Do you know the authentic Maultaschen Swabian Pockets Recipe? This local food specialty from the South of Germany, Swabia, are filled pockets or ravioli with meat and/or vegetable.
The classic filling is a mix of spinach and ground beef. Some recipes are using bratwurst filling, and some are without meat. There are different ways how to serve them. They taste delicious in a beef broth or fried in the pan with roasted onions or bread crumbs. Home made Maultaschen requires some cooking skills and time. You would need a ravioli cutter and a wide enough wooden board - In Germany you use special baking boards that can be easily adjusted at the table's edge so they won't move around. Happy Cooking!
Ingredients Maultaschen Swabian Pockets Recipe
Dough
350 g flour
1/2 tsp salt
3-4 eggs
1 tbsp vinegar
For the Filling:
150 g fresh or 100g frozen spinach
1 onion
1 1/2 German bun (some days old, not fresh)
200 ml warm milk
200 g ground pork or beef
2 tbsp parsley (chopped)
2 eggs, salt, pepper, nutmeg
1.5 l beef broth or water
fresh ground nutmeg and pepper
Cooking Instructions Maultaschen Swabian Pockets Recipe
- Beat eggs, 3 tbsp water, vinegar with a whisk and add bit by bit the flour; knead it then until you get a firm, smooth dough.
- Cover dough or wrap it it in foil and let rest for 30 minutes.
- Fresh spinach: Wash thoroughly, remove hard parts like stems and roots. Defrost frozen spinach.
For the Filling
- Soak roll in milk and squeeze all milk out. Bun should not have any liquid in it.
- Peel onions and chop it finely.
- Melt butter in a skillet; add onions, chopped parsley, spinach and bun; saute for some minutes
- Add ground beef, spice with salt, pepper and nutmeg, mix well, then take off and let cool off a bit.
- Now roll the dough (on a wooden board with some flour) and with a special roller make 15cmx15cm (6inches x6inches) squares. Dough should not be thicker than 3mm (1/4 inch).
- Brush water or egg white on the edges.
- Place 1-2 tbsp of the filling on each square.
- Fold the squares to a triangle and press the edges firmly together. Now cook them either in water or broth.
- Bring water with some salt (or the broth) to a boil and place pockets inside, they are done when they float on the surface.
- Remove them from water by using a slotted spoon.
- Melt butter in a skillet and roast them on both sides slightly, in a separate pan roast bread crumbs.
- Sprinkle Maultaschen with parsley and the breadcrumbs.
Servings Options
- With roasted onion rings,
- fried in butter.
- with roasted breadcrumbs,
- brown gravy,
- in a broth,
- with potato salad or fried potatoes. Never forget to sprinkle with parsley.