Swabian Meat Pasties Schwabische Maultaschen Recipes

SWABIAN MEAT PASTIES (SCHWABISCHE MAULTASCHEN)

Steps:

• Stir together flour and 1/2 teaspoons salt.
• Stir in 8 tablespoons water, vinegar and oil until mixture forms a ball.
• If necessary, add more water.
• Cover; let stand 20 minutes.
• Moisten bread in about 1 cup water; squeeze out moisture.
• Combine squeezed out bread with spinach, parsley, ground meats, sausage, CHOPPED onion, eggs, nutmeg, salt and pepper.
• Mix very well.
• Roll out 1/4 of the dough at a time until 1/8 inch thick.
• Cut into an even number of 3-inch squares.
• Place 1 1/2 tablespoons filling on centers of half the squares.
• Top with other squares.
• Crimp edges together with a fork.
• Bring stock or broth to a boil.
• Add pasties; simmer in uncovered pan about 10 minutes or until they rise to the top.
• Melt butter in a skillet.
• Saute SLICED onion in butter until golden.
• Serve pasties with sauteed onion rings.
• Garnish with breadcrumbs.
• Makes 6 servings.
• Best of International Cooking.

GERMAN MAULTASCHEN (SWABIAN RAVIOLI) RECIPE - (5/5)

Steps:

• Make Dough: In a bowl, mix all ingredients. Turn out onto a floured work surface and knead dough until firm and smooth. Wrap dough in a damp dishcloth and refrigerate at least 2 hours. Make Filling: In a medium skillet, lightly fry onion in oil. Transfer cooked onions to a large bowl, add remaining ingredients and mix until thoroughly combined. Make Dumplings: On a floured work surface, roll out chilled dough into a thin rectangular sheet of 24 by 8 inches. Use a pastry wheel or knife to cut rectangle in half lengthwise to make two long, thin rectangles. Spoon out meat filling, one heaping tablespoon at a time, onto one long strip of dough at 2-inch intervals. Place remaining dough strip on top, pressing down firmly around heaps of meat filling to seal. Use pastry wheel or knife to cut dough into square dumplings. Cook Broth and Dumplings: Bring beef broth to a simmer in a stock pot over medium heat. Transfer dumplings to simmering broth. Cook until dumplings float and are al dente, soft but firm, 15 minutes. To serve, ladle broth into soup bowls, then add 2 dumplings to each bowl. Garnish with chives and fried onions.

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.