Recipes

Suckling pig savoy cabbage, celeriac and stuffed pigs tails

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Ingredients

Cabbage mixture

  • •
    ¼ savoy cabbage, core removed, diced 1cm squared
  • •
    1 large carrot, peeled, diced 1cm squared
  • •
    40g pancetta, skin removed, diced 1cm squared
  • •
    100ml duck fat
  • •
    1 teaspoon grain mustard
  • •
    2 sprigs thyme
  • •
    1 clove garlic, cracked

Pigs head

  • •
    1 pigs head boned, cut in half
  • •
    1 small onion, diced
  • •
    1 small carrot, diced
  • •
    1 small celery, diced
  • •
    4 garlic cloves, cracked
  • •
    100ml Madeira
  • •
    50ml port
  • •
    1 litre veal stock
  • •
    1 bay leaf
  • •
    2 sprig thyme
  • •
    100ml vegetable oil

Tail and shank

  • •
    2 pigs tails, whole
  • •
    100g shank meat, dice 1cm square
  • •
    ½ medium onion, diced
  • •
    ½ medium carrot, diced
  • •
    ½ celery stick, diced
  • •
    2 garlic cloves, cracked
  • •
    100ml Madeira
  • •
    1 litre veal stock
  • •
    1 bay leaf
  • •
    2 sprig thyme
  • •
    100ml vegetable oil
  • •
    ½ Granny Smith apple

Pig shank gnocchi

  • •
    350g potato, passed through drum sieve
  • •
    150g plain flour, sifted
  • •
    Sea salt
  • •
    Ground black pepper
  • •
    Braised shank meat

Rump

  • •
    1 litre water
  • •
    100g salt, rock
  • •
    50g castor sugar
  • •
    1 bay leaf
  • •
    2 black peppercorns
  • •
    1 x 300g rump

Method

  1. 1.
    Cabbage mixture: Take heavy based pan. Add duck fat, garlic and thyme and heat. Add pancetta and cook until lightly golden. Add carrot and celeriac and cook until soft and then stir cabbage. Season. Dig out garlic and thyme. Fold in mustard. Set aside.
  2. 2.
    Pigs head: Lay pigs head skin on side down and season well. Roll in muslin cloth and secure with butchers twine to create a cylinder. Caramelize root veg in a heavy based pan with the vegetable oil, add the alcohol and reduce to a glaze. Add the stock and herbs. Bring to boil, add the head, cover with parchment and place in an oven @ 140 degrees Celsius for 3 ½ hours. When soft and giving, remove from oven. Allow to cool in liquor. Unwrap and roll in cling wrap to form a large cylinder. Place in the fridge to set.
  3. 3.
    Tail and shank: Heavy based pan and heat. Add oil, followed by tails and shank meat. Cook until golden all over. Remove and set aside. Using same pan and root veg and cook until golden brown. Add madeira and reduce to a glaze. Return meat, add stock and herbs. Bring to the boil. Cover with parchment and braise @ 140 degrees celcius for 2 hours. Remove from oven. Leave shanks to cook in liquor. Remove tails. Carefully debone. Dice and sauté ½ a granny smith apple. Stuff the tail with this and roll in clingwrap to reform the tail shape. Set in fridge for 3 – 4 hours. Cut in 4 then panee using Panko Breadcrumbs. Set aside. Drain off the shanks and shred. Pass stock and reduce to sauce consistency. Add a little jus to the shank meat. Set aside. Keep the rest aside to use to sauce the dish.
  4. 4.
    Pig shank gnocchi: Mix all ingredients together, except the meat, and knead to form a dough. Roll out to the thickness of a $2 coin. Cut into rounds, 8cm across. Fill with the braised shank and fold over to create a semi circle parcel. Blanch in salted simmering water for 2 minutes and refresh in iced water. Drain well and set aside.
  5. 5.
    Rump: Bring ingredients to the boil, except rump and simmer for 10 minutes. Chill completely. Emerse rump in for 12 hours. Drain well and tie with butchers twine. Set aside.
  6. 6.
    To finish dish: Braised pigs head – cut into four – pan-fried, gnocchi x 4 – pan-fried, tails – deep fried, rump – roasted, cabbage mixture, Jus, Granny Smith Apple Solphorino, Celeriac Puree, Mustard Cress and Crackling.