Isis versus PhysioProf...Recipe War Entry #4

First and foremost, allow me to extend my sincere congratulations to friend of the blog and dear competitor PhysioProf. His offering this week was stellar. It seems as though PhysioProf either has culinary skills that I did not appreciate or a blind squirrel has finally found a nut.


Figure 1: The blind squirrel.

Either way, my hat's off to you, PhysioProf.

Before I offer you this week's recipe, allow me to be clear about its intent. Some of you lost your junk last week about the obvious disparity in the ease of preparation between the two recipes. I clocked the preparation of this recipe -- 24 minutes. However, this recipe was created with a special purpose in mind. Friday night, Dr. Isis has a hot steamy date with science and she decided to use this weeks recipe war entry as an opportunity to try out a little something new.

Yes, this Friday a hot shot scientist who is head of a hot shot department at a hot shot university is visiting MRU and Dr. Isis is having her over for dinner. I realize some of you are thinking, "Dr. Isis, what the ...?!?! Don't you work enough hours in a day without having to entertain visiting dignitaries?" I suppose when you think of it that way, the answer is, "yes." However, Dr. Isis recognizes that some very important science is often done in social settings and finds that having people to her home offers the opportunity to both demonstrate her awesome hospitality and to chat in a more intimate setting without feeling like one has over-stayed their welcome at a restaurant.

So, with that, I cooked up this little number (24 minutes people. Certainly you can sack it up for 24 minutes). This recipe was created with the following things in mind:

1) Cooking with Phyllo dough looks really, really hard but is really, really easy. If you do it, you will always look like a domestic goddess.
2) I originally prepared this as a vegetarian (not vegan) dish and it was divine. To cook it in its original vegetarian glory, replace the seafood with tofu and the mozzarella with provolone. But, this was fish week and some of you people are sticklers for the rules.

Now, here it is. The full stick of butter in this recipe is not for the faint of heart:

Seafood Strudel with Red Pepper Sauce

Here is what you'll need:


Figure 2: The stuff you'll need

1 box of Phyllo dough
4 red peppers cut lengthwise
4 cloves crushed chopped garlic
1 bunch chopped swiss chard
1/2 bunch chopped green onions
1/2 cup chopped crimini mushrooms
3 tablespoons tomato paste
Fresh mozzarella and feta cheeses
1 stick butter
1/4 cup wild rice
1 cup basmati rice
1 bunch green beans
3 tablespoons heavy cream
Sliced almonds to taste
4 pieces lemon grass
6 sliced sundried tomatoes
Approximately 4 teaspoons fresh thyme
2 tablespoons flour
1/2 cup dry white wine
About 1/2 pound of your favorite mixed seafood, chunked. I used shrimp, scallops, and some fresh bass caught on my vacation

Begin by combining the rice, wild rice, and 2 cups water in your favorite rice preparing dish. Dr. Isis has a rice cooker that she will take to the grave. Add 1 tablespoon butter and 2 teaspoons fresh thyme to the rice and cook. The rice requires the longest prep time of this meal. Then place the red pepper halves on a baking sheet and slide them under the broiler. As they roast, complete the next steps.

Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a deep skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and 2 pieces of sliced lemon grass. Cook until soft and add the mushrooms. Finally add the seafood and green onions and cook over medium heat for 5 minutes until the seafood is largely opaque.


Figure 3: Seafood cooking in the pan

While the seafood cooks, combine about 2 cups of the swiss chard, a hearty handful of mozzarella, another hearty handful of feta, and the sundried tomatoes. Drain as much of the liquid from the cooking seafood as possible and add it to the swiss chard mixture. Sprinkle the flour on top and hand toss.


Figure 4: Strudel filling. I know it looks delicious, but don't eat it just yet, little kittens

At this point, your red pepper should be done roasting. Take them out and admire their amazing beauty. Roasted red peppers are almost as good-looking as Dr. Isis. Set them aside.


Figure 5: Total hotness

Now, here's the important stuff -- working with the Phyllo. When you take the Phyllo out of its box, it will be rolled up. Carefully unwrap it and remove the layer of plastic. Then (if you forget this step, it will get hard very quickly. Shut up ...tom...)take a dish towel, wet it, wring it out until the towel is merely damp, and cover the Phyllo any time you are not working with it.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place two sheets of Phyllo on the parchment and brush with melted butter. Place two more pieces perpendicular to the first pieces and, again, brush with butter. Finally, place two more sheets of Phyllo on top of your Phyllo pile of fun, in line with the first sheets you laid down. You should have a t-shaped entity on your parchment. Brush just the edges of this sheet with butter. Load the middle up with your strudel filling.


Figure 6: The orientation of Phyllo relative to the position of filling

Fold this up into a happy little package, brush with butter, and bake for 12 minutes at 350 degrees.

While the strudel bakes, puree the red peppers with 1/2 cup dry white wine. Add to a sauce pan containing 1 tablespoon butter. Cook 10 minutes. During this time, heat the final 1 tablespoon butter in a pan and add the remaining two pieces of sliced lemon grass and green beans. Sautee the green beans while the red pepper sauce reduces. Finally, add tomato paste and heavy cream to the red pepper sauce and the almonds to the green beans.


Figure 7: Happy little red pepper sauce

Plate this bad boy and voila!


Figure 8: Seafood Strudel with Red Pepper Sauce. Upper left panel - plated without red pepper sauce to show lovely browned baked Phyllo. Upper right panel - With red pepper sauce. Lower left panel - Sliced to show delicious filling.

Don't forget to vote here and check out PhysioProf's entry here.