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Sous Vide Suckling Pig Recipe
by Colin McGurran
6
2 hours
Ingredients

Suckling pig loin

  • 250g of suckling pig loin

Suckling pig belly

  • 250g of suckling pig belly, boned
  • 1 sprig of thyme, chopped
  • 1 sprig of rosemary, chopped
  • salt

Suckling pig sauce

  • 1kg suckling pig bones
  • 1l chicken stock
  • 100g of onion
  • 100g of carrots
  • 100g of celery
  • 100g of leek
  • 1 garlic
  • 2 sprigs of thyme
  • 30g of tomato purée
  • 100ml of red wine
  • 50g of butter, cubed

Chou farci

  • 250g of suckling pig leg, deboned
  • 25g of smoked bacon
  • 6 savoy cabbage leaves

Pickled onions

  • 125ml of white wine vinegar
  • 125g of sugar
  • 125g of silverskin onions
  • 2 black peppercorns
  • 1 star anise
  • 2 cloves
  • 1 bay leaf

Hummus

  • 400g of chickpeas
  • 3 garlic cloves
  • 75ml of olive oil
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • 3 tsp lemon juice
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • 125g of tahini
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • salt

Charred leeks

  • 2 leeks

Chickpea fricassee

  • 100g of chickpeas
  • 1 shallot, finely diced
  • 1 garlic clove, finely diced
  • 1 tsp chopped chives
  • 20ml of lemon juice
  • 10g of butter
  • salt

To serve

  • 10g of puffed pork rind
  • 1 pinch of celery cress
Method
1
Preheat a water bath to 85°C
2
Season the belly with the chopped herbs and salt, then place in a large vacuum bag. Seal with a bar sealer and cook in the water bath for 7 hours
  • 250g of suckling pig belly, boned
  • salt
  • 1 sprig of thyme, chopped
  • 1 sprig of rosemary, chopped
3
After this time, remove the belly from the bag and drain. Place the belly between 2 trays lined with baking paper, sit a weight on top and press in the fridge until cold
4
Preheat the oven to 180°C/gas mark 4
5
To make the sauce, roast the suckling pig bones in the oven for 1 hour, or until caramelised
  • 1kg suckling pig bones
6
Place a large saucepan over a high heat and add a splash of oil. Fry the vegetables until well-coloured, then add the thyme and tomato purée
  • 100g of onion
  • 100g of carrots
  • 100g of celery
  • 100g of leek
  • 1 garlic
  • 1 sprig of thyme
  • 30g of tomato purée
7
Add the roasted pork bones and cover with chicken stock. Bring to a simmer and cook for 3 hours, topping up with more stock if necessary during cooking
  • 1l chicken stock
8
Pass the sauce through 3 layers of muslin cloth into a clean pan and add the wine. Bring to the boil and reduce by 2/3 to reach a sauce consistency
  • 100ml of red wine
9
For the farci, mince the leg meat with the smoked bacon and combine with enough pork sauce to bind. Season with salt and place in the fridge to set for at least 1 hour. Once set, roll into 40g balls and return to the fridge
  • 250g of suckling pig leg, boned
  • 25g of smoked bacon
10
Blanch the cabbage leaves in boiling salted water for 2 minutes then refresh in iced water. Drain and dry thoroughly on kitchen paper
  • 6 savoy cabbage leaves
11
Lay a strip of cling film on the work surface and a cabbage leaf on top. Place a ball of farci in the centre of the leaf and wrap the cabbage and cling film around. Repeat with the remaining leaves and balls of farci and transfer to the fridge to set for at least 30 minutes before cooking
12
Preheat a water bath to 55°C
13
Trim the suckling pig loin of any sinew and cut into 40g portions. Place in individual vacuum bags with salt and a dash of oil and seal with a bar sealer. Cook the loin in the water bath for 30 minutes
  • 250g of suckling pig loin
14
For the pickled onions, place the water, vinegar, sugar and spices in a pan and bring to the boil. Boil until the sugar dissolves, remove from the heat and pour over the onions. Leave to cool
  • 125ml of white wine vinegar
  • 125g of sugar
  • 125g of silverskin onions
  • 2 black peppercorns
  • 1 star anise
  • 2 cloves
  • 1 bay leaf
15
Once cool, peel the onions and place back into the pickle until needed
16
Preheat the oven to 120°C/gas mark 1/4
17
Cook the chou farci in the oven for 10 minutes, then roll in the suckling pig sauce and keep warm
18
To make the hummus, place everything in a blender with 175ml of hot water and blitz until smooth
  • 400g of chickpeas
  • 3 garlic cloves
  • 75ml of olive oil
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • 3 tsp lemon juice
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • 125g of tahini
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • salt
19
Blanch the leeks whole in boiling salted water for around 5 minutes until just cooked, then refresh in iced water. Drain thoroughly with kitchen paper
  • 2 leeks
20
Cut each leek in half, and then into 3. Char in a frying pan without oil until caramelised and keep warm
21
For the fricassee, soften the shallot and garlic in butter without colour in a small saucepan. Add the chickpeas and 2 tbsp of the pickled onions and cook for a further 2 minutes. Finish with lemon juice, salt and chives
  • 100g of chickpeas
  • 1 shallot, finely diced
  • 1 garlic clove, finely diced
  • 1 tsp chopped chives
  • 20ml of lemon juice
  • 10g of butter
  • salt
22
To finish the pork loin, remove from the bag and dry on kitchen paper. Fry in a hot frying pan with a little oil until caramelised then leave to rest for a few minutes. In the meantime, sear the belly portions on the cut side
23
Reheat the sauce and whisk in the butter just before serving
  • 50g of butter, cubed
24
To serve, swipe a big spoonful of hummus on the plate and spoon the fricassee on top. Place the belly, loin and chou farci in a line on the centre of the plate and add the leeks. Spoon over the warm sauce and garnish with the crispy pig skin and cress
  • 10g of puffed pork rind
  • 1 pinch of celery cress