Tirtlen
Crisp fried rye pastry pockets from South Tyrol's Val Pusteria, filled with spinach and quark, known in neighbouring Ladin valleys as turtres.
- Prep
- 40 min
- Cook
- 20 min
- Total
- 60 min
- Servings
- 4
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Calories
- 480 kcal
Equipment
- •Rolling pin
- •Deep frying pan or wide heavy pot
- •Slotted spoon
- •Mixing bowls
- •Pastry wheel or fork
Nutrition
Per serving, approximate
- Calories
- 480 kcal
- fat
- 22 g
- carbs
- 54 g
- fibre
- 6 g
- protein
- 16 g
- calories
- 480 kcal
Instructions
- 1
Combine both flours and half the salt in a large bowl.
- 2
Stir in the melted butter, beaten egg, and lukewarm milk to form a soft dough.
- 3
Knead on a lightly floured board until smooth, then rest covered for thirty minutes.
- 4
Melt twenty grams of butter in a pan and cook the chopped onion until soft and sweet.
- 5
Add the fresh spinach and cook until completely wilted and moisture has evaporated.
- 6
Finely chop the spinach, then mix thoroughly with the drained Topfen, nutmeg, and remaining salt.
- 7
Divide the rested dough into sixteen small balls and roll each into very thin discs.
- 8
Place two tablespoons of spinach filling onto eight discs and cover with remaining dough discs.
- 9
Press the edges firmly together with your fingertips or a fork to seal securely.
- 10
Heat the frying oil in a deep pan to 170°C until a breadcrumb sizzles vigorously.
- 11
Fry the pockets two at a time for two minutes per side until golden and blistered.
- 12
Lift out with a slotted spoon and drain briefly on kitchen paper before serving warm.
Chef's tips
Roll the rye dough as thinly as possible so the pastry blisters and turns crisp rather than dense. Ensure the cooked spinach is squeezed thoroughly dry before mixing with the Topfen to prevent soggy pockets.
Ingredient substitutions
- Topfen (quark) → well-drained whole milk ricotta, though the flavour is slightly less tart
- Spinach filling → cooked sauerkraut seasoned with caraway seeds for the classic autumn filling
Storage
Store leftover fried pockets in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two days.
Reheating
Reheat on a wire rack in an oven heated to 180°C for eight minutes until crisp.
Common mistakes to avoid
- •Rolling the dough too thickly, which makes the fried pockets chewy rather than blistered and crisp.
- •Leaving excess moisture in the filling, causing steam to build and burst the pastry seams during frying.
- •Frying at too low a temperature, which results in greasy, heavy pastry.
Serving suggestions
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