Preparing the pig’s head
• Start by removing all the hair with a blowtorch. Cut down the middle of the head, all the way to the snout, and then carefully cut away the flesh at each side of the head, keeping the meat attached to the skin. Tie with butcher’s string. If you don’t want to do this yourself, ask your butcher to bone and tie the head for you. Place the tied pig’s head, carrots, celery, onion, bay leaves and thyme into a very large stock pot. Cover with about 2 litres of water, bring to the boil and cook for 1 hour.
• Remove all the hairs from the ears with a blowtorch and wrap them in muslin. Add the ears to the pot with the pig’s head and cook for another 4 hours. Top up with boiling water as necessary to ensure the ears remain covered. At end of the cooking time, take the pot off the heat, remove the ears and set them aside, and leave the pig’s head to cool.
Rolling the pig’s head
• Remove the cheeks from the pig’s head and separate the fat and meat from the skin. Set the meat aside and discard the fat. Lay a piece of clingfilm on a chopping board and place the skin, outer side down, on the clingfilm.
• Shred the meat from the pig’s cheeks and mix with the herbes de Provence, cumin, fennel seeds, a pinch of salt and some freshly ground pepper.
• Lay a line of the cheek meat mix in the middle of the skin and roll it into a sausage about 6cm in diameter. Wrap tightly in clingfilm and leave it in the fridge to set for 12 hours. When you are ready to serve, cut the sausage into 3cm thick slices ad fry them in olive oil until crispy on the outside and warm in the middle.
To make the crispy pig’s ears
• Remove the cooked pig’s ears from the muslin and trim off the muscles. Wrap the ears in clingfilm and put in the fridge under a heavy weight for 24hours.
• Preheat the oven to 170°C/Gas 3. Shred the ears very finely with a sharp knife. Heat the oil in an ovenproof frying pan and add the shredded ears, spreading them evenly. Fry for a minute or two and then place the plan with the ears in the oven for 15-20 minutes until crispy. Keep warm until needed.
To cook the langoustines
• Peel the langoustines, leaving only the end tail in the shell, and remove the dark intestinal tracts. Heat a heavy-bottomed pan and add olive oil. Season the langoustines and pan-fry for 1-2 minutes