Classic Roast Whole Suckling Pig

It's not difficult to roast a whole suckling pig at home.
We decided to slow roast our little piggy
for just under 4 hours. It came out beautifully.
We were thrilled. The skin was crisp,
thin and easy to both cut and bite into.

Ingredients:
1 small suckling pig, gutted and cleaned,
with the kidneys left within
olive oil
sea salt and black pepper

Stuffing
4 red onions
a dollop of duck fat
375ml red wine
kidneys of the pig, chopped
1/2 loaf of day-old white bread, cubed
2 cloves of garlic, peeled and crushed
8 sage leaves, chopped

Directions:
A day before cooking, salt and pepper your piglet
liberally, both inside and out,
and place it uncovered on a wire rack,
over a tray, and into your fridge.
You want it to be cool and dry.
Cook the red onions in duck fat
over low heat until the onions are soft.
Pour in the red wine.
Let this simmer and reduce until the
mixture becomes a yummy, dark red confit.
If you find that the onions are becoming
a tad dry but aren’t soft enough,
you can add a little bit of water
to the pan and keep cooking.
Add the chopped-up kidneys to the mix.
Then add pieces of bread and stir well.
Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Take off the heat and add the garlic and sage.
Set aside until cool to the touch.
When ready, stuff your piglet.
Turn your piglet over onto its back
and fill the cavity with the stuffing.
Sew as much of your piglet shut as you can.
I used kitchen twine and a large needle and was
able to sew up about two-thirds of its front.
Lightly oil a roasting pan or oven tray
and place your piglet on it, belly down,
with its legs close to but on the side of the body.
Shove a small ball of aluminium
foil into the piglet’s mouth.
Also wrap the piggy’s ears in foil.
Rub a healthy amount of olive oil all over
the piglet’s back and sprinkle a
little more sea salt over it.
Pop it into your oven and roast
for between 3 hours 30 minutes to 4 hours.
We roasted ours for 3 hours 40 minutes
and then turned off the heat in our oven,
Your pig’s skin should be crisp
and the meat tender and moist.
Carve it at the table or inside your kitchen.