Španělský Ptáček

Ingredients

• 4 slices beef topside, 150 g each, beaten to 5 mm thick
• 4 tbsp coarse Czech or Dijon mustard
• 4 rashers streaky bacon
• 2 hard-boiled eggs, quartered lengthways
• 2 frankfurters, halved lengthways
• 4 large pickled gherkins, quartered lengthways
• 2 onions, one sliced into rings and one finely chopped
• 2 tbsp lard or sunflower oil
• 600 ml beef stock
• 1 tbsp plain flour
• 100 ml double cream
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• kitchen string

Before you cook

• Beat the beef slices between two sheets of clingfilm until they are 5 mm thick and roughly 20 cm across.
• Boil two eggs for 9 minutes, cool them under the tap, peel them and quarter them lengthways.
• Quarter the gherkins lengthways and halve the frankfurters lengthways.
• Slice one onion into rings and chop the other finely.
• Cut four lengths of kitchen string about 40 cm each.

Steps

1. Lay the beaten beef slices flat on a board and season them with salt and pepper.
2. Spread each slice with a tablespoon of mustard, right to the edges.
3. Lay a rasher of bacon along the near edge of each slice.
4. Arrange two egg quarters, one frankfurter half, four gherkin batons and a few onion rings on top of the bacon.
5. Roll each slice up tightly from the near edge and tie it in two places with string.
6. Heat the lard in a heavy casserole over high heat until it shimmers.
7. Brown the rolls on every side for about 8 minutes in total, then lift them onto a plate.
8. Drop the chopped onion into the same pot and cook it for 8 minutes over medium heat, scraping up the browned bits.
9. Return the rolls to the pot and pour in the beef stock until they are about two thirds covered.
10. Cover the pot and simmer very gently for 1 hour and 45 minutes, turning the rolls once halfway.
11. Lift the rolls out onto a warm plate and cover them with foil.
12. Whisk the flour into the cream in a small bowl until smooth.
13. Pour the cream mixture into the simmering braising liquid, whisking hard.
14. Simmer the sauce for 6 minutes, until it thickens enough to coat a spoon.
15. Snip the strings off the rolls and slice each one in half on a slant.
16. Spoon the gravy over the rolls and serve with bread dumplings or plain rice.