Fennel and Chorizo Strudels

Source: St. Petersburg Times Taste

3/4 cup butter, melted
2 shallots, minced
4 ounces chorizo, sliced thin, skin on
1 2/3 cups diced fennel bulb
1 1/2 tablespoons minced tarragon leaves
1/2 tablespoon minced chives
1 egg
1 cup bread crumbs
1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
8 sheets phyllo dough, thawed

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Heat about 2 tablespoons of the butter in a saute pan over medium heat. Add the shallots and saute until translucent. Add the chorizo, lower the heat and allow some of the fat to render. Add the fennel and gently cook until tender.

(You may need to reduce the heat slightly so that the chorizo and fennel don't burn.)

Allow the mixture to cool to room temperature. Add the tarragon leaves, chives, egg and enough bread crumbs (about 1/2 cup) to lightly bind the ingredients.

Adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper.

To assemble each strudel, lay a sheet of phyllo dough onto a clean work surface. Place the longer edge of the dough parallel to the edge of the work surface. As you work, keep the unused sheets of phyllo covered with plastic wrap to keep them from drying out.

Brush the dough with melted butter and sprinkle it with about 1 to 11/2 teaspoons of bread crumbs.

Top with another sheet of phyllo dough and repeat the butter and bread crumb process until you form a stack of 4 phyllo sheets.

Mound half of the chorizo-fennel mixture along the bottom of the phyllo, leaving a 2-inch border at the edges. Beginning with the bottom edge, carefully roll up the dough and filling, and seal. Repeat with the remaining dough and filling to make a second strudel.

Transfer the strudels seam-side down to a parchment-lined baking sheet.

Brush with the remaining melted butter and make shallow cuts on a bias in the surface of the dough to indicate 8 slices.

Bake in a 400-degree oven until golden brown, about 10 to 15 minutes. Slice and serve immediately.

Makes eight 2-slice servings.

Nutrition information per 3-ounce slice: 330 calories, 8g protein, 21g carbohydrates, 24g fat, 940mg sodium, 60mg cholesterol, 2g fiber.

Source: The Culinary Institute of America's "Gourmet Meals in Minutes"