Ingredients
Ingredients (Serves 6-8)
3–4 kg whole suckling pig, split in half (ask your butcher for help)
30 g fine sea salt, for the skin
50 ml neutral oil
Marinade:
50 ml extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp sea salt
8–10 sprigs fresh rosemary, finely chopped
1 tbsp dried oregano
1 tbsp fennel seeds
8–10 cloves garlic, minced
4–5 preserved Beldi lemons, rind only, finely chopped
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
50 ml dry white wine
Fresh Fennel Salad:
1 fennel, thinly shaved
1 carrot, thinly shaved
2 celery stalks, thinly shaved
1 kale leaf, chopped
1 yellow capsicum, julienned
20 ml lemon juice (½ lemon)
60 ml extra virgin olive oil
Microherbs (optional)
Salt and black pepper, to taste
Cooking Method
Blend the marinade ingredients until emulsified. Rinse the pig half under cold water and pat dry. Place skin side down on a large baking tray and rub the marinade inside, avoiding the skin. Flip and wipe off any marinade on the skin, then brush with olive oil and sprinkle with fine sea salt.
Preheat the oven to 150°C and prop the pig belly so the skin is level. Roast on the middle rack for 90 mins, then reduce to 120°C and cook for another hour. Remove from the oven, tent loosely with foil, and preheat to 220°C. Brush off the salt with a damp cloth, clean the tray, return the pig, and roast for 30 mins until golden and crispy.
Toss fennel, carrot, celery, kale, and capsicum with olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper for the salad. To serve, place the pig on a chopping board, cut into large pieces with a cleaver, and arrange on a platter with rosemary sprigs and the fennel salad.
