Chef Claudio Sadler is an example of how the phenomenon of media chefs has forced even those who have done their job very well – like he has, having opened the first club in Milan in 1986 – to seek the limelight. And because he deserves it, many have rediscovered his skill and his eclecticism (that also makes him a teacher) in recent years; Sadler is an author of books, an organizer of events and he’s always in the front row of trade associations – starting with Le Soste, of which he is president. His gourmet restaurant – open only for dinner – belongs to that group of destination restaurants under the “Madonnina” in Milan that always feature a truly high-level experience for diners. And, he too, can't wait to reopen – so much so that he has launched the special offer, "Back to the Future – the pleasure of getting together at the table" with a 35% discount on tastings at both his restaurants on the Naviglio Pavese, the already mentioned starred restaurant and the modern Chic 'n Quick trattoria, to be reopened by November.
A dessert of Turkish origin
For the readers of La Cucina Italiana, the Milanese chef has decided to share his very own recipe for apple strudel. "Being of Trentino origin, it's a dessert I like very much. It's not a difficult preparation, but the dough makes the difference: It must be very elastic and once rolled out, thin – so as to allow more turns as you roll it around the filling. It can be eaten warm, as I like it, but also cold. It never disappoints at any time of the day.”
A little-known curiosity about the dessert: If the recipe for strudel that first arrived in Italy comes from the Austro-Hungarian Empire – it’s not by chance that the main regions where strudel is a typical dish are Trentino-Alto Adige and Friuli Venezia Giulia in Northern Italy – surely the origins of the dessert are to be found in the contact between the Ottoman and Central European empires. In fact, there are testimonies from the 16th century in which there is talk of an “imperial version” of baklava – imported to Hungary by Suleiman the Magnificent – where apples were used instead of dried fruit.
The Recipe: Apple Strudel by Claudio Sadler
Ingredients:
For the pasta:
4 ½ oz flour
¼ cup water
½ oz melted butter
1 whole egg
½ tsp salt
For the filling:
1 ½ lb golden apples (washed and cleaned)
2 ½ oz sugar
2 oz butter
Peel from 2 oranges
1 oz rum
1 oz toasted pine nuts
2 oz raisins
½ tsp cinnamon powder
Method:
Start with the dough. Combine water, flour, butter, a pinch of salt and the egg in a bowl and start working the ingredients. As soon as they are well combined, the dough should be very soft. If necessary, add a little more water. Once the water is completely absorbed into the dough, let it rest in a warm area in the kitchen for about 30 minutes.
For the filling, slice apples very thin – using either a mandolin slicer or a knife. Then marinate the apple slices for 20-30 minutes with the orange peels, raisins, pine nuts, rum, cinnamon, and sugar.
Roll out the dough very thin. Put the melted butter at the base and a generous layer of filling on top. Start rolling up the strudel with a damp cloth, close the ends and let it rest another 30 minutes in the fridge so that the ingredients stabilize.
Before baking, spread a layer of melted butter on the strudel. Bake at 350°F for 25-30 minutes. While baking, it is very important to brush the strudel with butter at least a couple of times. Finally, let it dissolve. Sprinkle with a thin layer of powdered sugar on top with some grated orange peel. Finish with a dusting of cinnamon and your strudel is ready!