Suckling pig leg Provençal style

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 2.3 kg suckling pig – leg without bone with rind
• 2 garlic cloves
• 2 cl cognac or brandy
• 150 ml white wine, dry
• salt and pepper
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 bulb(s) garlic
• 2 onions
• 3 bunch thyme, fresh
• 3 sprigs rosemary, fresh

Instructions

Working time approx. 30 minutes; Rest time approx. 5 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 3 hours 20 minutes; Total time approx. 3 hours 55 minutes

Preheat the oven to 160°C (top/bottom heat). Peel the 2 garlic cloves and chop very finely. Peel the onions and halve them crosswise. Halve the whole garlic bulb crosswise. Wash the thyme and rosemary and pat dry. Mix the white wine with the cognac/brandy. Wash the leg and pat dry. Score the rind in diamond shapes with a sharp knife. Then rub with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a roasting pan. Brown the leg well. This takes about 5 minutes per side. Then remove the meat from the roasting pan. Line the bottom of the roasting pan with thyme, place the meat on top. Pour in the wine, arrange the rosemary, the garlic bulb, and the onion halves around the meat. Spread the chopped garlic (from the 2 cloves) on top of the rind. Cover the roasting pan and place it in the hot oven on the lowest shelf. Braise the whole thing for 3 hours. Baste with a little white wine every hour. After 3 hours, remove the lid. Place the meat in a roasting pan (or remove the herbs and vegetables from the roasting pan) and set the convection grill to 220°C or higher, and grill the leg for about 10 minutes. Then let the meat rest briefly and carve it with an electric knife. The sauce can now be thickened, but you can also drizzle it over the meat as it is, depending on the side dish. Serve with onions and garlic. Serve with: baked French-style potatoes and baguette.