4.04.2013

Ina Fridays: Crab Strudel


Welcome to the first posting of Ina Garten Fridays! A group of us are posting an Ina recipe the first Friday of every month. It ought to be fun because Ina is one of my favorite chefs. Thank you, Alyce, for organizing this. You'll find a list of those participating at the end of each of our "First Friday" posts. If you like The Barefoot Contessa as much as we do, it'll be fun to check in with each of us to see what we've chosen to represent each category. It can be an Ina recipe, or our take on an Ina recipe.

April has been designated appetizers and rather than thumbing through one of Ina's cookbooks, I went to a file I keep on my desktop where I store Ina recipes I've seen on The Food Network I want to try. There it was: Crab Strudel. I used to make a lobster strudel that everyone loved so wanted to compare the recipes. Nothing alike, except for the phyllo. My old recipe had cheese with the lobster and Ina's recipe is curry-based. Hers is actually much lighter (in spite of the butter in the phyllo layers) and they went like hot cakes when I served them. I noticed in the reviews online that many people used Old Bay Seasoning instead of curry...no reason why you couldn't do that if you're not a curry fan. And some others even added Parmesan cheese as well as using Panko instead of regular bread crumbs.  Also, you could use lobster, shrimp, scallops OR crab in this recipe. Very versatile.

Crab Strudel
From Barefoot Contessa, Episode: Dinner Date, 2007




Ingredients:
12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, divided
3 scallions, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon curry powder
1 pound lump crabmeat, drained and picked to remove shells
2 teaspoons fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
1 lime, juiced
Kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
10 sheets phyllo dough (such as Pepperidge Farm)
1/4 cup plain dry breadcrumbs

Method:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Heat 2 tablespoons butter in a medium saute pan, add the scallions and garlic and cook over medium-low heat until the scallions are soft, approximately 5 minutes. Add the curry powder and stir.

Shred the crabmeat into a bowl and mix with the parsley, lime juice, salt, to taste, and pepper. Add the crabmeat to the scallion mixture.

Melt 10 tablespoons of butter in a small pan and set aside.

Unfold 1 sheet of the phyllo dough. Brush the sheet with melted butter and sprinkle with bread crumbs. Repeat the process by laying a second sheet of phyllo dough over the first sheet, brush it with melted butter and sprinkle with bread crumbs until 5 sheets have been used. Spoon a 1-inch wide row of the crab mixture along 1 edge of the phyllo dough. Roll it up. Brush the top with butter and set aside. Repeat the entire process using the all the phyllo dough and crab filling.

Cover a sheet pan with parchment paper. Score the crab strudel diagonally into 1 1/2-inch pieces and bake for 12 minutes, or until the top is lightly brown. Slice and serve.


Ina Fridays participants:

Nancy from mypicadillo.com  
Veronica from mycatholickitchen.com
Ansh from spiceroots.com  
Bhavna from justagirlfromaamchimumbai.com/ 

28 comments:

  1. What a luscious treat! It must be very delicious!

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  2. This strudel must taste wonderful!

    Cheers,

    Rosa

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  3. That looks delicious! Wouldn't it make great party food?

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  4. I always laugh a little when I see crab... and your note about the shells. The first time I used it I didn't know to look for shells. I had spent a fortune on the little container of crab (just out of college –– not much money!) and was so proud the way it tasted. I served my little snacks and wham, 3 people bit down on shell at once. We all laughed and no teeth were lost but it taught me a lesson about being careful.

    These look delicious. I look forward to your lobster recipe next!

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  5. I look forward to these posts, you just can't beat an Ina recipe. And of course this one got my attention. After my potato strudel, I'm thinking about other ideas. this is a must try.

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  6. You can bet that I'll be stopping by for every Ina Garten Friday. If I could have only 6 cookbooks they would be hers. Somehow I missed this recipe so am delighted to have it. I make a seafood strudel as an entree so I know my family will love this.

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  7. I love strudel in all forms, and this Ina Garten take off looks delicious!!! Yummm.

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  8. That's so pretty and it looks like you spent hours making it, which is a definite bonus!

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  9. This is a show stopper as far as I am concerned. See them and want to pick them up and devour them.

    I am glad you are participating in the group. I have not been getting around to other blogs and now, I will be sure to visit you.

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  10. I'd eat this for dinner! Crab = luscious. Happy Friday....Glad you're in for INA:) LINKY looking great, too.

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  11. Thanks for the delicious reminder. I've seen this while perusing Ina's cookbooks but haven't tried it yet.

    Best,
    Bonnie

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  12. What fun! I am a huge fan of Ina, have all her books and use them quite a bit!

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  13. That looks great. I've never made strudel...

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  14. The Strudel looks Fantastic. I have never made one before, I am working up courage to do it soon.

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  15. I love Ina too. You had me here at "crab." I heart crab. :)

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  16. What a quick and easy way to make party appetizers! Make one roll and get a platter full of treats. I love crab. I'm sure it was quite delicious!

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  17. What a gorgeous looking Strudel Barbara. Love it.

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  18. Mmmm delicious strudel my friend :D

    Cheers
    CCU

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  19. How fun. I've had house guests and missed this post earlier. I cook a lot of Ina's recipes. I'll be right back.
    Sam

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  20. Aw, I couldn't link up. Guess I got here too late, but I'll try to remember next time.
    Sam

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  21. ina has a lot of good material--you could probably post every single friday for 20 years and still not be through all her good stuff. :)

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  22. What a fun group! This strudel sounds super tasty and I love the out-of-the-box filling!

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  23. Crabmeat wrapped in phyllo dough sounds so delicious ! I love the name of your group: Ina Fridays!

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  24. Barbara love this strudel and I love crab!

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  25. yay for ina recipes! these look delicious!

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  26. Yummy!! I've struggled with making phyllo dough work in the past (and have had some classic disasters!) But this strudel recipe makes me want to try again!

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  27. Two questions. 1) Do you put the crab mixture on short or the long end of the phyllo? 2) Does this make two rolls or just one?
    Thanks

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    Replies
    1. Spread the filling along the long side.
      Makes two rolls...5 phyllo sheets on each

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