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12/18/2011 National Roast Suckling Pig Day Sweet Potato Gnocchi with Roast Suckling Pig

Source of Recipe

Star Chef


Recipe Introduction

Today is National Roast Suckling Pig Day! During the hectic holiday season, it is difficult to imagine that anyone would actually have the time to roast a pig. It typically takes two days to fully prepare the pig and then to roast it. Nevertheless, roast suckling pigs are an iconic holiday dish, often depicted as the centerpiece of a massive feast. A suckling pig is a young piglet that has not yet been weaned from its mother. Young piglets are considered a delicacy because their meat is very tender compared to older pigs. A suckling pig can range anywhere from 9 to 20 pounds, depending on how many people you intend to feed. There are various recipes for suckling pig that can be traced back to Ancient Rome and China. Today, pig roasts are a popular tradition in cultures all around the world. To celebrate National Roast Suckling Pig Day, start gathering the necessary ingredients for the roasted pig centerpiece of your holiday feast!

List of Ingredients

HOME COOKIN’ 12/18/2011 National Roast Suckling Pig Day Sweet Potato Gnocchi with Roast Suckling Pig




Sweet Potato Gnocchi with Roast Suckling Pig


1 suckling pig
½ cup olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 to 4 sweet potatoes (should be about 2 pounds after cooking)
2 eggs
1 cup grated parmesan cheese
4½ to 5 cups all-purpose flour
Vegetable oil
1 teaspoon minced garlic
3 tablespoons minced shallot
2 cups brown chicken stock (or stock made from pig carcass)
1 cup peas
1 cup pearl onions, blanched and peeled
½ cup butter
¼ cup chopped parsley
¼ cup parmesan cheese


Recipe



Preheat the oven to 350°F. Coat the suckling pig with oil, salt, and pepper and roast for about 3 hours. Cool. Once cooled, peel the meat from the pig and cut into 1-inch cubes. Reserve warm. Meanwhile, blanch the sweet potatoes in salted water until tender. Mash with salt and pepper and let cool to just above room temperature. Mix in the eggs and cheese and fold in the flour. Roll out a long strip of dough and cut into ½-inch dumplings.

Blanch the dumplings in salted water until they float to the surface. Shock in an ice bath. Heat a sauté pan with enough vegetable oil to coat surface; bring the oil to almost smoking. Add the gnocchi and brown each side. Add the garlic and shallots and sweat for 10 seconds. Add the stock, peas, and pearl onions and let simmer until tender. Add the butter and parsley and season. Top with the shaved parmesan and serve with the warm cubes of suckling pig.