INGREDIENTS

INSTRUCTIONS

FILLING
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
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