"Spanish birds" – Czech stuffed beef rolls (Španělský ptáček)

1. Hard-boil the eggs for 10 minutes, peel and quarter them; halve the frankfurters lengthways and quarter the gherkins lengthways. Cut the beef into 4 large, thin slices, pound them under cling film with a meat mallet to about 5 mm and season lightly with salt and pepper.

2. Spread each slice thinly with mustard and lay 2 rashers of bacon, half a frankfurter, a quarter egg and a quarter gherkin on top. Roll up tightly from the long side, tuck in the edges and secure with a cocktail stick or kitchen string.

3. Heat the oil in a heavy-based pan, brown the rolls nicely all over for 5-6 minutes, then take them out.

4. In the fat, fry the finely chopped onion for 5 minutes until golden, sprinkle over the flour and toast for 1 minute, then pour in the stock and stir until smooth. Return the rolls, cover and braise over low heat for 1-1.5 hours until the meat is tender; turn them now and then and add a little water if needed.

5. Remove the string from the rolls and adjust the seasoning of the sauce with salt and pepper; if it's too thick, thin it with a little water.

6. Serve with rice or bread dumplings and plenty of sauce.

Tip: The name is a joke: to Czech cooks, the browned rolls look like little roast birds, and in 19th-century fashion "Spanish" meant anything exotic or special – it has nothing to do with Spain.