Savory Streusel Recipes

SAVORY POTATO STREUSEL

Steps:

• Put hazelnuts in a shallow 3-quart casserole (about 9 by 13 in.). Bake in a 350° oven until golden under skins, about 15 minutes. Pour onto a towel and let stand until cool enough to touch, about 5 minutes. Rub nuts in towel to remove loose skins. Lift nuts from towel; discard skins. Whirl nuts in a blender or food processor until finely chopped.
• Meanwhile, in a bowl, blend sour cream, chicken broth, and marjoram until smooth.
• Scrub and peel potatoes. Cut crosswise into 1/8- to 1/4-inch slices. Cover bottom of casserole with about 1/4 of the potato slices, overlapping slightly to make an even layer. Pour about 1/4 of the sour cream mixture evenly over potatoes to cover. Repeat to layer remaining potatoes and sour cream mixture, ending with sour cream. Cover pan tightly with foil; set in a 10- by 15-inch baking pan.
• Bake in a 400° oven until potatoes are tender when pierced, 1 to 1 1/4 hours.
• While potatoes bake, in a bowl combine chopped hazelnuts, bread crumbs, cheese, and butter. Rub with your fingers until butter is incorporated and mixture forms crumbly chunks. Uncover potatoes and sprinkle evenly with hazelnut streusel. Bake until streusel is browned, 8 to 10 minutes longer. Add salt and pepper to taste.

STREUSEL

Steps:

• Whisk together the flour, sugar, salt, cinnamon and almonds in a medium mixing bowl.
• Add the butter and use your fingers to lightly knead into the dry ingredients until the mixture is crumbly and the butter is well incorporated.
• Use to top muffins, quick breads, crisps or ice cream. Store in an airtight container, in the refrigerator, for up to a month.

STREUSEL

Steps:

• To make the streusel: Put the flour, sugar and salt in a medium bowl and mix everything together by running the ingredients through your fingers. Drop in the butter and squeeze and rub the cubes into the mixture until you have a sandy mix. If you press a little streusel together, you'll get lumps, which is just what you want. Drizzle the vanilla over the streusel and toss, squeeze and rub to distribute it. Cover the bowl and chill the streusel until needed. (You can make the streusel up to 1 week ahead; pack it in an airtight container and keep it refrigerated.)

SAVORY STREUSEL

Steps:

• Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F.
• Toast oats in a baking pan, stirring occasionally, until pale golden, about 12 minutes.
• Heat oil in a 9-inch heavy skillet over moderate heat until hot but not smoking, then cook garlic, stirring, until golden, 30 to 40 seconds. Add oats, salt, and pepper and cook, stirring to coat oats, 1 minute. Add cheese and cook, stirring, until topping starts to clump, about 1 minute. Serve hot.

SAVORY MEAT STRUDEL

Steps:

• Saute chopped onion and peppers in clarified butter until translucent.
• Add ground meat and bread crumbs and brown well.
• Deglaze by adding wine (or chicken broth).
• Stir and allow alcohol to dissipate.
• Transfer meat mixture to large bowl and allow to cool slightly.
• Season with fresh herbs, salt, pepper and Paprika; add sour cream and beaten egg, mixing thoroughly.
• Allow mixture to cool completely in refrigerator, about 15-30 minutes.
• Unwrap phyllo dough and lay flat on a damp towel, covering with a second damp towel.
• [Phyllo will dry out incredibly fast if you don;t cover it with the damp towel, so do*not* skip this step.
• ]Transfer phyllo, one sheet at a time to a third damp towel, brushing each sheet with melted butter.
• Do not butter the last sheet of phyllo after transferring it to the stack.
• Remove meat mixture from refrigerator and spoon onto lower 2/3 of the phyllo dough rectangle, leaving room at the edges all the way round.
• Fold short ends of the rectangle in over meat mixture.
• Brush long end of phyllo with beaten egg mixture.
• Grab moist towel on one side and use it to lift and roll the package into a strudel (roll), pinching the egged end to seal.
• Transfer the strudel, seal side down, to a well-greased baking sheet.
• Brush entire strudel with remaining eggwash.
• Transfer sheet to preheated 400-degree oven and bake 45 minutes until crisp and golden brown.
• Transfer strudel to cutting board, allow it to rest 5-10 minutes before slicing.
• Serve with a Caesar or a composed salad for a delicious taste treat.
• Makes a great luncheon or brunch dish, too.