Gastroanthropology

Apple Strudel

Since Europe takes a four day break for Easter, we decided to take one too. To Austria we went, for some end-of-season skiing and to explore Salzburg and Tirol. There was quite a bit of driving involved as well, where I once again realized the monster I had created. Nate has always been an adventurous person, and that translates into the foods he will eat. He'll try the stinkiest fish or the scary looking chicken's feet. As a self-professed foodie, having a partner who isn't squeamish about food is like having a golden ticket. But, since he's been eating with me he's learned terms like mouthfeel, balance and presentation as well. Fruits and vegetables must be fresh and crisp. Sauces and pastry fillings must be smooth and strained. Combinations of textures are noticed. He's the first point out that the chef used a bit too much gelatin in the panna cotta or that the chocolate mousse a little grainy meaning the chocolate wasn't properly melted or the eggs weren't strained. 

Because we were confronted with apple strudel every time we stopped anywhere in Austria - every restaurant, coffee shop, street vendor, and ski chalet had it - it was often the topic of conversation. In my previous post I mentioned we differed on whether or not raisins should be included in an apple strudel. Traditionally, it seems to be. And Nate likes them and thought they should be included. What does he know? The only time I ever tolerated raisins was when they were stuck to peanut butter slathered on celery. Not in my oatmeal or cereal. Not in my bread pudding. Not even in my oatmeal-raisin cookie. And, Not in my strudel.

We did agree that we don't like our strudel super-sweet. The tartness of the apple must be noticed. Even a tart apple has an immense amount of sweetness, especially when cooked, so not too much sugar is included in my recipe. I also went with these tart Bramley baking apples. 

We also agreed that a strudel must be apple-y, lots and lots of apples with just enough dough to keep it all together. 

Keeping all this in mind I decided to use Edouard Nignon/Pierre Herme's 20-hour apple method for part of the filling. I figure they know a thing or two about apples in desserts and Nignon was the chef to the Emperor of Austria way back when. In a nutshell, 20-hour apples are peeled, cored and sliced thin, pressed into a buttered pan, brushed with butter, sprinkled with sugar, wrapped in plastic, then in foil, weighted down and baked at a very low temperature for 10 hours. Then its left to cool in its own juices for another 10 hours. The result is an intense apple flavor that melts in your mouth. Start these the morning before you want to bake your strudel and let it cool overnight.

While this method provides an unbeatable apple flavor, I didn't want the final strudel to be just intense apple mush inside. So, to the 20-hour apples I added freshly diced apple. The freshly diced apples are tossed with toasted (in butter) breadcrumbs which help to absorb the liquid of the apple.

Here the fresh apple mix is piled on top of the gently laid 20-hour apples.

For the dough...strudel dough is like fresh pasta to me. It's not as hard as it seems, but worth the effort. Though with strudel dough it does help to have a lot of kitchen space - especially an island or a large dining room table. Of course, like pasta, the boxed kind is acceptable. You can buy strudel dough, but its often easier to find phyllo dough. For more on strudel dough and a good recipe check out the Daring Bakers who did strudel last May.

APPLE STRUDEL

• 1 full 20-hour apple** recipe using 4 pounds of tart baking apples
• 1 pound of tart baking apples, peeled, cored and medium diced
• 1/3 cup sugar (add more if you like things a bit sweeter)
• 1 cup toasted breadcrumbs
• pinch cinnamon
• Strudel dough

** General method for 20-hour apples within the post above, more detailed recipe to come soon. The original post provided a link to 20-hour apples but the link is no longer valid. Sorry, but I will get the detailed recipe posted shortly!

METHOD

The day before you want to bake your strudel make the 20-hour apples. On strudel day, start by making the strudel dough. Then make fresh apple filling by toasting 1 cup breadcrumbs in a shallow pan with about 1 Tbs melted butter. Use homemade or good quality breadcrumbs. Please don't use the breadcrumbs that come in those Pringles-type cans. I reserved a few tablespoons to sprinkle on my strudel dough as I rolled it up. Toss cooled breadcrumbs with the freshly diced apples, sugar, and cinnamon.

Gently lay the 20-hour apples along the entire length of one side of your strudel dough. Add the freshly diced apple mixture on top. Gently roll the strudel, sprinkling reserved breadcrumbs. Place on a sheet pan lined with foil and parchment. Brush with butter. Bake for about 1 hour or until golden brown at 375F. 

Let cool to slightly warm or room temperature. Dust with powdered sugar before serving. Serve with fresh cream or whipped cream if you'd like.  

It was just perfect. The combination of the 20-hour almost apple jam and the slight crunch of the fresh apple created the perfect filling. Now the apple strudel discussion has ended...on to the next debate...

Wiener Schnitzel - Vienna, Part 2

During my recent trip to Vienna I was so obsessed with having a real Sachertorte I neglected to do any due diligence on the savory food of Vienna. I usually have breakfast, lunch, dinner, and in-betweens pre-planned for any excursions. By luck, we stumbled on some wonderful food in Vienna.

It all starts with the food market. Every European city seems to have a local street market with the best of the best. This market, called Naschmarkt, was spilling with fresh fruit and vegetables, gorgeous in color and quality. The market also had lots of fresh seafood, meat, cheese, breads, and ethnic foods. The unfortunate thing about travel is that I can't take a portable kitchen along with me to take advantage of the fresh foods.

As tourists and travelers on foot we must often rely on street food. Here in Vienna, there was no shortage of wursts and sauerkraut to enjoy while exploring the city.

The sauerkraut was fresh, a bit sweet, and not too pickeled - and after trying kraut in multiple locations all over Europe I find that I prefer it that way.

Most Viennese buildings have cellars and these are well taken advantage of. Many restaurants and cafes utilize or exist only in the cellar. You feel a bit transported in time as candles and low-lights barely illuminate. The food isn't fancy, its just plain old good. Here is a plate of roasted pork, beef, blood and regular sausages, topped with giant, stuffed dumplings on a bed of sauerkraut.

On the last day of our trip to Vienna we hadn't had wienerschnitzel yet. We had one meal left and we walked around the old town and I almost thought we'd return back to London without having eat wienerschnitzel in Wien. No. I could not let this happen. At that moment we stumbled upon Figlmuller's. It was busy (a good sign) and serving traditional Austrian fare, which meant wienerschnitzel was on the menu. We ordered the schnitzel and it came with half a lemon. It was so big, overlapping the plate. It was tender, seasoned, and the breading perfectly crisp. All it needed was a squeeze of lemon. It was the best wienerschnitzel I have ever had. Later, when I asked Mr. Gastroanthropolgist, critic of critics when it comes to all things food, about our meal he said is was the best "fudging" wienerschnitzel he had ever had.

Fortunately, we were able to enjoy our schnitzel in the cellar of Figlmuller's. Unfortunately, that means flash photography, which means I won't post it because it does absolutely no justice to the world's best wienerschnitzel. When we left Figlmuller's I saw this though:

If you can't read it, it's a New York Times review on a place for remarkable Viennese food, where the schnitzel overlaps the plate (all Viennese schnitzels are supposed to overlap the plate), and pounded thin and tend only once the schnitzel is ordered. It's also a great place for Viennese wines, though we may have messed with that a bit as we ordered gesprtizter, or wine with soda water, which is commonly drunk in Vienna. Figlmuller's certainly tasted like the best, and other critics agree.

Sachertorte - Vienna, Part 1

The Sachertorte was invented by Franz Sacher in 1832 and has since become one of the pastry world's classic chocolate cakes. It's essentially a chocolate cake where the layers and sides are covered with a thin coating of apricot jam. The cake is then covered in a rich dark chocolate fondant icing and adorned with a Sacher chocolate. It is always served with a dollop of unsweetened whipped cream.

The original Sachertorte is only available through Hotel Sacher in Vienna and Salzburg. 

To be totally honest the cake was a bit dry and I found that others feel the same way - it may actually be the reason that whipped cream is always served along side. However, eating the cake at the Hotel Sacher was a wonderful experience, maybe a bit touristy, but totally worth it. Mr. Gastroanthropologist got the Topfenstrudel, a cheese curd strudel. It was like a light airy cheesecake, baked in strudel. 

There is no shortage of sweets in Austria...and I had been dreaming about eating Apfelstrudel in Vienna, like Mozart's wife, since the trip was planned. Available at nearly any restaurant and every bakery... these are from Oberlaa.

It was clear the strudel wouldn't make the trip back to London so I went to the square with Stephansdom or St. Stephan's Cathedral.

In the square is Manner confections, where Knusprige Waffeln or crispy wafers, to enjoy once I left Vienna. They are also called Neopolitan Wafers as the Austrians originally got their hazelnuts from Naples, Italy, when they began making these in the late 1890s. Today, they sell all different flavors and are known to be Arnold Schwarzenegger's favorite treat. 

Schnitzel and other savory Viennese food coming in Vienna - Part 2 in a few days time.