SAVORY CABBAGE STRUDEL
10 to 12 servings
We like savory strudels just as much as their sweet counterparts. If you make the strudel dough, you will end up with one large, horseshoe-shaped strudel. If you use phyllo dough, this recipe makes 2 smaller, rectangular strudels.
Prepare:
- The dough for Apple Strudel
Alternatively, you may use:
- 1 package store-bought phyllo dough, thawed if frozen
To prepare the filling, melt in a Dutch oven or large pot:
- 4 tablespoons butter
Add little by little:
- 4 pounds green cabbage, cored and shredded
- 1 ¼ teaspoons salt
Cook each addition of cabbage until slightly softened before adding the next. If necessary, add a few tablespoons of water to the pot and cover to help speed the process. Once all the cabbage is added and wilted, add:
- ⅓ cup dry white wine
Cover and cook the cabbage until very tender, about 10 minutes. Stir in:
- 1 tablespoon poppy seeds
- 1 teaspoon caraway seeds
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
Taste for seasoning. Pour the cabbage into a colander and allow it to drain and cool completely. Press the cabbage to extract as much moisture as possible.
Preheat the oven to 400°F.
Melt in a small saucepan:
- 1 ½ sticks (6 oz) unsalted butter
If using strudel dough, stretch it out as directed. If using phyllo dough, lay sheets out on a cloth-covered work surface, allowing the sheets to overlap by 2 inches, to make two roughly 16 × 35-inch rectangles. Lightly brush the phyllo sheets with butter, then add another layer of phyllo to each rectangle. Brush with butter and repeat two more times. There should be 4 layers of phyllo in each rectangle. Brush the top layer of phyllo with butter.
Leaving a 3-inch border along one long edge of the strudel dough or each phyllo rectangle, sprinkle in a strip next to the border, covering one-third of the dough:
- ¾ cup dry bread crumbs (divided if using phyllo)
Spread over the bread crumbs:
- 1 ½ cups sour cream (divided if using phyllo)
Spread the cooled cabbage filling over the sour cream. Fold the 3-inch border over the filling. If using strudel dough, pick up the edge of the cloth underneath the strudel and use it to help the strudel roll slowly over onto itself, brushing the dough with melted butter as you roll. Continue rolling the dough and brushing it with butter until it is completely rolled up. Place the strudel on a baking sheet, curving it into a horseshoe shape and brush it with butter. If using phyllo, simply roll up the dough with your hands, brushing it with butter as you roll. Place the two rolls side by side on the baking sheet.
Bake for 20 minutes. Brush again with butter and return to the oven until deep golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes more. Serve immediately, sliced with a serrated knife.