It’s been many years since I prepared a roast leg of pork, less than 14kilos, but as it was a present and as the saying goes “don’t look a gift horse in the mouth” I decide, as we’re a multitude for the End of Year dinner, it would be an excellent solution.
Entrée
Cheese board and Patés from land and sea
I decided to serve a spread of duck, pig and scorpionfish patés, with sea urchin and black olives, which is quite spectacular. As far as the cheeses go, I recommend a mix of young cheeses and some that are more matured, together with some soft cheeses so that there is something for everyone. It goes without saying that you should try Spanish cheeses, which we have in abundance and are absolutely delicious.
Main Courses
Roast Leg of Pork
Pineapple and Ginger garnish
Warm Salad with Chickpeas, Yoghurt and Mint
Dessert
Christmas Pudding with Apple and Prunes
Tray of traditional “Turrones”
ROAST LEG OF PORK
Marinade
Ingredients: for 25-30 people
Leg of Pork of 14kg
2 Meat stock cubes
4 Garlic cloves
Pepper and Salt to taste
4 Tablespoons of Dijon Mustard.
5 Bay leaves
1 Teaspoon of Rosemary
½ Glass Wine Vinegar
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Cloves
Method:
Place the chopped laurel leaves in the mortar, add coarse grained salt and grind (the salt helps with the grinding of the laurel). Add the finely chopped garlic cloves, the peppercorns, a slosh of Sherry vinegar, the oil and three tablespoons of Dijon mustard and continue grinding until all the ingredients are well ground and mixed.
Put the joint in an oven dish, cutting the flesh on top, with both horizontal and vertical cuts, so that it appears as squares. Doing it like this means that the marinade enters better. Using a brush paint the joint all over with the mixture. I advise you to cover the dish with aluminium foil, so that the joint doesn’t stick to the oven. Stick cloves all over the joint especially in those areas where the scent of cloves will penetrate. Wrap the joint in aluminium foil and let it rest 24 hours so that the marinade seeps well into the joint. Wrap the joint in aluminium foil and let it rest for 24hours, so that the marinade has time to be well absorbed by the joint.
After 24 hours, remove the silver foil and heat the bottom of the oven to 200º C. Put the leg of pork into the oven and leave for half an hour. After half an hour, lower the heat to 180ºC and baste it with the stock which you have previously prepared. From this time you must be patient and remember that the cooking time is 1 hour in the oven per kilo of meat. You should baste the meat with the stock every hour to ensure that it doesn’t dry out and so that it stays moist inside. So that the meat browns on top, heat the top part of the oven for the last hour.
Cut the joint into thin slices and place them in a dish. Serve accompanied by the meat juices and with the following recipes for side dishes, which I’m about to give you, or contours as my sister calls them.
Pineapple, Apple and Ginger Dressing
1 Fresh Pineapple (Also canned pineapple)
4 Russet Apples
Ginger, preserved or fresh, according to taste.
1 Green Pepper
1 Red Pepper
½ Bottle of Cider
Salt and Pepper to taste.
Method:
Whilst the leg of pork is marinating we’re going to prepare the Pineapple, Apple and Ginger sauce. First chop the Pineapple, Apple and Ginger into medium sized cubes.
Put a deep pan on a medium heat and add a small amount of olive oil. Sauté the Pineapple, Apple and the Green and Red Peppers. Add salt and black pepper to taste. Add the ½ bottle of cider and if necessary water to cover and add the preserved or fresh ginger.
Leave on a medium heat until our Pineapple sauce reduces and the liquid becomes a syrup. Remove from the heat and leave on one side. If you wish you can blend it or you can leave just as it is. The Pineapple, Apple and Ginger sauce to accompany meat, is a sweet and sour sauce with a spicy note given by the Ginger, it’s an excellent partner for our pork.
Into the saucepan where we have the prepared sauce of Pineapple, Apple and Ginger, we add the meat juices from the roast (having previously sieved them) and the juice from the canned pineapple which we are going to use in the decoration. Put it on the heat and let it thicken over a low heat. Stir well and leave on one side.
Stock for Basting
½ Glass of white wine
½ Bottle cider
3 Lemons (juice)
4 Oranges
½ Litre of Meat stock
Method:
Mix everything together in a jug, so as to facilitate the basting of the joint approximately every hour.
RICE WITH COCONUT AND DRIED FRUIT
Ingredients:
1 kg of Rice or 4 cups
8 Cups of Coconut Milk
4 Cloves of Garlic
50 gr Shelled Walnuts
50 gr Toasted Almonds
50 gr Cashew Nuts
50 gr Seedless Raisins
Salt
Method:
Heat a small amount of olive oil in a frying pan and toast the raisins, almonds, cashews and the chopped walnuts together the finely sliced garlic. Add the rice and fry it a short time, being sure not to burn, then we add half of the coconut milk and half water. Leave on a medium heat for 20 minutes.
WARM CHICKPEA SALAD, YOGHURT AND MINT
Ingredients:
1 Cucumber
1 Crispy Lettuce
4 Natural Greek Yoghurts, unsweetened
4 Tablespoons of Mayonnaise
400 gr Cooked Chickpeas
3 Spring Onions
12 Tablespoons of Virgin Olive Oil
1 Green Pepper
200 gr Feta Cheese
2 Large Tomatoes
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
3 Tablespoons of Apple Vinegar
Fresh Mint
Salt
Method:
Wash the chickpeas in cold water after taking them from the glass jar. Chop well the spring onions, the cucumber, the peppers and the tomatoes. Add a dressing of apple vinegar and extra virgin olive oil, with salt to taste, then add the chickpeas. Cut the Feta cheese into cubes and add the chickpeas. When you are ready to serve, mix the yoghurt with the mayonnaise, salt to taste, then add the crispy lettuce to the chickpea mixture and mix together with the yoghurt sauce.
CHRISTMAS PUDDING WITH APPLES AND PRUNES
Ingredients:
4 Apples
4 Eggs
50 gr Seedless Raisins
50 gr Pitted Prunes
50 gr Peeled Walnuts
50 gr de Toasted Almonds
½ Litre of Milk
Sugar to taste
6 “Sobaos”
1 Brioche
1 Glass Almond Liqueur
Whipped cream to serve
Method:
In a round mould, one easy to dismount, we grease it with butter and leave on one side.. We crumble the “Sobaos” and the brioche then soak them in Almond liqueur until it forms a compact dough We put the peeled apples in the microwave for a few minutes to soften them, then add them to the dough together with the nuts, the raisins and the prunes and mix well. We beat the eggs together with the milk and add sugar to taste, we add this mix to the masa and mix well. We pour all into the mould and put it into the oven for an hour at 180º C. To be certain it’s set, prick it with a knife and if this comes out clean it ‘s ready.
Now it’s the time to create a beautiful table display, and don’t forget a nice tray of Turrón!!
¡Ready to serve!!
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¡Yum, yum!
