Asparagus strudel

Wolfgang Pillgrab from Gasthof Pillgrab prepares an asparagus strudel.

Did you know? The younger the asparagus, the shorter the cooking time. Wolfgang Pillgrab from Gasthof Pillgrab reveals the best way to prepare Mostviertel asparagus.

Mostviertel in the western part of Lower Austria is a true culinary treasure trove. The region is best known for pears, apples and grains, so the cultivation of asparagus here is rather unusual – but despite that the original Mostviertel asparagus still exists. The best way to prepare it is demonstrated by Wolfgang Pillgrab, from Gasthof Pillgrab in St. Valentin, and winner of the newcomer award 2020 for Lower Austrian gastropub culture.

Recipe:

To ensure that the asparagus does not impart too much water into the strudel, first cook it in salty water and then plunge it into cold water. Next, dice the cooked potatoes into small pieces. To make the filling, combine cut toasted bread, egg yolks, sour cream and warm milk. Warm milk has the advantage that it binds better with the toasted bread. Mix in the potatoes and the finely chopped herbs. Season with salt, lemon zest and a splash of lemon juice. Wolfgang Pillgrab likes to add a teaspoon of honey. Next, whisk up the egg white and carefully fold in to the mixture.

Preheat the oven to 200 C. Fold out the strudel dough and fill with asparagus tips. Add enough filling to cover the asparagus. Brush the edges with egg yolk, fold in the edges and roll up. Depending on your colour preference, brush the finished strudel with egg yolk and bake at 180 C for 40-50 minutes. Serve the finished asparagus strudel with wild garlic curd cheese and some chives. To make this, stir some wild garlic pesto into curd cheese, adding salt and sugar to taste. Stefan Hofer from Bachlerhof has shared a great recipe for wild garlic pesto with us. 

Now sit back and enjoy your asparagus strudel with wild garlic quark.

Tip: A simple herb dip would work too – just mix together some sour cream, yoghurt, garlic and fresh herbs – simply delicious!

Ingredients:

  • 1 roll of strudel dough
  • 150g toasted bread
  • 2 tbsp sour cream
  • 2 eggs
  • 3-4 waxy potatoes (cooked)
  • 1 lemon
  • approx. 200g asparagus
  • Garden herbs (e.g. parsley, thyme, chives, oregano)