FROM THE CHEF’S TABLE

APPLE STRUDEL
Recipe for approximately ten portions

Ingredients for the dough
These ingredients make about one sheet stretched strudel dough,
1m x 50cm.
■ 200g plain flour
■ Pinch of salt
■ 1 tablespoon oil
■ 1 egg
■ About 60ml water
■ Oil for brushing
■ Clarified butter

Making the dough
■ Put the flour on a work surface or in the bowl of a mixer with dough hook attached
■ Work the salt, oils and egg
■ Add the water and knead to smooth, supple dough
■ Brush with oil and rest

Rolling and stretching the dough
■ Cover a table with a cloth, preferably one that drops over the sides
■ Sprinkle generously with flour Sprinkle extra flour on the dough to absorb the oil brushed over it
■ Put it on the table and roll out finely with a heavy pin
■ Keep the dough moving and turn regularly It should roll out to about 2mm thick
■ Brush with clarified butter

To stretch the dough, the palms should be facing down – if the fingers are pointed up, they would poke through it. Ease the hands under the dough towards the middle. Lift them, pulling them a little apart (in a kind of breaststroke motion) and back towards the edge of the dough.

Take them out from under the dough, go round to another side of the table and repeat. Continue to work your way around the table stretching it until the pastry becomes transparent. Experts don’t tend to make holes, but don’t worry if you have the odd tear on yours.

Depending on the size of the table, the fully stretched dough will drop over the edges. Trim the edges of the dough with kitchen scissors. Rest for 15 minutes. Note – the trimmings may be kneaded again and used for extra strudel pastry or, as in Austria, dried and grated into soups.

Ingredients for the apple mixture
■ 50g clarified butter
■ 150g breadcrumbs fried in butter
■ 1 heaped teaspoon of cinnamon
■ 600g (prepared weight) apples, peeled, cored and thinly sliced
■ 100g sugar (or to taste)
■ 2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
■ 80g rum soaked sultanas or raisins
■ 80g finely chopped walnuts
■ 60ml sour cream
■ Icing sugar

Making the apple mixture
■ Combine the cinnamon, apples, sugar, lemon zest and sultanas or raisins
■ Sprinkle the fried breadcrumbs over one third of the dough, length only, leaving the edges uncovered
■ Spread the apple over the same area as the breadcrumbs, sprinkle chopped walnut on top
■ Drizzle the sour cream over the fruit



To roll the strudel, lift the corners of the tablecloth behind the filled end. Continue to lift it and the pastry will start to roll up like a Swiss roll. Once it has formed a complete cylinder encasing the apple, thicken the ends and transfer to a prepared baking sheet. Brush with clarified butter. Bake in a preheated oven (200°C - 220°C) for about 40 minutes until golden brown. Cool slightly and dust with icing sugar before serving. To carve portions, slice on a slant rather than directly across the log.

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Suggested wine for Georg Fuch’s Apple Strudel by Christopher Rogers of Falernian Wines

To go with this rich and fruity dessert I would choose one of the best dessert wines in the world, a Tokaji from Hungary, in particular the Crown Estates Tokaji Aszú, 5 Puttonyos 2000.

This wine is from the oldest delineated wine region in the world and has a long and proud heritage.

Sweet Aszú wines are made using winemaking techniques dating back to the 1630’s. A base wine is made in September from sound grapes. From mid October raisinlike, sugar rich Aszú grapes are hand picked into ‘puttony’ tubs and are lightly crushed. 3, 4, 5 or 6 ‘puttony’ (25 kg) of Aszú grapes are then added per 136 litres of base wine. The wine is then aged in small oak barrels for a minimum of four years and a further nine months in bottle before release.

It’s an enormously complex wine and is yellow gold in colour with a nose of Seville orange and marmalade with layers of citrus and lime and honeyed fruit and flowers. Searing acidity underlying the intense flavours on the palate, make it ideal for richer dishes.

“Tokaji Aszú - one of the best dessert wines
in the world.”

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There’s an excitable buzz going around Llantwit Major since Illtud’s 216 unveiled the intimate hidden treasure that is the Chef’s Table.

ILLTUD’S SECRET...

For those of you who wish to enjoy the luxury of totally private and exclusive dining, Illtud’s 216 promise a truly memorable dining experience. Located via a separate entrance and above the restaurant, this intimate dining room can provide for eight people seated and twenty people for a buffet.

The venue is suitable for any special occasion from intimate family gatherings, meetings, corporate events, brainstorming events, cocktail parties, elegant dining and is already a haven for local celebrities looking for a gastronomic affair in total privacy. The Chef’s Table can be booked for breakfast, lunch or dinner.



The kitchen is in the expert hands of owner Georg Fuchs, formerly Executive Chef of the five star St David’s Hotel in Cardiff. Georg has a passion for fresh, seasonal local produce and strives to support the best local and regional suppliers. Menus can be tailored to meet the personal tastes of diners. Georg is ably assisted by his team which includes wife Einar who ensures that all of the requirements for your event are met. With her expert knowledge, Einar can assist you in the choice of wines to complement and enhance your selected menu.

The Chef’s Table is equipped with all that you’d expect from a conference meeting room with broadband internet access, computer, overhead projector, clipboard and even pads and pens!



The venue is suitable for any special occasion from intimate family gatherings, meetings, corporate events, brainstorming events, cocktail parties, elegant dining and is already a haven for local celebrities...