Roast pork leg

SERVES 6 PREPARATION: 5 MIN COOKING: 3 HR 40 MIN

1 onion, quartered

2 carrots, roughly chopped 3 bay leaves handful fresh parsley with

stalks handful fresh thyme sprigs 8 black peppercorns 6 allspice berries, lightly

crushed

1,5L (6c) cider whole leg of pork on the bone salt

GLAZE

45ml (3T) golden syrup

10ml (2t) ground ginger pinch of English mustard powder juice of ½ orange

45ml (3T) dark brown sugar

Preheat the oven to 120°C.

1 Put the onion, carrots, bay leaves, herbs, peppercorns and allspice in a roasting pan. Pour in the cider. Place a wire baking rack on top of the pan. 2 Use a sharp knife to score the skin of the pork leg (make shallow cuts through the skin to the fat layer) and rub with salt. This is to crisp the skin.

3 Position the pork on the wire rack, cover with aluminium foil and put the roasting pan on the stove over high heat. Bring to the boil and simmer for 10 minutes.

4 Transfer the roasting pan to the oven and oven bake the pork for 3 hours.

5 GLAZE Mix the syrup, ground ginger, mustard powder and orange juice in a bowl.

6 Smear the glaze all over the cooked pork leg. Sprinkle the sugar on top, increase the heat of the oven to 190°C and return the pork to the oven. Cook for about 30 minutes or until the skin is crispy and brown.

This roast is wonderfully decadent and perfect for a Christmas buffet.