Roast Glencarn suckling pig with herb and apple pan sauce Serves at least 6 ½ suckling pig, cut up as follows (your butcher can trim for you): •
Shoulder, boned and sinew removed, reserve bones for sauce
•
Belly, trimmed, ribs removed and reserved
•
Best end (rack), chine removed and reserved
•
Leg, boned and sinew removed, cut large bones and reserve
•
Skin of all pieces, scored
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper 2 onions, peeled and chopped 1 carrot, peeled and chopped
Preheat oven to 200°C/400°F/Gas Mark 6. Season the pork well with salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate.
Place the bones on a baking tray. Roast until golden, 30 to 45 minutes. Put the bones in a large stockpot, cover with cold water and place over medium–high heat.
Place roasting tin on a warm burner, deglaze with a little water or white wine. Add the drippings to the stockpot.
Bring the stock to a hard simmer, reduce heat to medium and add onions, carrot and celery. Simmer for 3 hours, strain, defat and reserve for the sauce.
An hour before roasting, remove the pork from the fridge to bring it to room temperature. Place in a roasting tin
and into the oven, preheated as for bones. Reduce heat to 150°C/300°F/Gas Mark 2. Roast until the internal
temperature reaches 71°C/160°F. Remove, cover loosely
1 stalk celery, peeled and chopped
with tinfoil and rest for 20 to 30 minutes.
For the sauce
heat. Melt the butter and sweat the shallots with the
30 g/1 oz/2 tbsp butter 5 shallots, finely chopped 5 sprigs thyme 0.5 litres/18 fl oz/2 cups apple juice 1 litre/1¾ pints/4 cups pork stock (from bones) 1 litre/1¾ pints/4 cups chicken stock 1 litre/1¾ pints/4 cups veal stock (beef can be substituted) 5 sprigs sage, finely chopped 5 sprigs tarragon, finely chopped
To make the sauce, place a large pan over a medium
thyme until soft. Add the apple juice and reduce to the consistency of syrup.
Add the pork stock and chicken stock, bring to a simmer and reduce by two-thirds.
Add the veal stock and reduce to the consistency of sauce. Stir in tarragon and sage. Correct the seasoning with salt and pepper.
Slice the pork, keeping each part separate. Serve on a
large preheated platter with cider-glazed potatoes (page 24) and chutney apples (page 25). Serve sauce in a large jug alongside.
H ugh Robson
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