This weekend we had our annual family summer barbeque. They're always a big affair, 23 old and young hearts this year. The weather forecast was stormy and got us a bit worried. Luckily we only had a light drizzle of rain for 10 minutes and then it cleared up.
The star of the show is this little fella, the suckling roast pig. It's a delicacy in Hong Kong cuisine normally eaten at festivals and celebrations. Ideally the little piglet should be less than a month old so it doesn't have too much meat and the skin is nice and soft.
Young piglets are quite difficult to find in the UK unless you know a farmer who can slaughter one for you. We had to get this one from the Chinese supermarket and judging by it's size, this one is definitely older than a month, but that's ok.
Unlike the suckling pigs in Spain and Portugal, the Hong Kong style suckling pigs are eaten for it's crispy skin and the thin layer of tender meat underneath. That's why the age of the piglet is quite important. We don't get to eat it often in the UK and Chinese restaurants don't have it readily on their menu as it takes a lot of effort to make and it's best eaten fresh. We always look forward to it when my brother in law makes it during our family gathering. This one was delicious and was the most popular dish of the day.
Roast duck is also a very popular Hong Kong dish. This one we often have at family dinners. I don't know how to make it but all my brother in laws does, so there's no need for me to learn. I just eat 😄 We had three at the BBQ and that all got gobbled up quick.
I was responsible for some of the other more simpler stuff like the pork and fish balls, but I forgot about the glazing so they turned out a little dry. We also had chicken wings and prawns , those were delicious. As was the baked fish, ie those two big parcels. One was salt baked, and the other simply with spring onion and a chilli. I forgot to take photos of them when they were done.
In fact I forgot to take many photos of the food, I was busy eating after the hard work on the barbie. We took the opportunity to do some family photos even though only two thirds of the family was present (yes I have a big family!!). Those of course those will stay private off chain. But here's one of me playing with one of the kids on her swing.
