A large cast-iron pan full of Überetscher muas brings conviviality into the kitchen. In the fifth of my food portraits, I tell you the recipe for a classic muas – wonderful “gut feeling” included!

It’s pan-tastic!
Food portrait: Überetscher muas

Let’s take a look at South Tyrol’s south: the summer is long in the Überetsch region while, what with the apples and grapes that need to be harvested, the autumn is very labour-intensive. As the days get shorter, however, it’s time to slow down, get together and look back on the day in a convivial atmosphere around the dining table.
Traditional South Tyrolean farmhouse cooking features a dish – muas – that embodies this very conviviality. But you’ve probably never heard of it: and you’ll be lucky indeed to find muas on any menu, because this dish has all but disappeared in the catering sector. All the more reason, then, to share the recipe here and perhaps also to bring an authentic touch of South Tyrol into your kitchen!

But what exactly is muas? It’s hard to give a suitable description here, as it’s practically more of a feeling than a dish. So there’s no alternative to trying it out!

The basic recipe is very easy: the most important item, however, is a cast-iron pan – because a muas is not a muas without it!

Ingredients for four servings:
1 litre of milk
approx. 12 tbsp flour
100 g butter
1 pinch of salt

Preparation:
Melt some butter in a cast-iron pan (or alternatively a non-coated frying pan). Heat the milk and a pinch of salt then slowly add the flour, stirring constantly. When the mixture becomes firmer and starts to bubble, allow it to set over a moderate heat for about 10 minutes without further stirring. A brown crust should form at the bottom of the pan. Remove the muas from the heat and leave it to cool slightly. Melt the remaining butter and pour it over the muas. That’s it!
The muas is eaten together, straight from the pan. Simple and convivial!

As is so often the case in South Tyrolean farmhouse cooking, the ingredients used can vary, in this case the flour. Instead of wheat flour, for example, a portion of buckwheat, corn or semolina flour can be used. The muas can either be served simply with butter, or with compote or jam.

Our private hosts from Südtiroler s south are sure to have a top tip or a recipe variation for you. Simply ask them!

Enjoy!

Yours from the heart, Sabine