Swabian Meat Pasties Schwabische Maultaschen Recipes

MAULTASCHEN (GERMAN MEAT-FILLED PASTA DUMPLINGS)

Steps:

• If using fresh spinach, bring a pot of water to a boil.
• Drop in the spinach and blanch for 1-2 minutes. Drain in a colander and squeeze as much liquid out as possible.
• If using frozen spinach, simply thaw and squeeze out the liquid in a colander.
• Chop finely.
• Heat the butter or oil in a sauté pan and sauté the onions over medium heat till translucent.
• Add the ground beef and sauté till just cooked through.
• Drain excess oil and allow to cool.
• Mix the spinach and ground beef mixture together in a bowl.
• Drain the bread and squeeze dry.
• Crumble in the bread, mix well, and season to taste with nutmeg and salt and pepper.
• Add 3-4 eggs and mix or knead to form a paste.
• Add 1-2 tsps of the stuffing to each wonton wrapper, moisten the edges with a little of the egg-water mixture, and fold in half.
• Press down on edges to seal.
• Cook for 8-10 minutes in rapidly boiling, salted water.
• Drain and serve with a little beef or chicken broth, in soups, or topped with bread crumbs toasted in melted butter.
• VARIATIONS:.
• Use different types of bread for different flavors: rye, whole wheat, or stale rolls.
• Substitute ground chicken or lamb for the ground beef. A.
• Add a little minced ham or sausages for extra flavor.
• Kräutermaultaschen (Herb maultaschen): substitute 1 bunch minced parsley and 1 bunch minced chives or scallions for half the spinach.

MAULTASCHEN (SWABIAN POCKETS)

Steps:

• Combine the flour, eggs, and salt in a bowl and mix to make a pasta dough.
• Then add a little water and knead until it has a firm but elastic consistency.
• To make the filling, melt the butter in a skillet and fry the bacon with the onions until both are quite translucent. Combine the bacon mixture with the sausage meat. Moisten the hard roll in water, press dry, and put through the meat grinder (better than the food mill or food processor), along with the bacon mixture, cooked spinach, ground meat or smoked farm sausage, leftover roast, etc. Then fold in the eggs, parsley, and seasonings; mix together.
• The filling should be very spicy indeed.
• On a board that has been sprinkled with flour, roll out the dough into rectangular sheets (about twice as wide as you want your 'Maultaschen' to be). Take a tablespoon measure and put little dabs of filling at equally spaced 3-inch intervals all down the middle of one side of the sheet of dough.
• Mix together the egg and canned milk and apply it to the spaces in between, the outer edge and the fold line. Fold the plain half of the sheet of dough over to cover the filling, press down firmly on the spaces around the little packets of filling, and use a pastry wheel or knife to separate the packets into 3-inch square or diamond- shaped 'Maultaschen'.
• The process is similar to making ravioli.
• Cook thoroughly in beef stock or boiling salted water for about 10 to 15 minutes, depending upon the size of the 'Maultaschen'.
• They'll bob up to the surface when they're done; remove them with a slotted spoon and allow to drain.
• Serving suggestions: Cut an onion or two into half-rings, fry in butter until golden brown and empty the contents of the skillet over the 'Maultaschen' on the serving dish.
• Serve with slippery potato salad or a mixed green salad.