Yum - It looks wonderful. Thanks so much for sharing it with us and I hope you have a great time on your trip!

[Eva]

This looks freaking amazing. With a cold beer, yes please. Any idea how much 2 sheets of studel/phyllo dough weigh? I know strudel dough is notoriously hard to get thin enough at home (I already failed horrendously once, some cockeyed idea during college), but I´d like to try, and the recipes I´ve seen give their yield in weight. Thanks!

[Julia]

have been looking for a nice potato strudel recipe - finally found one!

[Nadia]

Thank-you so much for posting this. I am going to my Dad's part of Italy at the end of the month to be my cousin's confirmation sponsor, and it is very close to the Austrian border (Trentino). I am sure to find some of these items and will be on the look to bring them home with me!

[Nadia]

Oops - can you tell its my first time commenting? :) I meant to post that it your Austrian grocery store thread.