Maultaschen

Makes about 24 Maultaschen

Maultaschen are a Schwabian (South German) specialty. There are many ways to serve them (see below). We have long delayed making them due to the need for pastry that is “hautdün” – thin as skin. One cookbook says you must be able to see the grain of the wood on which you roll it out. Well, we got tired of this and “if you can’t win, change the rules”. We found Chinese Egg Roll Wrappers at the market and never looked back. Another workaround is to use cooked lasagna pasta or Won Ton wrappers.

1 pkg Chinese Egg Roll Wrappers

2 pounds loose breakfast sausage, or remove the filling from that quantity of bratwurst

1 10 oz pkg frozen chopped spinach, thawed and pressed dry

2 eggs

½ cup chopped fresh parsley

1 cup bread crumbs

Freshly ground pepper to taste

2 tsp marjoram

3 oz/100 g lean bacon, cubed (about 3 slices)

2 medium onions, finely chopped

Cornstarch for dusting

Thaw the spinach and drain excess water. Press until as dry as possible.
Place 3-4 tbsp of water a saucepan over low heat and steam the onions and bacon, covered, until the bacon fat is tried out, and the onions are soft. Do not allow them to brown or burn. Drain off fat, set aside and allow to cool.
Place the sausage In a large bowl. Add the eggs, bread crumbs, marjoram, pepper, parsley and spinach, mixing thoroughly. Add the onions and bacon and mix in. Keep the mixture as dry as possible. Add more bread crumbs if necessary.
Place an egg roll wrapper on the work surface and place one level cup of filling in the center. Spread the filling to the sides, and to within one-half inch of one end and to within one inch of the other end.
Roll up the wrapper and filling, starting at the short end. Allow the long end to seal the roll. Flatten the roll and cut into four pieces. Dust with cornstarch and set aside.
Store in the refrigerator, covered with film or foil to preserve the pastry and use immediately, or freeze. These are “rolled Maultaschen”.

Serving suggestions:

There are many methods. The most traditional is “In the Broth”. Bring a pot of chicken or beef broth to a boil and drop in the Maultaschen. They will fall to the bottom. When they rise to the top, they are done. Remove and serve, in some of the broth, with smothered onions and a few breadcrumbs. Or, top cooked Maultaschen with pizza sauce and grated mozzarella cheese.

You can also sauté the Maultaschen in a frying pan with butter and, when they are well cooked, add well-beaten eggs and make an omelet out of them: Maultaschen mit Ei.

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