It's no secret that Aussies and Kiwis debate about the origins of the pavlova, but have you ever stopped and wondered whether similar debates were happening elsewhere in the world?
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Just like the pavlova, there is debate between countries trying to claim the strudel as their invention. Turkey, Hungary and Spain are among those who have tried to claim it, but when it comes to the country most associated with the pastry, there's no doubt that Austria takes the cake (or should I say, strudel?)
So it's only fitting that the Austrian Embassy is hosting a private Friends of Apple Strudel charity event for MyHome in Canberra, with the help of Rotary Woden and Austrian chef, Karl Krautler.
"That's how it is with food - everybody wants to pay claim to things saying they invented it," Krautler says.
"With the strudel, Austrians try to say that we invented it, but actually when people were fact-checking it, they found out that a nearly exact though what we are using for strudel was already mentioned in earlier cookbooks as a Spanish dough. So if that one is correct, then obviously the Spanish would have been the ones who were who got it.
"But the one thing - and I think that's why Austrians probably think it comes from Austria - is because in no other country is the strudel so dominant on the menu because you can have it as a condiment for clear soups, you can have it for sweets, you can have it for entrées. Basically in every category from entree, main, dessert, the strudel is there, where some other countries there will only be one or two."
So what makes a good apple strudel?
According to Krautler - and Austrian ambassador Wolfgang Strohmayer agrees - it all comes down to the dough. It needs to be as thin as possible.
"If you put The Canberra Times underneath the dough, you should still be able to read it," Strohmayer says.
"That's the benchmark. You need to be able to read The Canberra Times otherwise it's not the real thing."
Kratuler's recipe - which follows - also uses very fine flour and is mixed long enough so that the gluten develops.
Apple strudel
Ingredients
Strudel dough:
250g 00 flour
1 egg
12g white vinegar
29g grapeseed oil
75g warm water or as needed
salt
Filling:
2kg acidic apples (such as Granny Smiths)
200g raisins
150ml rum
4g cinnamon
125g sugar
lemon zest, juice
Roasted Breadcrumbs:
125g breadcrumbs
1 knob butter
Garnishes:
200g butter, melted for brushing
50g icing sugar, for dusting
Method
To make the dough:
- Mix all wet ingredients together, except for the water, and pour into the flour, mix well with salt.
- Add enough warm water to make a soft dough.
- Work the dough until it becomes very smooth.
- Form a loaf and place into a warm bowl and cover with oil and a lid, let it rest for three to four hours.
To make the filling:
- Peel the apples and slice on a mandolin slicer very thinly, add the sugar, cinnamon and cloves.
- Marinade the raisins in rum and add to the peeled apples.
For the roasted breadcrumbs:
- Mix the breadcrumbs with butter and roast in a pan in the oven until golden brown.
To make the strudel:
- Place the rested dough on a flour-covered tablecloth and reach underneath the dough with the back of your hands and pull the dough until it becomes translucent, and you cover a 40 x 60 cm rectangular area.
- Separate the thick edge from the thin dough (keep ends and cut into small pieces and use as a garnish in your soup).
- Spread the melted butter over the dough and place the marinated apples along the shorter side of the dough.
- Sprinkle some of the roasted breadcrumbs on the dough.
- Roll up the strudel by lifting the tablecloth and letting the strudel roll itself up.
- Close each end and separate the edges from the strudel.
- Brush with melted butter and ready to bake.
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Amy Martin
As the lifestyle reporter, I love finding out what makes people tick and giving insight into the different ways that you can enjoy the city we live in. Email: amy.martin@canberratimes.com.au
As the lifestyle reporter, I love finding out what makes people tick and giving insight into the different ways that you can enjoy the city we live in. Email: amy.martin@canberratimes.com.au
