For the main course — Roast Leg of Were-Pig (serves 8)
These themed recipes are for dishes cooked in England and Continental Europe during the late 1800s.
- 8 lbs (approx.3.5 kg) leg of pork,
- a little oil for stuffing (see recipe below)
Method: Take the leg of pork and score the skin across in narrow strips, about 1/4 inch (6 mm) apart. Cut a slit in the knuckle, loosen the skin, and fill it with a sage-and-onion stuffing, made according to the recipe below. Preheat the oven to 420 degrees Fahrenheit (220 degrees Celcius) and brush the joint over with a little salad-oil/vegetable oil (this makes the crackling crisper and a better color). Roast the pork for half an hour and then lower the heat to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (180 degrees Celcius) and continue roasting for one and a half hours before removing it. Baste it well, and serve with a little gravy made in the dripping-pan. Do not omit to send to table with it a tureen of well-made applesauce.
Were-Sage-And-Onion Stuffing for Roast Leg of Were-Pig
- 4 large onions
- 10 sage leaves
- 1/4 lb (113 g) of bread crumbs
- 1-1/2 oz (42 g) of butter
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 egg
Method: Peel the onions, put them into boiling water, let them simmer for 5 minutes or rather longer, and, just before they are taken out, put in the sage leaves for a minute or two to take off their rawness. Chop both these very fine, add the bread crumbs, seasoning, and butter, and work the whole together with the yolk of an egg, when the stuffing will be ready for use. It should be rather highly seasoned, and the sage leaves should be very finely chopped. Many cooks do not parboil the onions in the manner just stated, but merely use them raw. The stuffing then, however, is not nearly so mild, and, to many tastes, its strong flavor would be very objectionable.
This recipe is in the public domain and may be used freely.
