Pourcelet farci PERIOD: France, 14th century | SOURCE: Le Viandier de Taillevent | CLASS: Authentic DESCRIPTION: Roast pig stuffed with pork, egg yolks, Brie cheese, & chestnuts ORIGINAL RECEIPT: 60. Pourcelet farci: Roast Stuffed suckling Pig or Piglet. It should be scalded, washed well and put on the spit. The stuffing is made from the viscara of the piglet, from cooked pork, cooked egg yolks, a rich cheese, cooked, peeled chestnuts, and good spice powder (var.: and salt); all of this is ground together and put into the belly of the piglet, and the cut is sewn up; then put it to roast basting it with vinegar and good boiling grease and salt; eat it with hot yellow Pepper Sauce - some lazy persons eat it with Cameline Sauce. - Scully, Terence, ed. Le Viandier de Taillevent. An Edition of all Extant Manuscripts. Ottawa: University of Ottawa Press, 1988. MODERN RECIPE: 1 20-25 lb. pig

8 lbs. pork roast

1 ½ lbs. pork liver

2 dozen hard-boiled egg yolks, chopped

2 lbs. Brie

1 lb. peeled roasted chestnuts

2 Tbs. each salt & pepper (add more or less to taste)

1 Tbs. each ginger, cloves, & sugar (add more or less to taste)

2 cups olive oil

2 cups red wine vinegar

½ tsp. salt

butcher's thread & needle Chop the pork roast into small pieces - you need a total 8 lbs. of meat without bone and fat. Broil or boil until well done - if boiling, add a little salt & pepper to the water and when finished cooking, drain well and save the broth for later use. After the pork has cooled, grind or dice the meat into very small pieces; set aside. Cut the liver into small pieces; broil or boil until well done, then drain & cool. Dice or grind the liver into very small pieces, set aside. Grind the chestnuts. Dice the Brie as small as possible. Combine the pork roast, pork liver, chopped egg yolks, Brie, chestnuts, and spices and mix thoroughly with your hands. For a smoother stuffing, add enough of the reserved broth to thoroughly moisten the mixture. Taste the mixture and adjust spices to taste. Stuff the pig with the meat mixture, using the butcher's thread & needle to sew the opening shut when done. Place the pig on parchment paper on a large baking sheet. Cover the ears, the snout, and the tail of the pig with aluminum foil, to prevent over-cooking. (If you wish the mouth to be open, pry it open with a small stick or block of wood and leave in while roasting.) Pre-heat your oven to 400° F. Combine the oil, vinegar, & salt in a small saucepan and bring to a slow simmer. Baste the pig thoroughly with this before placing in the oven. Cook the stuffed pig for 3 ½ - 4 hours, basting thoroughly every 15 minutes, until completely cooked through. (Use a meat thermometer to guarantee that the center of the roast is over 175° F.) When completely roasted, remove from oven. Remove the aluminum foil from the ears, snout, & tail, and the support from the mouth, then carefully transfer the pig to a large cutting board or garnished serving platter. Make a special presentation of the whole pig to your lucky guests, then carve and serve as suitable. Serve with Poivre jaunet or Cameline Sauce. Serves 10. A Pourcelet farci just after roasting. Metric, Celsius, & Gas Mark Equivalencies