Swabian Pockets (maultaschen)

INGREDIENTS

INSTRUCTIONS

Certainly if anyone were to insist that 'Maultaschen' were the most
delicious of all Swabian specialties, I[=Horst Scharfenberg] would
hardly be prepared to deny it. In fact, as indicated earlier, I
suspect that 'Maultaschen' would have very good chances in a four-way
international competition with ravioli, won tons, and pirogi for the
championship of the Roughly Rectangular Pasta with Meat (plus
Miscellaneous) Filling division. It has been said that 'Maultaschen'
were originally invented in order to allow Swabians to keep eating
meat during Lent by concealing it beneath the pasta shell and amidst
the spinach filling from the eye of the parish priest (if not the
omniscient Deity Himself). The following recipe is typical but far
from definitive, especially where the ingredients for the filling are
concerned. Feel free to use whatever you have on hand or whatever  your
fancy (or your conscience) dictates. Dough: enough beef stock or
salted water to cook the 'Maultaschen' Combine the flour, eggs, and
salt in a wl 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 he 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, dpeending 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 amd
empty the contents of the skillet over  the 'Maultaschen' on the
serving dish. Serve with slippery potato  salad or a mixed green salad.
Swabian Won Ton Soup: Serve a couple of  'Maultaschen' in a bowl of
hearty beef broths; garnish liberally with  finely chopped onion.
Swabian Fried Won Tons: Allow the boiled  'Maultaschen' to cool, then
cut into strips. Saute in a skillet until  crisp on the outside. Serve
with pota o salad. Maultaschen Croque  Monsieur: Arrange several
portions in an ovenproof casserole, cover  with boiled ham and a couple
of slices lof cheese, and heat in the  oven until the cheese reaches
the desired consistency. Serve with  green salad. From: THE CUISINES OF
GERMANY by Horst Scharfenberg,  Simon & Schuster/Poseidon Press, New
York. 1989 Posted by: Karin  Brewer, Cooking Echo, 7/92  Converted by
MM_Buster v2.0l.

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Nutrition (calculated from recipe ingredients)
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Calories: 3295
Calories From Fat: 1980
Total Fat: 222.9g
Cholesterol: 1339.6mg
Sodium: 7666.2mg
Potassium: 1041.8mg
Carbohydrates: 96.5g
Fiber: 6.1g
Sugar: 5.5g
Protein: 230.3g