How to Roast a Whole Piglet

Francesco roasted this piglet for his sister Francesca's birthday party, and we started out with schiacciata, cold cuts, cheese, crostini, and other antipasti before turning out attention to the piglet.

The potatoes had already been transferred to serving dishes when Francesco rolled the piglet into the dining room and got to work. The first step was to remove the head -- the meat was so tender that the knife penetrated easily, and the head came right off.

It's a tasty (if large) morsel, with much to be enjoyed from around the cheeks and neck.