The prestigious majorcan chef Benet Vicens welcomes us in his restaurant “Bens d’Avall”, an establishment located in a privileged setting of Mallorca, between the towns of Sóller and Deià and the edge of the sea. Specialized in cuisine based on native ingredients.
Vicens has prepared a typical dish of Mallorcan cuisine: Crispy suckling pig with a vegetable garnish and head.
Do not lose detail of the preparation and enjoy your meal.
Ingredients:
– 1 suckling pig (3-4 kg)
– salt,
– pepper,
– cardamom,
– mace,
– orange peel.
Sauce: Fry the bones to release their juices and then soak them in the juices from the head until golden.
Head: Boil in 2 litres of water with 1 leek, 1 carrot, fresh oregano, bay leaf and whole black peppercorns.
Preparation:
Cut the suckling pig into four pieces and vacuum pack it together with the herbs.
Cook it in a steam oven or bain-marie for 24 hours at 65ºC. Once complete, take the meat out of the bag, recover the juices and de-bone it straight away.
Garnish:
Gather the head meat (jowls, cheeks, tongue…) and slice it into Bruinoise. Season with garlic and bay leaf until golden. In the same pan, season with bruinoise vegetables: 2 tablespoons red pepper, 2 tbsp courgette, 2 tbsp spring onion and when in season, add artichokes, sugar snap peas, mushrooms, etc. Always fry with olive oil with garlic and bay leaf. Add finely chopped potatoes that have been poached in oil, a piece of chilli and 1 tbsp of freshly chopped fennel.
Add all the ingredients together and leave for 20 minutes in a casserole dish with the lid on in the oven at 140º.
At the last minute, set the suckling pig in a frying pan, skin side down, until golden and crispy.
Serve on the garnish with the sauce on the side.
For a touch of acidity, add a line of bitter orange marmalade.
Enjoy your meal!
Benet Vicens
