Tirtlan PAT — South Tyrol, Italy

Tirtlan is a filled pastry turnover from the Ladin-speaking valleys of South Tyrol: a thin disc of dough folded around a savoury filling and deep-fried until the crust turns golden and blistered. It is reported from the Val Badia and Val Gardena in the Dolomites, where it belongs to the culinary heritage of the Ladin communities and carries recognition in Italy as a regional food product. It is served at village festivals, mountain huts and family tables, usually as a hearty snack or a light meal rather than a dessert, though sweet versions with jam also exist. To prepare it, a simple dough of wheat flour, a little rye flour, water, egg and a spoon of oil or lard is kneaded and rolled thin, then cut into rounds. Each round is filled with a spoonful of filling — commonly sauerkraut cooked with diced speck, though spinach with ricotta or mashed potato with cheese are also used — folded in half and pressed shut at the edge. The turnovers are deep-fried in hot oil until the crust blisters and turns golden, then drained and served hot. What changes between households is mainly the filling chosen, the size of the turnover, and how much rye flour, if any, goes into the dough. This version fills the turnovers with sauerkraut and speck and mixes a portion of rye flour into the dough for a slightly denser crust.