Monday, October 03, 2005

Apple Strudel

Fully recovered from the party. Luckily, I am one of those uptight Asians who always drinks a gallon of water before going to bed after drinking a half gallon of alcohol. I can honestly say I have never had a hangover in my life. Yay me.

Before I give you my strudel recipe, can I tell you how freaky it is that people who I write about read DCFoodblog. Case in point, my blatherings about the opinions of a certain former DC restauranteur in the Washington Post. And then I am scrolling through the comments of previous posts and see a comment by....Susannah Locketti!!!!! GAH!!!!!! If anyone has read my Next Food Network Star entries, I was um, unkind, to the esteemed Ms. Locketti. Props to Susannah for her classy comment clarifying her position on carbs. This is just like on the Kathy Griffin show when Renee Zellwegger sends her flowers after Kathy talks trash about Renee. As pointed out by Kathy's main gay, Dennis Hensley, Renee won because Kathy is effing freaked out. And Susannah, you've won because I am effing freaked out. And if Ina Garten is reading, sorry.

Um, did someone mention strudel?

Apple Strudel with Creme Anglaise (makes 2 strudels)

6 firm apples (Granny Smith, Macoun etc), peeled and chopped into 1 inch chunks
1/2 cup golden raisins or cranberries
juice of 1 lemon
1/3 cup of sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/3 cup of unseasoned bread crumbs (the way I make bread crumbs is to stick a few slices of stale bread in the toaster oven on 300 degrees for about 15 minutes and then blitz in a food processor).
2 sheets o puff pastry dough.
1 egg and water for egg wash

Mix the first four ingredients together in a large bowl. Add cornstarch and mix so that everything is coated in the cornstarch. Add the breadcrumbs. On a floured board roll out the puff pastry until it's 12 inches long and 9 inches wide (essentially an inch bigger than a sheet of paper) and place on a greased cookie sheet. Pour half the apple mixture into the middle of the puff pastry lengthwise (there should be about three inches of pastry on either side). Seal two sides together and then seal the ends together. Flip over so the seamed side is on the bottom. Brush with egg wash and bake at 400 degrees for 35 minutes.

Creme Anglaise
Over a double boiler (a bowl over a pot of simmering water), whisk 3 egg yolks and 3 tablespoons of sugar together. Continue whisking until thickened. Add 1 1/2 cups of half and half and a vanilla bean cut in half. Simmer over the double boiler while continuing whisking. Do that until the mixture can coat the back of a spoon. Serve over strudel.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

Did you make it out to Homestead Farm this past weekend? The pie lady was selling individual slices of her apple pie with caramel by the slice and was wonderful.

DC Food Blog said...

We're going this coming weekend. Will have to look out for the pie lady.

Washington Cube said...

'Tis the season for thinking apples. You should post a recipe for the Jewish holidays involving apples and honey (traditional). As for picking apples, I used to do this with my parents as a child. My mother would then make applesauce and apple butter and canned (read: bottled) apple fillings for pies to get us through the winter.

Washington Cube Was Here. #64.

Anonymous said...

I think it's pretty cool you've got the people who you are ranting about reading you. Let's have more posts like them! I still owe you a list of Lancaster-related places to eat. I'm working on it.

Anonymous said...

You should post a recipe for making the filling for apple pies!!

Anonymous said...

Hello again from Susannah. If I had your address I'd send you my signature biscotti...keep up the great site!