Heritage pig, smoked eel and raw peas

damian broom

damian broom

11th August 2017
damian broom

Heritage pig, smoked eel and raw peas

This recipe for heritage pig, smoked eel and raw peas is from the menu at Seaham Hall and serves four.

Ingredients

  • Pig:
  • 1 piece heritage pig cut from the top of the shoulder (ask the butcher for a presa)
  • Trim any excess fat and place in the fridge
  • Eel:
  • 1 whole smoked eel
  • Skin the eel, reserve
  • Fillet the eel cut into 4 small squares
  • Keep all the bones and skin
  • Peas:
  • 100g shell on peas
  • Pod the peas, keep the tiny sweet peas whole and reserve the larger ones for the sauce
  • Bacon breadcrumbs:
  • 50g sourdough – torn into tiny pieces
  • 50 g dry cured smoked bacon
  • Bruniose the bacon and dry fry in a pan until really crispy, drain off and reserve the fat
  • Fry the sourdough until crispy, season and drain
  • Herb sauce:
  • 20g Lovage
  • 40g parsley
  • 30 g large peas
  • 40g eel fat
  • 10g Dijon Mustad
  • 10g champagne vinegar

Method

In a blender place all the ingredients and blend on high speed until bright green. Pass and chill
Eel fat:
Chop the eel trimmings and skin into small pieces, render the eel pieces with the reserved pig fat until the fat melts and stats to caramelise, cook until the eel bones have fried golden brown. Leave for 1 hour then pass.
To finish:
Brush the pig lightly with some reserved eel fat, season. Grill over charcoal, turn very regularly so the pig cooks evenly, cook until its medium and leave to rest somewhere warm – reserve the pan and the fat. Dress the peas in a small amount of the herb sauce. Warm the eel in the reserved pan and fat.
Carve the pig into the desired shape. Spoon some herb sauce around the plate. Scatter the peas around the plate, followed by the bread/bacon mix. Split the eel into 2 pieces and rest either side of the pork. Pick a few calamint leaves and add to the dish.

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