Honey-Lacquered Roast Rack of Piglet with Pineapple-Raisin Chutney and Kaffir Red Curry Rice
Éric Gonzalez — The Cuisine of Greater Montreal. Total time: more than 2 hours. Preparation time: 20 minutes. Cooking time for the chutney: 2 hours. Cooking time for the rice and roast: 30 minutes. Difficulty: Easy. Chef's Note: To savor all the riches the piglet offers, be sure to leave on the surrounding rind and roast it until really crispy in order to enjoy the contrast of soft and crunchy textures. Piglet is generally a farm-raised animal. It is pinker and more flavorful and holds together better than pork when cooked. What a delight to bite into! Its milky meat is incomparable. Piglet is usually sold as racks or sides, though it's not always easy to find.
Ingredients
| 2 racks | racks of piglet or pork ribs, 250 g (1/2 lb.) each | |
| 25 g | clarified butter | |
| 50 g | butter | |
| 15 g | acacia honey | |
| — | coarsely ground pepper | |
| 500 ml | Chutney: white vinegar | |
| 250 g | Chutney: brown sugar | |
| 1 tbsp | 15 ml | Chutney: mustard seeds |
| 1 | Chutney: cinnamon stick | |
| 2 | Chutney: cloves | |
| 2 | Chutney: juniper berries | |
| 1 | Chutney: chili pepper (cayenne) | |
| 1 | Chutney: piece of fresh ginger, finely chopped | |
| 1 | Chutney: golden pineapple, cut into 5 mm (1/4") dice | |
| 25 g | Chutney: golden raisins | |
| 2 | Chutney: large shallots | |
| 125 g | Basmati Rice: Basmati rice | |
| 1 | Basmati Rice: onion, chopped | |
| 25 g | Basmati Rice: butter | |
| 190 g | Basmati Rice: light chicken stock | |
| 5 g | Basmati Rice: red curry paste | |
| 3 | Basmati Rice: Kaffir lime leaves (or substitute grated lime zest) | |
| 1 | Basmati Rice: small white onion, chopped | |
| 40 g | Basmati Rice: crushed toasted almonds |
Instructions
Chutney:
- Place the vinegar and brown sugar in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Add all the other chutney ingredients with the crushed spices tied in a piece of cheesecloth. Cook gently for about 2 hours, then remove from the heat and let cool. The chutney will be reheated just before serving. As our grandmothers said: a dish is always better the next day!
Rice: 2. Melt the butter in a saucepan; when it foams, add the onions and cook gently until translucent but not browned. 3. Add the rice and sauté for 1 minute until pearly; add the hot stock and chopped kaffir lime leaves and cook covered in a 185° C (375° F) oven for 25-30 minutes. 4. Once cooked, fluff the rice; combine the curry paste with 1 tbsp. olive oil and blend into the rice. Just before serving, add the almonds and onion.
Roasting:
- In a skillet, brown the rack on all sides and then transfer to a 180° C (350° F) oven. Since piglet is tender meat, once it has been browned, 7 minutes roasting time should be enough. Check with a thermometer: the internal temperature should be 72° C (145° F).
- Let rest 5 minutes, then glaze with honey and sprinkle with coarsely ground pepper just before serving.