Bandit's Lamb

They say the way to a man's heart is through his stomach. With K2 I only have to mention the word 'lamb' and his eyes light up and crinkle around the edges.

When we started dating they used to do that when he first saw me - now it takes lamb. Oh well - just as well lamb is not too expensive!

So when it came time for his birthday I knew that a little lamb would do the trick and Lydney Milan's Bandit's Lamb from her new "Taste of Greece" was my first choice.

I took this snap of Lydney with two fans at the Spring book launch dinner.

My path has crossed Lyndey's several times and she is wonderful to chat to and very generous with her time.  She grew up in Queensland and has the lovely open, generous and welcoming nature that we all value so much here.

I first tried Bandit's Lamb at a dinner at Spring to launch Lyndey's book.  It was fabulous, melt-in-your-mouth stuff and I was keen to try it at home.

Instead of shoulder, I went for a lamb leg and with no rigani on hand I used dried oregano and marjoram from my garden.

It's pretty simple to make - you rub the lamb with a mixture or sea salt flakes and herb (I used dried oregano), layer on some slices of garlic, cover these with slices of lemon, tuck in some bay leaves, and tie the whole lot up with about five sheets of baking paper held in place with kitchen string.

The paper helps keep the lamb deliciously moist and as a bonus, also makes the dish really easy to clean.

I used my new oval roaster bought from Taste for the Love of Cooking for just $30.  It even has a lid - What a bargain!

Here's how it looked when it came out.  Although the leg was great, I'll definitely try shoulder next time as the meat was so tender when we ate it at Spring. Make sure you buy the book as Lydney has included lots of tips to make the recipe fool proof.

Here's how it looked at Spring

To accompany the lamb I made another of Lydney's recipes  Braised green beans and potato. Again, another simple recipe with a big flavour kick.  Very rewarding to make and serve.

The book is a spin off from Lyndey's television series with her late son Blair, which is has just finished showing on SBS.  Watch it online here