Idaho® Potato and Feta Strudel
Ingredients:
- 1 cup walnuts, toasted
- 1 cup breadcrumbs, dry
- 2 pounds Idaho® Russet potatoes, peeled
- 8 ounces butter, melted, plus as needed
- Salt and white pepper as needed
- 1/3 cup milk or cream, hot
- 2 each egg yolks, lightly beaten
- 1 cup feta cheese, crumbled
- 1/4 cup chives or scallions, minced
- 1 tablespoon dill, fresh, chopped
- 15 each phyllo sheets, thawed
- 8 ounces butter, melted
- 8 ounces olive oil, plus as needed
- 1 cup baby spinach
- 1 teaspoon garlic, minced
- Red pepper coulis as needed
- 2 each red bell peppers, seeded and roughly chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika or smoked paprika
- 1 each garlic clove
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 cup white wine
- Salt as needed
Directions:
- Combine walnuts and breadcrumbs in a food processor and pulse until roughly chopped and combined. Reserve.
- Place potatoes in a saucepot, cover with water and simmer until tender. Drain water and transfer potatoes to bowl of standing mixer with butter, salt and pepper. Whip on low speed, adding hot milk or cream and mix until mixture reaches a light, fluffy and creamy consistency. Adjust seasonings. Add egg yolks to potato filling, then fold in feta, chives and dill.
- Lay out 1 sheet of phyllo, keeping remaining sheets covered with a damp kitchen towel. Combine melted butter with olive oil and brush over phyllo sheet. Stack another phyllo sheet on top and sprinkle walnut breadcrumbs evenly over top. Top with another sheet of phyllo and brush that sheet with melted butter-oil mixture. Continue stacking phyllo sheets, alternating every other layer between butter and walnut breadcrumbs, for a total of 5 sheets stacked together. Cut phyllo sheet stack in half for 2 strudel squares. Repeat with remaining phyllo sheets, butter mixture and walnut breadcrumbs to create 6 strudel squares.
- Gently shape 1 cup filling into a log and place on bottom third of a phyllo square. Brush surface of dough with butter mixture and roll up over filling as for a burrito or egg roll. Bring both sides of phyllo in around filling and roll up. Baste rolled strudel with butter mixture and place, seam-side down, on sheet tray. Repeat with remaining strudel squares and filling to create 6 strudels. Strudels can be made ahead to this point and reserved, covered and refrigerated.
- Bake strudels in a convection oven heated to 400 degrees F until golden brown and crispy on outside and hot on inside, about 15 to 20 minutes.
- Sauté baby spinach very quickly in a little olive oil and garlic. Reserve, hot.
- Trim ends from each strudel very lightly and cut strudels through middle on an extreme bias. Pool a little red pepper coulis on each plate, stand strudel halves points up, nestle spinach in between and serve.
Red Pepper Coulis
- Cook peppers in a pan with paprika and garlic in olive oil over low heat until they begin to soften.
- Add white wine to pan and cook until wine is almost evaporated and peppers are very soft. Add a little more liquid if needed.
- Purée peppers in a high-speed blender.
- Season sauce and strain if necessary. Reserve.