Mushroom Strudel

• 175 g butter
• 1 small onion, chopped finely
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 125 g button mushrooms, sliced
• 150 g chestnut mushrooms, sliced
• 225 g flat mushrooms, halved and sliced
• 1 tablespoon sherry
• 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves or 1⁄2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 25 g fresh white breadcrumbs
• 25 g pine nuts, toasted
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 8 small sheets of fresh or frozen filo pastry
• 3 tablespoons cranberry sauce
• 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
• a few sprigs of fresh thyme, to garnish

Melt half of the butter in a large saucepan and fry the onion and garlic gently until soft. Add all the mushrooms and toss well in the onion and garlic. Fry for a few minutes until the mushrooms are cooked. Remove from the heat and stir in the sherry, thyme, breadcrumbs, pine nuts and seasoning. Allow to cool.

Preheat the oven to Gas Mark 6/200ºC/fan oven 180ºC.

Melt the remaining butter. Lay a clean tea towel on the work surface and arrange one sheet of filo pastry on top with one of the longest sides closest to you. Brush with some of the melted butter. Repeat until you have four layers of pastry.

Spread half the cranberry sauce evenly over the pastry. Spoon half the mushroom mixture along the side furthest away from you but leaving a gap at either end to fold over the filling. Fold the ends over the mushroom filling and then, using the towel to help you, roll the strudel towards you until all the mixture is enclosed in the pastry.

Carefully lift the strudel onto a large baking sheet. Brush with butter and sprinkle with half the sesame seeds.

Repeat to make the second strudel.

Bake the strudels in the oven for 30–35 minutes until crisp and golden brown. If they seem to brown too quickly, cover loosely with foil. Serve garnished with fresh thyme.

You can prepare the dish a day in advance and simply cover it with cling film or foil and store it in the fridge. Freezing not recommended.