Crisp and flaky.
If you really want to, you can fast-track this recipe. You can grab a pressure cooker and cut the braise time to five minutes. You can eliminate the time-consuming filo and pick up a can of crescent roll dough instead. You can do that. But I hope you won’t.
Sometimes true depth of flavor can only be realized through slow, steady cooking: onions and cabbage caramelizing, dissolving gradually until they become one in the rich, succulent broth. And sometimes delicious food can only come to life through meticulous creation: parchment-like filo sheets carefully brushed with butter and precisely folded over one another so they will emerge from the oven as golden and crisp, shattering buttery rich flakes at first bite.
Some recipes are for rushed weeknights and scattered lunches, when food is all about quick, convenient sustenance to carry us on to the next thing. But some recipes are for moments when food is an opportunity to slow our pace and enjoy the steady, careful creation of deep deliciousness. These turnovers, with their crisp, flaky pastry and juicy, tender sausage and cabbage, are for those moments.
Yes, you can grab your instant pot. Yes, you can abandon the filo. But you’ll miss out on the chance to create something more: not only tremendously flavorful food, but a nourishing space for yourself as you enjoy creating deliciousness.
Enjoy!
Sausage and Cabbage Strudel Bites
(Makes 24)
For the braised sausage and cabbage:
1 tbsp vegetable oil
½ lb mild sausage or bratwurst
2 tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt, divided
1 yellow onion, halved and thinly sliced
½ small green cabbage head, thinly sliced
2 cups chicken broth
3 tbsp white vinegar
4 tsp brown sugar
1 tsp caraway seeds
Black pepper, to taste
For assembly:
1 lb frozen filo (phyllo) pastry sheets*
8 ounces melted butter, for brushing
4 ounces swiss cheese, shredded
Caraway seeds, for sprinkling
Special equipment: baking sheet, parchment paper, pastry brush (optional)
Method
For the braised sausage and cabbage:
Heat an aluminum pan over medium high heat and add oil. Roll sausage into ping-pong-sized balls and add to pan; cook until just browned. Remove from the pan and lower temperature to medium.
Add onion and ½ teaspoon kosher salt to the pan and cook for 13-15 minutes or until softened and golden-brown (don’t let it fry). Add cabbage and 1 ½ teaspoon kosher salt; toss and cook until wilted, about 5 minutes. Add broth, vinegar, brown sugar, caraway seeds, black pepper, and reserved sausage. Bring to a boil; cover and simmer 30-35 minutes or until the cabbage is tender. Remove from heat and let cool completely.
For assembly:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Lay out one layer of filo so the short end is nearest you.** Mentally divide it into 3 thin vertical rectangles and brush the far right rectangle with melted butter. Fold the buttered rectangle onto the middle rectangle and brush that doubled-over rectangle with melted butter; fold the left rectangle over the doubled-over rectangle. Spoon 2-3 tablespoons of sausage and cabbage mixture onto the bottom of the folded filo strip and sprinkle with a few teaspoons of shredded cheese.
Pick up the bottom right corner of the filo and fold it up to the left so it meets the opposite side of the filo strip, creating a triangle. Fold the triangle up onto itself, then fold the bottom left corner over to meet the right side of the filo strip. Repeat the folding until you reach the top of the pastry strip and have a neat triangular package. Place on a greased baking sheet.
Repeat with the other filo sheets. Brush with butter and sprinkle with additional caraway seeds.
Bake for 18-20 minutes until golden brown and crisp. Serve with sour cream if desired.
*At least 24 sheets; my pack contained 28 that were 12” x 17” inches
**While you’re rolling the turnovers, it’s important to keep any unused filo sheets moist; if they dry out, they will become brittle and shatter when you try to fold them. To prevent this, dampen a kitchen towel and tuck it over and around the stack of extra filo dough, removing only when you need to grab a new sheet. If you have unused filo dough left, roll it tightly in plastic wrap and freeze for up to a month.
Originally posted October 9, 2020.
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