Me and Mr R hosted a Sunday lunch for 6 a couple of weeks ago and we made Eddie’s lamb, it was absolutely delicious. It’s on the cards for the Columbo Cookbook as Eddie Albert is the brilliant co-star in one of the earliest Columbo episodes: Dead Weight. Co-incidentally his love interest is played by Suzanne Pleshette, she of the Zucchini Omelet of the previous post.
I think Suzanne is such a beauty. I’d forgotten that she was in Hitchcock’s The Birds, playing the school teacher. I love her.
My fabulous local wine emporium Prohibition Wines recommended a lovely Rioja as a good pairing for the lamb. The fact that Eddie’s lamb is served with avocado on top did raise an eyebrow, as I listed the ingredients, but the avocado did work somehow. I’m hoping that my chums there will recommend a wine to go with each of the recipes in the Columbo Cookbook. I love going in there and picking their brains, they sure know their stuff…
The lovely lamb was from Midhurst Butchers on Fortis Green Road and they were very friendly, saying: “anything for you” when I asked if they could butterfly the lamb. It’s the second time I’ve made this dish, but mysteriously, I didn’t blog it the first time. It’s an easy Sunday lunch to do, as most of the work is done the day before. Making the marinade:
and it cooks in much less time than an un-butterflied leg. Here’s the recipe!
Eddie Albert’s Butterfly Lamb
Ask your butcher to butterfly a leg of lamb. Then make a marinade of:
Your favourite oil
Little bit of Cumin
Chopped small green onions, use both green and white parts
Basil
Lots of freshly chopped parsley
Drop of white tarragon vinegar
Light sprinkle of salt & cracked pepper
Rub leg of lamb lightly with garlic. Marinate lamb in this for several hours, turning it for taste. Barbecue lamb or broil it, like steak, in oven.
Serve with thin slices of onion and avocado on the side. (We like to put the slices of onion over the meat and the avocado over that. The sizzling meat melts the avocado slightly and it’s a delicious combination.)
It was indeed delicious!
For pudding we had a lovely buttermilk, and almond plum cake which I made to my friend Joan Ransley’s recipe.
I’ve made two of her cakes recently and both were lovely, so will be keeping an eye on what she comes up with next on her blog. Thanks Eddie, and thanks Joan! It was an utterly lovely Sunday lunch.
