No. 968 — Larded Pork Roast with Caper or Mushroom Sauce
English historical translation of Molokhovets recipe No. 968 from the 1901 Russian cookbook, retaining original methods and measures.
Pound a fresh ham well, soak it in water, remove the rind, lard with strips of pork fat and salt.
Scatter sliced onion, some parsley, bay leaves, allspice and cloves on the bottom of a baking sheet. Lay the pork over the vegetables and spices, add two spoonfuls of water, drizzle with butter and roast, basting with its own juices.
Dissolve a piece of concentrated dried stock in ½ glass of water. Skim the fat from the roasting juices and mix the stock with the remaining sauce.
Add either capers, shallots fried in the fat skimmed from the sauce, or pickled porcini or saffron milk-cap mushrooms. Bring to the boil and pour over the roast on a dish.
If desired, add about two spoonfuls of wine or period soya sauce to this gravy.
To provide
3 Russian pounds of pork ⅛–¼ Russian pound of pork fat and 2 onions ½ parsley root and 5–6 bay leaves ½ handful of allspice berries and salt 10 cloves and 1 spoonful of butter | For the sauce: 2½ lots of concentrated dried stock 2–3 spoonfuls of capers Or 1 glass of shallots Or about 4 spoonfuls of pickled porcini Optional: 2 spoonfuls of wine or period soya |