Savory Birthday Strudel

It’s that time of year again: Mike’s birthday! A few weeks ago, we were looking at German recipes to try in honor of Oktoberfest while we were renting a cabin in the Appalachian Mountains. We found Oktoberfest Strudel, a delightful savory pastry dish that called our names immediately. We decided it might be a bit much to transport all that we would need to make it there, so we opted to wait and try it as Mike’s birthday dinner. We invited Mike’s family over and decided to go ahead and double the recipe, making two strudels.

I will admit, I was a little hesitant about using phyllo pastry, having tried it to make empanadas with disastrous results. Still, pastry stuffed with apples, sauerkraut, bratwurst, and mustard was too tempting not to take the chance. I had much better luck with the phyllo this time. Be sure you brush it well with butter as directed, and don’t forget a damp towel over the sheets you’re not working with. Also, a few of my sheets stuck together, so I left them together instead of forcing them apart and tearing them. I didn’t even have any issues rolling everything up…very exciting! (I deviated a bit from the layering directions on the original, so the following is how I did it.)

The original recipe didn’t specify whether the brats should already be cooked or not, but we thought it would be easier if they were, so I boiled them while getting the sauerkraut mixture ready. I couldn’t find “wine-cured” kraut, so we used what we had available. Make sure you drain it really well to avoid soggy strudel. We also didn’t have German butter, so we used regular unsalted. For the mustard, we used Ingelhoffer Honey Mustard.

I had read mixed reviews about the mustard sauce, but we made it so we could decide for ourselves. I think the sauce is a must; don’t skip it. (Also, be careful to whisk in the milk gradually. I was trying to do too many things at once, and we had some lumps in our sauce. Not the end of the world, but still frustrating.)

All-in-all, it was a BIG hit! Everyone had seconds (good thing I made an extra!), and Mike has already said we’ll definitely need to have it again.

Oktoberfest Strudel

¾ cup melted German butter
1 cup minced onion
1 large granny smith apple, peeled, cored and diced
1½ cups drained German wine-cured sauerkraut
2 teaspoons caraway seeds
8 phyllo pastry sheets
¼ cup German sweet mustard
1 pound bratwurst, thinly sliced

Mustard Sauce
1 tablespoon German butter
1 tablespoon flour
1 cup light cream
3 tablespoons German sweet mustard
1 teaspoon paprika or 1 teaspoon curry (we used paprika)

In a large skillet, over medium heat, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter. Add the onion and sauté for 3 minutes or until translucent. Add the apple and sauté for 3 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in the sauerkraut and caraway, mixing well.

On a large baking sheet, lay out one sheet of the phyllo and brush with about 1 tablespoon of the butter. Repeat layering until all the sheets are used.

Spread the mustard over the last layer of phyllo. Then spread the sauerkraut filling over the dough, leaving a 1½-inch border around the edges.

Top with the bratwurst slices; roll jellyroll-style folding in the short edges. Place seam-side down on pan; brush the top with butter.

Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until golden brown.

For the sauce:

In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium-low heat, stir in flour to form a smooth paste. Slowly stir in the cream and continue stirring to keep lumps from forming. Whisk in mustard and heat through. Stir in the paprika.

 Serves 8 as an appetizer or 4 as a main course.