HOW TO SEASON A WHOLE PIG FOR ROASTING RECIPES

Steps:

• Coarsely grind peppercorns and allspice together in a spice mill. Combine with salt in a small bowl. Sprinkle mixture evenly over exterior of roast. Add the grated garlic and rub in all over.
• Line a roasting pan with herb branches and set roast on top. Leave to absorb seasonings for at least 1 hour at room temperature, or refrigerate overnight (bring back to room temperature before proceeding). Heat oven to 400 degrees.
• In a large pot of well-salted boiling water, cook potatoes until just done, about 15 minutes. Remove with a spider or slotted spoon and place in an earthenware baking dish. In the same water, simmer parsnips until just done, about 8 minutes. Remove and add them to potatoes in baking dish. Pour melted butter over the potatoes and parsnips and use a brush to make sure they are well coated.
• Make the horseradish sauce: Whisk together crème fraîche, Dijon mustard, horseradish and cayenne in a small bowl. Season with salt and pepper and refrigerate.
• Roast the beef, uncovered, for about 1 hour. Check with an instant-read thermometer after 45 minutes. For medium-rare, take the roast out of the oven when thermometer registers 120 degrees (residual heat will cause roast to continue cooking as it rests). Remove the roast, tent it with foil, and let it rest for 15 minutes; the temperature should rise to 125 degrees. About 15 minutes after the roast goes into the oven, put in the baking dish of potatoes and parsnips, uncovered, and roast until beautifully golden brown, about 30 minutes.
• Slice the beef into 1/4-inch-thick pieces and arrange on a warmed platter, garnished with a big bunch of watercress. Pass the roasted vegetables and horseradish sauce separately.

Steps:

• Rinse duck and pat dry. Remove neck and giblets and save for another purpose. Remove excess fat from cavity and tail area and trim off a bit of flappy neck skin. Prick duck skin all over with tip of sharp paring knife, making sure not to penetrate meat.
• Mix together salt and 5-spice powder. Season interior of duck with 1 tablespoon salt mixture; use remainder to generously season exterior (you may have a little left over). Combine orange zest with grated ginger and garlic, then smear mixture inside cavity. Place orange wedges in cavity. Tie legs together. Secure neck flap with wooden skewer or toothpicks. Place duck on rack in roasting pan breast-side-up and refrigerate overnight, uncovered.
• Heat oven to 350 degrees. Meanwhile, bring duck to room temperature and make the glaze: Bring orange juice, honey, sugar and soy sauce to a simmer. Add sliced ginger and star anise, then reduce mixture until you have a medium-thick syrup, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
• Roast duck for 2 hours, carefully pouring off fat and turning duck over every 30 minutes. Paint with glaze and roast another 30 minutes (2 1/2 hours in all). Tent with foil if glaze begins to get too dark. Duck is done when temperature at thickest part of leg reads 165 degrees. Paint duck once more, keep warm and let rest 20 minutes. Use poultry shears to cut into quarters (remove backbone first) or carve in the traditional way, removing legs from carcass and slicing breast. Serve with mashed butternut squash if desired.