Purim with Kapusta. Part 2: A cabbage strudel

Eastern European cuisine is built of lucious savoury pies of all shapes and sizes. The pastry of these pies can tell you a lot about the intricate culinary history of the particular area within the region. While leavened dough, such as in the piroshki buns is used widely, the influence of the former Ottoman Empire is particularly prominent in the southern regions where we find borek-like placinta (Romania), vertuta (Moldova), or (Bulgaria) made with hand-stretched filo pastry. The name strudel, of course, immediately nods to the Austro- Hungarian Empire, though some sources suggest that the pastry was in fact born out of the Ottoman rule too.

While we all know (and adore) sweet strudels, a cabbage one is a lesser-known staple within the Ashkenazi Hungarian community, where it is known as káposztás rétes.

This pie is particularly popular during the Jewish Purim holiday as cabbage is thought to soften the impact of the long alcohol-fuelled festivities. This pie is a show stopper meal for 10–12, you can either make two small pies or halve all the

ingredients to serve 4–6.

Serves 6-8

2 onions

1 tsp of caraway seeds (optional)

800g of white cabbage, thinly shredded  

A splash of white wine

150g salted butter 

1 small bunch of dill, finely chopped

Salt and pepper to taste (I’d recommend being generous with both)

A pack of ready to use filo pastry (270g-300g/7-8 sheets)

Thinly slice the onions and fry with a pinch of salt in some olive oil for 8-10 minutes until translucent and slightly caramelised. Add the caraway seeds if using, and give a thorough stir.

Next add the cabbage, with another punch of salt, stir thoroughly to mix in the onions and cook for 10 minutes. Add a splash of white wine, raise the heat to let the alcohol evaporate. Give the cabbage a good stir, cover with the lid, lower the heat to medium and cook for another 8 minutes. 

Add 50g of butter and the dill, stir through, and take off heat. 

Let it cool a little while you prepare the pie-rolling station.

You will need a clean surface, a kitchen towel or a sheet of parchment paper, the filo pastry, a bowl of 100g melted butter with a brush and an oven preheated to 200C.

To shape the strudel lay out a sheet of filo pastry on top of the towel or the parchment paper shortest side towards you and brush generously with butter, top with another sheet. Repeat with 2 more sheets (you will need 4 in total). Place half of the cabbage filling into a 5 cm thick log parallel to the short edge of the pasty about 2 cm away from the edge. Then, using the towel (as you would a bamboo placemat when making sushi) roll the filo over and tuck it under the cabbage filling. Continue rolling till you have a log-shaped pie. Place it on a baking tray, seal-side down, and brush very generously all over with butter. 

Repeat with the rest of the pastry and filling, to get one more strudel log.

Bake for 45 minutes in the middle of the oven until crispy and golden brown.

Serve with a side of garlicky dill yoghurt.