Name: Chicken Mushroom Strudel
Prep time: 30 min
Total time: 95 min
Ingredients: 1 roasted chicken; 2 tablespoons butter; 1.25 pounds fresh mushrooms, thickly sliced; 1.5 teaspoons kosher salt, divided, or to taste; 0.667 cup diced yellow onion; 0.25 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper; 0.25 teaspoon ground cumin; 0.25 teaspoon smoked paprika; 1 pinch cayenne pepper; 1 cup heavy cream; 0.25 cup chopped fresh tarragon; 1 lemon, zested and juiced; 0.5 cup grated Gruyere cheese; 2 (14 ounce) packages frozen puff pastry, thawed; 1 large egg for egg wash

Chicken Mushroom Strudel – What You See Is Hopefully What You Get

They say to never judge a book by its cover, but when it comes to savory, meat-filled pastries I think it's totally fine. When we bring something that looks like this Chicken Mushroom Strudel to the table, our guests will, and should, assume the inside is every bit as enticing as the outside. Depending on their tastes, that may or may not end up actually being the case, but at the very least, seeing this strudel's beautiful, intricate design indicates we put a lot of time and effort into impressing them, which has to count for something.

By the way, as I did a great job of proving in the video, your woven pastry might not look "beautiful, and intricate" when first constructed, but thanks to the magical combo that is an egg wash and hot oven, when it comes out, it almost always looks amazing. So, please relax when it comes to the "cover," and instead use that energy to make sure your filling is flavorful, and thoughtfully prepared. I loved the chicken and mushroom mixture, but any similarly textured filling will work just about the same. Even the most basic meatloaf recipe can be dressed up using this technique. But, no matter what you end up using, I really hope you give this a try soon. Enjoy!

Chicken Mushroom Strudel

4.9

(19)

Prep Time:

30 mins

Chill Time:

30 mins

Bake Time:

35 mins

Total Time:

1 hr 35 mins

Servings:

12

Yield:

2 strudels

Ingredients

1 roasted chicken
2 tablespoons butter
1 ¼ pounds fresh mushrooms, thickly sliced
1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt, divided, or to taste
⅔ cup diced yellow onion
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
¼ teaspoon ground cumin
¼ teaspoon smoked paprika
1 pinch cayenne pepper
1 cup heavy cream
¼ cup chopped fresh tarragon
1 lemon, zested and juiced
½ cup grated Gruyere cheese
2 (14 ounce) packages frozen puff pastry, thawed
1 large egg for egg wash

Directions

Remove meat from roasted chicken by tearing it into bite-size pieces with your hands.
Melt butter in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Stir and cook until mushrooms are browned, about 5 minutes. Add onions and 1/2 teaspoon of salt and cook until onions are softened, about 5 minutes. Season with remaining salt, pepper, cumin, smoked paprika, and cayenne pepper. Stir and cook for about 30 seconds.
Pour in heavy cream and cook, stirring, until thickened, gold and bubbling, 5 to 7 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low and mix in fresh tarragon. Add chicken and stir until sauce is absorbed into the chicken and mushroom mixture. Place mixture into a bowl. Add lemon zest and lemon juice. Fold in Gruyere cheese and mix until well combined. Cover and refrigerate until filling is chilled, at least 30 minutes.
Set out puff pastry sheet onto a lightly floured parchment paper and roll out to a 12 x 15 inches rectangle. Lightly dust the surface of the puff pastry with flour and place another sheet of parchment paper on top. Roll out the pastry sheet so that it lays flat. Transfer with the parchment paper onto a baking sheet and freeze for about 10 minutes so it is firmed up.
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F (220 degrees C).
Move dough onto a work surface with the parchment paper. Using the tip of a knife, lightly score the pastry into 3 strips lengthwise. Using a knife or pizza cutter, cut away the top 2 corners of the top so it resembles a triangle shape. Take one of the corner pieces that was removed and use water to stick it to the middle section of the bottom (which will help with sealing the strudel).
Starting at the scored center section by the pointy side, make 3/4 inch cuts all the way down one side, following the angle of the top. Repeat on the other side following the top angle and creating the same number of sections as on the first side. Transfer parchment paper with dough onto a baking sheet.
Add 1/2 of the chicken mushroom filling to the middle section. Fold the top and bottom of the middle section pastry over the top of the filling. Start folding the dough strips alternately over the filling, covering the entire strudel. Trim off excess dough. Brush the top of the pastry with a beaten egg.
Place in the center of the preheated oven and bake until golden brown and crisp, 35 to 40 minutes. Let sit for 5 to 10 minutes, then slice and serve.

Chef John

Chef's Note

I used Dufour Puff Pastry Classic — it comes in a large rectangle.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)

642	Calories
45g	Fat
33g	Carbs
26g	Protein

Nutrition Facts
Servings Per Recipe 12
Calories 642
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 45g	58%
Saturated Fat 16g	78%
Cholesterol 109mg	36%
Sodium 502mg	22%
Total Carbohydrate 33g	12%
Dietary Fiber 2g	6%
Protein 26g	52%
Potassium 378mg	8%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

** Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data.

(-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.