WHAT'S COOKING FOR BEN'S BIRTHDAY

Cordero asado--lamb roasts over an almond and olive wood fire. Red peppers and eggplants for making escalivada cook right in the coals. 

To celebrate his 50th birthday, Ben invited his friends to a party.   

The lamb, weighing about 40 pounds, was a gift from a friend who raises sheep on his finca (farm) in the Montes de Málaga. Ben removed the liver and kidneys to cook separately and opened the lamb out to be trussed onto a metal frame.

The butterflied lamb is secured with wire on an asado cross, an upright iron rod with crossbars, and angled over hot coals. The plan was to get it started about 10 a.m. to serve by late afternoon. Rain delayed the start time by several hours!   

Ben adds more wood to the fire to keep it going over 5 to 6 hours. After turning the lamb skin-side to the coals, he brushed the meat with a salmuera (brine) with rosemary, thyme, lemon, and garlic.  Kibbitzers came and went, some declaring the lamb was done. Ben ignored them, slow-roasting the meat to the perfect degree of tender juiciness. It was nearly 10 p.m. before we served it. 

While the lamb was roasting, the party was in full swing on the terrace. Ben erected a tarp against intermittent showers. Plenty of chips, dips, sausages, beer, wine, and more.   

And music! DJ Nikita kept the sounds coming way into the night.

Friends brought racks of ribs, chicken, and sausages to cook on the gas barbecue. Josh kept a steady supply of foods coming all 

afternoon. 

I put out home-cured olives that had been picked from the tree we were dancing under. A big bowl of hummus with tahina and pita crisps for scooping it up. And my favorite eggplant dip, zeilouk, a spicy Moroccan salad. It's good with endive leaf dippers or regañás, crunchy crackers. 

To accompany the lamb I made tzatziki (Greek dip of cucumber, yogurt, garlic, olive oil, and chopped mint (Ben doesn't like dill); mojo verde (spicy herb sauce, the Canary Island version of chimichurri), and harissa, a lemony chile sauce. Guests brought two or three versions of spicy salsa. One with pineapple and chile was especially enticing. I had a salad of marinated broccoli, cauliflower, and beets with feta cheese. Another salad appeared on the table--sliced cucumbers and strawberries with sprigs of fresh basil. A pile of pita breads awaited for those who wanted to sandwich the lamb and salads in wraps. 

Biding their time (while a small pack of 10 to 12-year-olds awaited) were the birthday cakes--always the same carrot cake since Ben was a kid. No, he didn't want to have cake before the lamb was ready. The bowl of strawberries disappeared however.

Garlicky hummus with pita crisps and endive leaves for scooping.

Ben (right) celebrating with childhood friends from Mijas, Job and Ananda.

The lamb was superb. We devoured it. 

Happy 50th, Ben!