Beef And Pesto Roulade With Savory Bread Pudding - cooking recipe

Ingredients

1/4 cup blanched almonds
1 bunch flat-leaf parsley, 3 sprigs finely chopped, some reserved for garnish
1 bunch basil
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
1 clove garlic, peeled
5-6 tbsp olive oil
4 pieces flank steak (about 8-10 oz each) pounded to 1/4 inch thick
8 oz celery, cut into 3-4 inch thin sticks
4 None wooden skewers
4-5 tbsp oil
3 None small onions, peeled and 2 cut into strips, 1 finely diced
1 2/3 cup carrots, peeled and sliced
1 tbsp tomato paste
3 cup vegetable stock
2 cup red wine
5 None day-old bread rolls, cut into small cubes
1 1/4 cup milk
3 None eggs
1-2 tsp all purpose flour

Preparation

To make the pesto, puree the almonds, herbs, parmesan cheese, garlic, and olive oil in a food processor. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Spread a think layer of pesto onto the pounded steak pieces, leaving a 1/2 inch margin along one of the short sides of each. Divide half of the celery sticks between the roulades. Roll them up tightly and fix each one with a skewer.
Heat 2 tbsp of oil in a Dutch oven and vigorously sear the roulades for 8 minutes, turning several times. Remove the roulades and saute the onion strips, carrots, and remaining celery in the hot fat. Stir in the tomato paste and sweat the vegetables for a few minutes. Pour in the stock and red wine and return the roulades to the pan. Cover, and simmer over a low heat for 1 3/4 hours.
To make the bread pudding, combine the bread cubes and the milk in a large bowl and soak for about 5 minutes. Heat 1 tbsp of oil and saute the diced onion for about 4 minutes. Mix the onions, eggs, and chopped parsley into the bread mixture and season with salt and pepper, knead well. With moistened hands, make 6-8 round, flattish biscuits. Heat 1-2 tbsp of oil in a large nonstick pan and cook the puddings for about 8 minutes, turning as necessary.
Take the roulades out of the sauce and keep warm. Mix the flour with 2 tbsp of water until smooth and add it to the sauce to thicken it. Simmer the sauce for another 8-10 minutes and season to taste.
Serve the roulades, sauce, and bread puddings on plates, garnished with chopped parsley.