One must try Chuck Hughes’ glazed and golden roasted suckling pig. It is juicy, delicious and truly a feast for all your senses.
| Level: | Easy |
| Total: | 3 hr 55 min |
| Prep: | 25 min |
| Inactive: | 15 min |
| Cook: | 3 hr 15 min |
| Yield: | 6 to 8 servings |
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons/30ml sea salt
- 1 tablespoon/15ml peppercorns
- 6 sprigs fresh rosemary, minced
- 4 cloves garlic, peeled
- 4 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves minced
- 1/4 cup/60ml olive oil
- One 8-pound/4.2 kg suckling pig, cut into pieces
- 4 shallots, halved
- 2 heads garlic, halved horizontally
- 1 pound/450g rapini, blanched
- 3 tablespoons/45ml butter
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Mushroom Stew, recipe follows, for serving
- 2 cups/500ml dried mushrooms
- Olive oil, for the pan
- 1 shallot, chopped
- 2 pounds/1kg button mushrooms, halved
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons/30ml ketchup
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 bunch fresh parsley, chopped
- Shaved Pecorino cheese, for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
- For the roasted pig: Mash together the salt, peppercorns, rosemary, garlic and thyme with a mortar and pestle or in a food processor. Slowly add the olive oil to make a paste.
- Score the skin of the pig and rub with the herb mixture, making sure to get inside the skin. Place the pieces of meat in a large roasting pan. Add the shallots, garlic heads and 2 cups (500ml) water to the pan. Cover with foil. Roast for about 2 1/2 hours. Remove the foil during the last 30 minutes of cooking and baste often with the pan drippings until the skin is crispy and golden brown.
- For the rapini: Saute the rapini in butter and season with salt and pepper. Keep warm.
- Serve the roasted pig with a ladle of Mushroom Stew and the rapini.
- Place the dried mushrooms in a bowl and cover with water. Let soak for about 15 minutes.
- Heat some oil in a cast-iron casserole over medium heat. Add the shallots and saute until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the button mushrooms and cook until browned, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, and then the ketchup, and continue cooking for a few minutes.
- Strain the rehydrated mushrooms and reserve the soaking liquid. Give the mushrooms a quick chop and add to the pan. Cook for 5 minutes. Add the reserved soaking liquid and season with salt and pepper. Cook until the sauce has thickened, about 20 minutes.
- To serve, sprinkle with parsley and garnish with pecorino.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 8 servings |
| Calories | 1826 |
| Total Fat | 154 g |
| Saturated Fat | 52 g |
| Carbohydrates | 53 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 11 g |
| Sugar | 8 g |
| Protein | 65 g |
| Cholesterol | 287 mg |
| Sodium | 1825 mg |