Bones_ Recipes, History, and Lore - Jennifer McLagan [110]
2 tablespoons (10g) unsweetened cocoa powder
Freshly ground black pepper
1.Pat the leg dry and remove the skin, if any, from the underside of the leg. Turn the leg rounded side up and, using a small sharp knife (a scalpel is great for this job), score the skin: make cuts about ½ inch (1 cm) apart through the skin into the fat, without cutting into the meat. If your leg is skinless, just score the fat without cutting through to the meat.
2. Crush 4 of the juniper berries. Add them to the marinade and pour into a nonreactive container large enough to hold the leg and marinade. Add the leg skin or fat side up (the marinade should come halfway up the leg), then cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 days. If the leg has its skin, don’t turn it; if there is no skin, turn it twice a day. If it has skin, about 12 hours before you plan to cook the leg, remove the plastic wrap and leave the leg uncovered in the refrigerator. This will dry the skin so that it will crisp up better.
3. One hour before roasting it, take the leg out of the refrigerator. Pour off the marinade, and set it aside. Pat the leg dry. Preheat the oven to 425°F220°C).
4. With a mortar and pestle pound together 2 tablespoons salt, the remaining juniper berries, the sage, rosemary, and thyme leaves. (You can also grind these ingredients in a spice grinder.) Mix in the oil, then rub this paste all over the leg.
5. Place the meat on a rack in a roasting pan and pour in enough water to cover the bottom of the pan. Roast for 20 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 350°F (175°C), baste with any juices, and continue to cook, basting the meat every 30 minutes for another 2 to 2/2 hours, or until the internal temperature of the leg registers 155°F (68°C) on an instant-read thermometer. Make sure that there is always water covering the bottom of the roasting pan.
6. While the roast is cooking, pour the marinade, with the herbs and vegetables, into a saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer, partially covered, for 1 hour.
7. Strain the reduced marinade through a sieve and discard the herbs and vegetables. Set 1 cup (250 ml) of the liquid aside, and pour the remainder over the raisins in a small bowl. Leave them to soak.
8. Place the sugar and ¼ cup (60 ml) water in a small saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar; once the sugar is dissolved, stop stirring. Bring to a boil and continue to boil until the syrup turns a light caramel color. Remove the pan from the heat and carefully add the vinegar. The caramel will spit and sputter as the vinegar hits it, creating a cloud of fumes. Return the saucepan to low heat and cook, stirring, to dissolve the caramel. Add the cranberries and continue to cook, stirring until the cranberries begin to pop. Set the pan aside.
9. Once the leg is cooked, remove the skin (if you have it) and transfer it to a baking sheet. Place the leg on a warm platter (set the pan aside) and let rest, loosely covered with aluminum foil, for at least 15 minutes. (The internal temperature will rise to 160°F (71°C) as it rests.)
10. Meanwhile, preheat the broiler, then broil the skin, watching carefully, until puffed and golden. Discard the fat from the roasting pan, add the 1 cup (250 ml) reduced marinade, and bring to a boil, deglazing the pan by scraping up the browned bits from the bottom.
11. Strain the liquid into the saucepan with the cranberry caramel, and add the raisins and their soaking liquid. Place the pan over medium heat. Mix the cocoa with 2 tablespoons water and whisk into the sauce. Bring to a boil and simmer until it thickens slightly, then season with salt and pepper.
12. Carve the leg, and serve with the sauce and crackling.
Variations
ο If you can’t get wild boar, try this recipe with a pork roast, adjusting the cooking time accordingly.
ο This sauce can also accompany the Roast Leg of Venison (page 232) or the Roasted Rack of Venison (page 224). Use the marinade for the sauce, but don’t marinate the venison.
Roast Leg of Venison
A roasted