What a delightful perfection. It is indeed, not very humble of me, but I am really glad how easy and perfect this Meat Roll “Stephanie” has turned out to be. My mother used to make it for us at home when we were kids, and I must admit I have not tasted it ever since. Now, in a moment of inspiration, I have decided to prepare it as our lunch meal served with lettuce salad and what a delicious joy it has been.

My husband has enjoyed it even more. As a passionate cook himself, there are these moments in our family when he will recognize some of my culinary performances and will take my hand in his, kiss it gently saying “thank you for everything” and then he will shake it by saying “this meal has been a real triumph”. Beautiful moments, intensely homey and intimate. A celebration of every day life and something delicious. Who says that the love of the man does not go through the stomach?

Ingredients

• 1 kg minced meat
• onion, thinly sliced
• 5 eggs, 1 egg white and 1 egg yolk
• 2 carrots, peeled
• 2 slices of bread
• 250ml milk
• 4-6 small pickled cucumbers
• 4 tbsp freshly chopped parsley
• 4 tbsp freshly chopped chives
• Salt
• Black Pepper

Method

1. Pour the milk in a bowl and dip inside one by one the bread slices soaking them well. Squeeze all liquid from the bread and tear them into small pieces.

2. In a large bowl, mix together the bread crumbs, the minced meat, the chopped onion, the chopped parsley and chives one egg and one egg yoke, seasoning with salt and black pepper. Mix well until all is combined.

3. Cut the carrots on sticks and boil them until softened.

4. Boil 4 eggs for 10 minuten making sure they are heard inside. Peel the shells. Cut the pickled cucumbers into sticks.

4. Spread a square size baking paper on a flat surface and dust on top of it some flour. Place the already made minced meat mixture on top of the floured surface and flatten it down to resemble a rectangle. Place the four boiled and peeled eggs in the middle forming a line. Surround them from both sides lining the carrot and pickled cucumber sticks forming two lines from each side of the eggs.

5. Lifting the baking paper from one side fold the minced meat together into a roll with the eggs remaining in the centre.

6. Lift and place in a lined with baking sheet cooking form. Brush the surface of the roll with the egg white.

7. Pre-heat the oven to 200C. Bake for one hour until the meat is nicely brown.

8. Serve while still warm, sliced into pieces.