Swabian Maultaschen (Schwäbische Maultaschen)
Schwäbische Maultaschen Say it: SHVAH-bish-uh MOWL-tah-shen
Schwäbische Maultaschen are large, ravioli-like pasta parcels from Baden-Württemberg in southwest Germany, filled with minced beef, spinach, onions, soaked bread and herbs. Swabians serve them year-round, most traditionally swimming in hot beef broth on Sundays and holidays, but just as often sliced and fried with eggs. The wrapper is thin and tender, the filling juicy and savoury with nutmeg and parsley, and each parcel is generous enough to be a meal in itself.
Swabian Maultaschen (Schwäbische Maultaschen)
Schwäbische Maultaschen
Pronounced SHVAH-bish-uh MOWL-tah-shen
- Serves
- 4
- Prep
- 50 min
- Cook
- 25 min
- Total
- 1 hr 15 min
- Level
- Medium
Also nut-free.
Allergens: contains gluten, milk, egg. Check labels on packaged ingredients.
Ingredients
Amounts are scaled. Cooking times and pan sizes stay the same.
Dough
Filling
To serve
Method
Make the dough. mix the flour and salt in a large bowl, make a well in the centre and add the eggs, oil and 6 tbsp water. Knead on a floured surface for 8–10 minutes until smooth and elastic, adding a splash more water if it stays crumbly, then wrap and rest at room temperature for 30 minutes.
Crumble the bread rolls into the warm milk and leave to soak for 10 minutes, then squeeze them dry with your hands and tear into small pieces.
Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat and cook the onions for 5–6 minutes until soft and translucent. Add the bacon, if using, and fry for 3 minutes more until lightly browned, then tip onto a plate to cool.
If using fresh spinach, blanch it in boiling water for 1 minute, drain, squeeze out thoroughly and chop finely. Thawed frozen spinach should also be squeezed hard and chopped.
In a large bowl combine the ground meat, spinach, squeezed bread, onion mixture, eggs, parsley, nutmeg, salt and pepper. Knead with your hands for 2–3 minutes until evenly mixed and slightly sticky, then fry a teaspoon of the mixture in a pan and taste for seasoning.
Divide the dough into four pieces and roll each one on a floured surface into a sheet about 1/16 inch (2 mm) thin — you should almost see through it. Cut the sheets into strips about 4 inches (10 cm) wide.
Place heaped tablespoons of filling about 3 inches (8 cm) apart along each strip, brush the dough around and between the mounds with water, fold the long edge over and press firmly around each mound to push out the air. Cut into roughly 3 x 4 inch (8 x 10 cm) parcels with a knife or pastry wheel and press the edges shut with a fork.
Bring the beef broth to a gentle simmer — never a rolling boil — and slide in the Maultaschen in batches. Cook for 10–12 minutes until they float to the surface, look puffed and feel firm when pressed; lift out with a slotted spoon and keep warm.
Serve two or three Maultaschen per person in hot broth scattered with chives, or let them cool and fry them as described in the variant.
Regional variant: Geröstete Maultaschen (fried Maultaschen with eggs)
Cook the Maultaschen as above, then let them cool completely and cut into 1/2 inch (1 cm) strips. Melt 2 tbsp (30 g) butter in a wide skillet, fry a sliced onion until golden, add the strips and fry over medium-high heat for 6–8 minutes until crisp at the edges. Pour in 4 beaten eggs, scramble gently until just set, and finish with chopped chives and a grind of pepper.
Cook's notes
- Keep the broth at a bare simmer; a hard boil makes the parcels burst and the filling leak out.
- Squeeze the spinach and soaked bread as dry as you can — a wet filling makes the dough tear and turn soggy.
- Always fry a small test patty of the filling first, since the seasoning cannot be corrected once the parcels are sealed.
Serve with
In beef broth with chives, or with a green salad and a glass of Swabian Trollinger; fried Maultaschen are often served with apple sauce on the side.
Make ahead and storage
Raw Maultaschen freeze well for up to 2 months on a floured tray, then cook from frozen with 2–3 extra minutes; cooked ones keep 2 days in the fridge and reheat gently in broth.
