Caramel Apple Strudel

Round two of culinary boot camp at the local cooking school began this past weekend.  The first five weeks focused on learning proper technique in the kitchen and now the subsequent four will be putting said techniques to good use.  We intend to do just that whilst eating our way across the country in true Johnson and Wales fashion.  This past Saturday focused on the foods of New England.  Think seafood, seafood and more seafood.  We steamed up a clam bake, boiled a live lobster and created the ultimate crock of baked beans.  We pressure cooked a fabulous boiled dinner of corned beef with cabbage and, of course, we made chowder.  Four kinds of chowder.  There was the classic New England, the Manhattan tomato based “chowda”, Maine chowder which incorporates a splash or two of half and half and Hatteras (not New England but done for comparison none the less) which is simply broth based – no cream or tomatoes.

In addition to boiled lobsters, we also cooked pan seared lobster.  The chef went through the steps of cooking a crustacean and I have to admit, when he mentioned that the claws needed about 5-6 minutes of cooking where as the tail needed eight I wondered how that would be possible with a whole lobster.  My questions were soon met with answers.  We were subsequently taught how to remove the claws and tail of a lobster while it was still alive.  Let me just tell you, this is the first time that I have ever questioned myself as to whether or not I was actually cut out for culinary school.  I realize there’s probably no “humane” way to kill your dinner, but to be put face to face with death in a society where we are so separated from what hits our plates at the end of the day was a bit disturbing to say the least.    Boiling I can handle.  Ripping off limbs and torsos?  I find that method a bit more of a challenge.  Despite all the inner turmoil I endured, at the end of the day, the lobster still managed to go down without too much grumbling.

The Remains of the Pan Seared Lobster Tail served with Cognac Lobster Cream Sauce

I doubt you’ll ever see me ripping the arms off a live lobster, but you can be sure that I was a bit more humbled by the experience.  If nothing else, it taught me to respect the animal that gave it’s life so that I could further my own and if I’m honest, that’s a lesson we all could use every now and again.

Onward and upward they always say.  There’s no New England lobster added into this sweet and tarty strudel I’m about to share, but I’m sure you’ll agree that it’s a winning recipe none the less.   Let’s get baking shall we?

Begin my combining a handful of ingredients that will eventually become the inner workings of your strudel.  Apples, of course, are on display along with several other complimentary flavors including the likes of cinnamon, raisins and brown sugar.

Mix it all together gently and then set to the side to “marinate” for a few minutes while you prepare the dough.   Snatch up a box of phyllo dough and unroll the first sheet.

Just a note here about phyllo dough before we move on.  The stuff can be a bit tricky and very, very delicate so be warned.  Give the dough a good 15 minutes to thaw out before using it so that it’s easier to work with.  Once you unroll your sheets, be sure to keep a damp towel over the top of the dough you’re not currently using.  The only thing more testy than a sheet of phyllo dough is a sheet of phyllo dough that’s all dried up and ready to collapse in a floury pile of dust the second you attempt to pick it up.

Place the phyllo sheet on a cutting board and lightly brush it with a few strokes of melted butter.  Grab a second and repeat.  Keep going until you hit eight sheets of phyllo and then stop.  Here’s where we’re at:

Not my best picture, but you get the idea.  Make note of the damp paper towel covering the remaining dough up at the top end of the shot.

Now we’re going to sprinkle a layer of crushed ginger snaps.  Traditional strudel calls for bread crumbs, but I had a few extra cookies laying around the pantry so why not?

Add the filling over the top of that….

…and roll it up like the tasty little burrito that it is.

Finish off the job by transferring the roll to a parchment lined baking sheet, cutting a few slits in the top and brushing one last time with a stroke or two of butter.  Into the oven it goes…..

… and out it comes.  Some days it’s really good to be German.

Serve this European delicacy with a scoop of french vanilla ice cream and a drizzle of caramel for a perfect finish to any meal life throws in front of you.