Strucolo Istriano -- Strucolo from Istria
A strucolo is a Friulian strudel, which is wrapped in cloth and boiled rather than baked. They're often made with doughs that contain other ingredients in addition to flour. This recipe is traditionally served at wedding banquets, but could work nicely as a light lunch with a tossed salad. It's drawn from Alessandro Molinari Pradelli's La Cucina Friulana. To serve 6 you'll need:
- For the dough
- 5 cups (500 g) flour
- 4 eggs
- A hazelnut-sized chunk of unsalted butter
- A pinch of salt
- For the filling
- 10 ounces (250 g) fresh sausage, skinned and crumbled
- 6 ounces (150 g) fresh lean pork, ground
- 4 ounces (100 g) chicken, ground
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter
- An egg
- Salt and pepper
- To season it
- 2/3 cup melted unsalted butter
- Freshly grated pecorino cheese (you'll want mild pecorino, otherwise use Parmigiano)
Sift the flour onto your work surface, make a well in it, and crack the eggs into the well, together with the butter and a pinch of salt. Work the dough until it is smooth and elastic (it will also be fairly stiff; if you absolutely must, add just a couple of drops of water or vinegar). Flour a sheet, roll the dough out over it in a rectangle, and spread it further with your hands (see instructions; it should be quite thin by the time you're done).
Next, see to the filling: Melt the butter and sauté the ground meats, covered, for about 20 minutes, seasoning them to taste with salt and pepper. Then let the mixture cool and spread it over the dough. Next, grip one edge of the cloth parallel to the edge of the dough and lift it so that the dough falls over on itself; continue lifting gently to keep the dough moving, so it rolls up like a jellyroll. Wrap the strudel in the cloth, tie it shut lest it open, and heat a pot of water. Once it reaches a boil salt it, reduce the heat, slide the strudel into the pot and simmer it for about an hour. Unwrap it, lay it out on a serving platter, slice it, pour the putter over it, dust it with cheese, and serve.
The wine? A Refosco del Carso might be nice.
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