Gaby's "Maultaschen" (German Ravioli, Swabian Pockets)

This recipe for "Maultaschen", a Swabian specialty, comes from Gaby, my first boyfriend's mom, just as the Easter Wreath and many more of my favourite recipes. I'd known for many years that she often makes Maultaschen, but I always thought she made the dough herself using a pasta machine. When I finally had my own pasta machine and a lot of free time as well, I called her up to ask for the recipe, and leaned to my astonishment that you can get that kind of pasta dough for Maultaschen readymade in the supermarkets of Baden-Württemberg! Here in Bavaria, a scant 200 km away, it's nowhere to be found! Of course, you could make the dough yourself, but the wide roll of dough is very handy compared to the narrow one that my pasta machine produces. The filling of Gaby's Maultaschen is rather special, too, as classically it contains sausage meat and spinach. This filling with minced beef and leek is less fatty and I like it better. Gaby's original recipe suggests 1 kg minced beef and only one piece of leek.

Ingedients for 20 pieces:

2 big stems of leek

800 g minced meat (beef or pork)

2 eggs

1 handful parsley, chopped

pepper, salt, garlic to taste
500 g pasta dough for Maultaschen

Energy: 168 kcal per piece

Preparation:
Leave the roll of dough at room temperate without opening the wrapping until just before you use the dough.

Wash the leek and cut it into narrow rings. Saute it until soft, let it cool a bit and then combine it with ground beef, eggs, parsley, and spices. Fill a big pot (mine had 10 litres) to three quarters with water and set to boil.


Open the dough wrapping, unroll the dough and cut it in half. Spread the ground beef mix evenly on the dough, leaving a 2 cm (1 inch) edge free of filling. Brush some water on the free edge and start rolling up the dough on the opposite side - use the paper to leverage the dough. 




Press the free, watered edge to the roll to make it stick. Flatten the roll and cut it into 20 pieces, about as wide as your hand.

Carefully place the Maultaschen in hot, just not boiling water for about 10 minutes. They're done once they float to the top. I had 10 Maultaschen at once in the big pot, but I wouldn't try more at one time, Maultaschen are made with pasta dough and all pasta needs its room! Serve the cooked Maultaschen in broth or proceed by frying them to make any of the traditional Maultaschen dishes.