Recipe for Roasted Hedgehog

Today I’m sharing a recipe for roasted hedgehog, which was a favorite Romany (Gypsy) dish. In my Regency Inspirational novel, Seeking Patience, the Rom would have dredged the hedgehog in black pepper after cooking.

Although I can’t personally verify the results, here’s the recipe, modified from Medieval Cookery:

Roasted Meats (Hedgehog)

According to medieval experts: “Hedgehog should have its throat cut, be singed and gutted, then trussed like a pullet, then pressed in a towel until very dry; and then roast it and eat with cameline sauce, or in pastry with wild duck sauce. Note that if the hedgehog refuses to unroll, put it in hot water. This dish is based on traditional methods of cooking meat dating back to prehistoric times.

Ingredients:
2–2.5kg joint of meat (or leg of lamb)
Sufficient long grass to cover the meat

Method:
Season the meat. Wrap it in long grass, first lengthways and then tying more grass crossways to secure the green wrapping in place. Prepare your barbecue and place a large pot filled with water on it. Cook the meat for two hours. Once the meat has cooked, remove the grass then place the meat back in the barbecue to sear.

Carve and serve. Nettle pudding can be boiled in the same pot and served as an accompaniment.

(Sorry–I don’t have a recipe for Nettle pudding.)

Enjoy! 🙂