Mediterranean summer roulades with pan-fried vegetables and potato wedges

Ingredients for 6 servings:

• 6 beef roulade(s)
• 3 spring onions
• 1 bell pepper(s), red
• 6 tbsp, heaped olives, half green, half black
• 2 garlic cloves
• 400 g feta cheese
• 12 tbsp, heaped Ajvar
• Salt and pepper, black
• Clarified butter
• 1 bunch of soup vegetables
• 400 ml red wine
• n. B. water
• 2 tbsp flour or cornstarch
• salt and pepper
• Spice mix (red Turkish meat spice mix)
• 1 ½ kg potatoes
• 2 zucchinis
• 2 bell peppers, red or yellow
• 2 rosemary sprigs
• Herbs of Provence
• salt and pepper
• Oil, e.g. olive oil

Instructions

Working time approx. 1 hour; Cooking/baking time approx. 1 hour 30 minutes; Total time approx. 2 hours 30 minutes

Beef roulades filled with feta and olives

Prepare the filling. Slice the spring onions into thin rings. Depending on the size, wash, deseed, and thinly slice 1-2 red bell peppers. Roughly chop the olives. Finely chop the garlic. Crumble the feta with your fingers. Set everything aside. Depending on the size of the roulades, you may need to make a little more filling or have some leftovers. This amount is suitable for medium-sized roulades. Lay out the roulades and spread each with 2 tablespoons of ajvar. Spread all ingredients evenly among the roulades. Arrange the bell pepper strips crosswise on the roulades at equal intervals of about 2-3 cm. Finally, season with salt and pepper, preferably with freshly ground black pepper. Roll up the roulades starting at the narrower end, folding in the sides slightly if necessary. Once the roulades are rolled up, either tie them with string or secure them with toothpicks. Metal skewers also work; I use them – they’re easy to remove after cooking, but they’re not necessary. Prepare the vegetables for the sauce. Peel and roughly dice the carrots and celery. Wash the leek and cut into large rings. Heat a roasting pan or large pot over medium heat and sear the roulades all over in about 2 tablespoons of clarified butter. The amount of fat depends on the pot and may need to be adjusted. Make sure not to turn the roulades until the meat flakes off easily, so no fibers are torn. When the roulades are nicely seared all over, remove them, cover, and set them aside. Reduce the heat slightly and sear the vegetables in the cooking liquid for a few minutes. Add the roulades back in. Deglaze with the wine and simmer over medium heat for about 5 minutes. Then add enough hot water to just cover the roulades. Simmer over low heat for at least 60 minutes, or 90 minutes if you have the time. Towards the end of the cooking time, remove the roulades and set them aside, covered. Purée the vegetables in the sauce very finely with a hand blender. Take a small bowl of sauce and mix with 1-2 tablespoons of cornstarch or flour. It is important to avoid lumps, so blow through the sauce or cool it slightly with a splash of cold water before adding the starch or flour. Then add it to the remaining sauce on the stovetop and bring to a boil while stirring; this will thicken the sauce. Season to taste. If you don’t have Turkish spice mix, you can add paprika (both sweet and hot) and ground coriander. Return the roulades to the sauce and let it simmer for a few more minutes at reduced heat. The roulades and sauce are now ready to serve. While the roulades are simmering, you can prepare the side dishes: Wash and dry the potatoes, and cut them into large wedges. Spread them evenly on two baking sheets, drizzle with about 2-3 tablespoons of oil per sheet, season with salt, and sprinkle with freshly picked rosemary sprigs. Mix the potato wedges with the ingredients; this is best done by hand. Bake in the oven at 200-220 degrees Celsius (convection oven) (depending on how crispy you like them) for about 25 minutes. About halfway through the baking time, turn the wedges over with a spatula to crisp up both sides. For the stir-fried vegetables, wash the zucchini and bell peppers, deseed the bell peppers, and slice or roughly strip both. Fry in a little oil over medium to high heat, turning occasionally. Then reduce the heat and cover until the vegetables are cooked to a finish. Just before everything is ready to serve, heat it up a bit more, add salt, pepper, and season with Provençal herbs—everything to your liking, but in my experience, don’t be too sparing, as the zucchini will absorb quite a bit. Ideally, everything will be ready at the same time and can be served together. The roulades can easily wait a bit for the side dishes if the timing wasn’t quite right. They’re also great for preparing and cooking the day before.