The past few months have been busy both personally and professionally and it has felt pretty non-stop. A fair amount of my limited free time was spent preparing for a 14 mile obstacle race this past September, which I completed successfully.
Enough about me, let's get to the food.
The food of the Caribbean is incredibly diverse, there are as many culinary styles and influences as there are islands. Add to that the fact that while the islands share many common dishes, the ingredients, preparation and names may vary from island to island.
Both of my parents immigrated from a tiny island (108 square miles) called Antigua, and as the child of immigrants I grew up eating foods from the islands. I also spent a fair amount of time on the island with my extended family and developed a deeper understanding, appreciation and love of cooking.
One of my favorite dishes always was (and continues to be) curry goat, a rich stew that was often prepared for special occasions. It is now fairly common to find it on the menus of many West Indian restaurants. I have cooked this dish a few times and after playing with the ingredients for a bit, I feel like I am pretty happy with my version of it. The magic of this dish is in the long cooking time and the flavor that the goat meat and bones impart to it. If you can't easily find goat, lamb can be substituted.
**Remember, I don't often use exact measurement!**
Curry Goat
What you need
- Goat meat, cut into cubes -- 2 1/2 to 3 pounds
- One or two goat shank bones
- Onion, finely chopped -- 1
- Scallions, finely chopped -- 5
- Scotch bonnet or habanero chiles, minced -- 2 to 4
- Lime, juice only -- 1
- Garlic, minced -- 4 to 6 cloves
- Ginger, minced -- 1 tablespoon
- Fresh thyme -- 2 teaspoons
- Allspice berries -- 4 or 5 (very important for an authentic taste!)
- Salt and pepper -- to season
- Oil -- 1/4 cup
- Curry powder -- 3 tablespoons
- Water -- 2 cups
- Carrots, peeled and chopped -- 4
- Medium potatoes, peeled and chopped -- 4
How you put it together
- In a large bowl, mix together the goat meat, onions, scallions, chiles, lime juice, garlic, ginger, thyme, allspice, salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, preferably overnight.
- Remove the meat from its marinade, reserving the marinade. Heat the oil in a large pot over medium-high flame and, working in batches, brown the meat in the hot oil.
- When the meat has been browned, stir the curry powder into the remaining oil until it darkens in color, about 15 to 30 seconds. Add the reserved marinade and saute for 3 or 4 minutes.
- Stir in the browned meat and the 2 cups of water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for about 1 hour.
- Stir in the carrots, potatoes and more water if needed and simmer uncovered for another 30 to 45 minutes, or until the vegetables are cooked through and the goat is tender.
- Adjust seasoning to taste and serve hot with rice or rice and peas.
Variations
- Adding one or two goat shank bones to the simmering curry will improve its flavor.
- Substitute lamb for the goat meat if you prefer.
