Trim all the fat off the lamb with a sharp knife and season with freshly ground black pepper. Roll up each piece of meat firmly, with the thick side inside, and tie the rolls at intervals with fine string. Leave to come to room temperature.

Heat 25 g (l oz) butter and 30 ml (2 tbls) olive oil in a heavy frying-pan and fry the rolls until well browned on all sides, about 4 - 6 minutes. Remove the rolls from the pan and cut between the strings into 8 medallions, approximately 25 mm (1 in) thick. Season the medallions with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Heat the remaining butter and olive oil in the same pan and fry the lamb medallions until lightly browned on both sides and cooked to your liking, 2—3 minutes on each side. Transfer to a heated serving dish, remove the strings and keep hot.

Pour off half the fat from the pan, add the slivered almonds and fry over a medium-high heat until golden brown, taking care not to burn them. Add the Madeira and stir rapidly over a medium heat, scraping with a wooden spoon, until sizzling.

Pour the almonds and sauce over the medallions, sprinkle with chopped parsley and serve, garnished with fresh herbs.