Mushroom Filo Rolls
These little pastries resemble spring rolls and taste fantastic, a must for a finger food buffet. I love them because you can prepare and freeze them in advance, then just deep-fry or bake them as required straight from the freezer.
I like to serve them with a sweet chilli dipping sauce, ok it’s not very Greek but it’s delicious!
Ingredients (makes 40-45 rolls):
For the filling:
700g (1½ lb) chestnut mushrooms, chopped
1 medium red pepper, deseeded and chopped
1 shallot, chopped
1 bunch spring onions, chopped
2 garlic cloves
4 tbsp olive oil
4 tbsp chopped parsley
200g (7oz) feta cheese, crumbled
Ground black pepper
A little salt
For the pastry:
1 x 470g filo pastry
Olive oil or melted butter for brushing
Vegetable oil for deep-frying
Method:
Place all the vegetables, except the parsley, in a food processer and process until finely chopped – you may have to do in two batches.
Heat the olive oil in a sauté pan or wok, stir-fry the vegetables for about 10 minutes until soft, place them in a sieve and allow them to drain. Press with a wooden spoon to remove any excess juice and place in a bowl.
Mix in the cheese and parsley and season to taste, adding very little salt. Place in the fridge for at least 30 minutes to firm up until you are ready to roll them.
Unwrap the filo and before you unfold it, cut into 3 equal sizes, 13cm (5inch) wide and cover with a damp cloth to avoid drying out. Take one roll at a time, open out and cut down the middle. Using two strips at a time, place one on top of each other and if you
are going to bake them, brush the pastry with some olive oil or melted butter; this is not necessary if frying. Place 1 full tablespoon of the filling across the edge of one end nearest to you, fold this up to cover the filling, then fold the two sides inwards and roll tightly to form a small spring roll shape, brushing the end with a little water mixed with a little flour. Repeat this process with the rest of the pastry and filling until you have finished them all.
Place rolls on a tray lined with Clingfilm, making sure that they’re not touching each other otherwise they will stick together.
When one layer is finished, cover with Clingfilm and continue as before, making layers, placing them on top of the first layer and covering them – at this stage you can freeze them until required.
For deep-frying, if frozen, fry them from frozen at 170c -180c until golden brown, drain on kitchen paper.
To bake, place on a greased baking tray, brush with olive oil or melted butter and bake in a pre-heated oven at 180c / Gas mark 4 for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown.
The rolls can be served hot or cold.
