Rack of suckling pig with purple potatoes, dried apricots and garlic sauce

  • medium
  • 4
  • 1 hour 30 minutes
Not yet rated

Suckling pig is renowned for its succulent and tender meat. Here, Luigi Sartini chooses a rack of suckling pig for this crowd-pleasing recipe and serves it with mashed purple potatoes and a creamy garlic sauce. The chef seals in the flavour of the pork by first pan-frying the meat and then roasting it quickly in a hot oven. Ask your butcher to trim the meat for you, and to help remove the skin if needed.

First published in 2016

Ingredients

Metric

Imperial

Suckling pig

  • 2 racks of suckling pig, French-trimmed

Garlic sauce

  • 3 garlic cloves, peeled
  • 1l milk

Purple potatoes

To serve

Method

1
Start with the garlic sauce. Place the garlic and milk in a pan over a medium heat. Cook until the milk has reduced to three-quarters the original volume – about 30 minutes – or until the mixture thickens slightly and becomes creamy
  • 3 garlic cloves, peeled
  • 1l milk
2
Preheat the oven to 190°C/gas mark 5
3
Prepare the suckling pig racks by cutting away the skin and any excess fat from the joint, leaving a thin layer of fat coating the meat
  • 2 racks of suckling pig, French-trimmed
4
Heat a large frying pan over a high heat and brown each rack all over, turning to make sure the sides are evenly coloured
5
Transfer the browned meat to a rack over a roasting tray and place in the oven. Roast for 8 minutes, or a few minutes longer for well done. Once cooked, remove from the oven and allow to rest for 10 minutes
6
Meanwhile, bring a pan of salted water to the boil and cook the purple potatoes whole for 15–20 minutes until soft when pierced with a knife
7
Drain and allow the potatoes to cool a little then peel away the skins whilst still warm. Roughly mash the potatoes to achieve a chunky mash – it should still have some texture. Season well and mix in a drizzle of olive oil
  • salt
  • white pepper
  • extra virgin olive oil
8
Cut the rested racks of suckling pig into portions (2 ribs each). Pass the garlic-infused sauce through a fine sieve and discard the garlic cloves
9
To serve, divide the sauce between the serving plates, add quenelles of the mashed purple potato and top with the ribs. Garnish with a sprinkling of sliced apricots
First published in 2016

As San Marino's most prominent chef, Luigi Sartini is bringing the tiny republic's local cuisine to the attention of Europe's culinary elite.

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