To Roast a Pig With the Skin On

With high summer in the Hudson Valley comes high wedding season. Last weekend I was driving, windows down, along a back road (on my way to a smoked brisket feast), when I caught a delectable waft of suckling pig skin. 

It made me think of this recipe for stuffed spit-roasted pig, straight from the annals of Colonial Virginia Cookery, Jane Carson's finely researched historical cookbook.

This recipe is originally from Mrs. Glasse’s Cookery, one of the most popular cookery books of its day. It's a reminder of how much recipe styles change over time; although this sounds delicious, most modern cooks would have a very difficult time following these rather vague instructions.  

Looking for a recipe you can use? The truth is, nothing's easier than roasting a suckling pig.   Here's Kenji Lopez-Alt's encouragingly easy recipe: