Mushroom Cheese Strudel

I could pretty much live on drinks and appetizers, and this mushroom cheese strudel is no exception. It goes hand in hand with my favorite cocktail nuts.

There's nothing more tempting than finger food. A little bit of this, a little bit of that. That's the appeal of buffet tables too. Oh, if I could only open my fridge and have that kind of food every day.

But I'll settle for virtual drinks and appetizers that abound at this time of year.

So, of course, I made an appetizer for you.

Crackly phyllo dough filled with mushrooms and cheese. Good at room temperature, so you don't even have to worry about that.

Mushroom filling

I love mushrooms as filling for anything that involves a dough, like this amazing Mushroom Leek Quiche. 

So, when I thought about making an appetizer strudel, they popped into my head immediately.

Vintage Kitchen tip:when cooking mushrooms, always do it over high heat, don't salt them from the start, and don't touch them until browned. That way, they won't release too much water and turn mushy. 

Working with phyllo dough

It usually drives some people far away when they read that the recipe includes this thin pastry. 

It is a middle eastern specialty, involving ridiculously thin pieces of dough.

But, as with any laborious thing in the kitchen, the result is worth it.

Vintage Kitchen tip:phyllo dough needs decent counter space to work with, and each sheet has to be individually buttered while the rest is being kept under a damp cloth at all times so they don't start to dry out just like that.

That crackly, glass-shattering sound when you bite makes it worth it.

You can buy them in the supermarket now; specialty stores always have the best quality. I buy mine at my favorite Armenian bakery.

How to roll a strudel

Once you have your buttered pieces of phyllo dough stacked together, you should proceed as with a tortilla wrap:

The filling is a log a few inches from the bottom and sides (image above).

The side close to you is folded forward, covering the filling (image below).

Both of the outer sides are folded (image below) and the whole thing is rolled forward as you would a burrito. 

Baking and serving

• Brush with ghee (clarified butter): the strudel needs to be buttered again before going into the oven. This buttering up is what creates that unmistakably crackly and wonderful dough. 
  You can make this with tart dough and call them empanadas. But phyllo dough is worth the effort.

• It can be frozen: Wrap it well in plastic wrap and then foil. It keeps for a month. Thaw at room temperature and warm in the oven before serving so it crisps up.

• Serving: if using it for a cocktail party as finger food, serve it at room temperature. If you're serving this as an appetizer to seated guests, add a green or tomato salad as a side.