Lomb Shonk and Other Anatomical Details

Having just recovered from a week of pork, we move onto lamb, or "leetle lomby" as Hervé calls it. Butcher Graham's Dad provided the produce, which came attractively presented in a black bin liner. Fortunately the not-so-little lomby had already been beheaded and skinned, but apart from that it was the full Monty, complete with heart, lungs, liver and kidneys (which are left inside with the fat on to keep them moist). We debated whether it was a Baaaa-bara or a Maaaa-rtin then set about butchering it.

Photo above: Hervé poses for the cameras

Hervé and Graham chopped the thing in half and dissected one half, leaving the rest of us to hack away at the other half to retrieve whatever we needed for our dishes.

Photo below: Butcher Graham gets to work. Left to right: Sam,
Graham, Janice (she's older than me!!), Alex, Boston Kate, Hervé

On Monday we cooked the faster cooked items such as chops and fillet, leaving the slow-cooked leg and shoulder meat until Tuesday. I've always been more of a fan of lamb than pork, and sure enough our efforts were much more palatable. My Moroccan meatballs came in for special praise from Hervé (straight out of Allegra McEvery but no matter).

Now you may think me heartless for this, but it was for the best: Click is not exactly a morning person. She usually rises about 2 minutes before we are due to set off, sometimes only because I've knocked on her door. She always emerges crumpled from head to foot, as if she hasn't quite been properly inflated. The week before last she was late out every morning, until I threatened her that I would just leave without her, when things improved a bit for a few days. Last Friday I had to knock her up again, so on Tuesday when she hadn't appeared by 9.05 I left without her. We pick Livvie up at 9 anyway, so its not fair to keep her waiting. I kept my phone out expecting a call, but the text didn't appear until we got to the school about half an hour later: Hi Frank, I'm getting the bus. Please tell Lizzie I'll be a bit late.

Photo below: fillet of lamb with coriander and herb crust, on a bed of mushroom
and leek, with cracked roast potatoes and rhubarb chutney

To give her due credit when she eventually arrived she didn't make a fuss at all, and was fine about it. Hopefully that's the end of it. You heartless sod Frank, how could you - I know what you're all thinking...

Livvie, who we pick up on the way in, is about the same age as Click and fresh out of what must have been a very posh school. She has lived in Hong Kong most of her life, moving to Edinburgh for the last couple of years. Her parents are still out there, and I'm guessing are very rich indeed. She is petite, dark haired and dark eyed, very well spoken, poised and elegant, quiet, and drifts around the place with a constant half smile. I think her main motivation for coming to the school is to stay with her mates in Edinburgh, and she is definitely one of the "chalet maid" set, in other words her parents aren't sure what to do with her! You can see her on the far right of the top photo, looking slightly bored (how could that be?).

Pork pie update... pork pie update... pork pie update...

I was hoping to bring you exciting news of just how good my pork pie was. Unfortunately, due to a combination of the strict hygiene regulations, and my memory, it was not to happen. I forgot about the pie on Friday, and when I went to retrieve it on Monday it had disappeared, binned because it was over the 3 day deadline. A tragically early end for such a promising pie, which never had the chance to realise its full potential. I promise you, there will be more. It will not have died in vain.