Goat shoulder stew with anchovies

As many of you now know goat is one of my favourite meats and so versatile as it suits so many flavour profiles from Mediterranean to Middle Eastern to Caribbean. The flavour can be compared to that of lamb in it's younger stages and mutton in it's later stages. You can check out the many recipes that I have in my Goatober section here on Kitchen Exile. Many butchers and farmers world wide will be showcasing goat meat during the month of October, so be sure to check out your local producers to see what's on offer. 

300g goat shoulder cubed

10g fresh rosemary sprigs finely chopped

5g fresh thyme chopped

5g chives finely chopped

2 cloves garlic grated

5g fresh parsley chopped

5g fresh mint finely chopped

5g fresh oregano finely chopped

40g anchovies in olive oil finely chopped

2g freshly ground black pepper

150ml white wine

100ml lamb or chicken stock

2 tomatoes finely chopped

20g black olives finely chopped

Mix the goat shoulder with the herbs, garlic, pepper and anchovies and marinate overnight in the fridge

Preheat your oven or set your barbecue up for indirect cooking at 140c

Whizz the tomatoes up to form a smooth paste

Place all the ingredients in a cast iron pan and cook for 3 hours

I like to serve this with either rice, couscous or tabbouleh

Suya grilled goat chops

I was introduced to West African cooking many years ago by a Nigerian friend of mine. We collaborated at some barbecue events and on a cook book (Vibrant West African Cooking) and she taught me lots of delicious recipes. She developed her own spice brand and I would use these quite a lot when barbecuing. A few years on and I decided to try and replicate the spice blend myself. I like to make my own rubs from scratch, so why not suya? Suya is traditionally used for grilled meats, particularly chicken, goat or beef. The main basis for suya is peanut powder, not easy to come by, but can be found in some health food shops. Peanut powder has the oils removed from it. If you do try and make it yourself, then slow roast the peanuts for 60 minutes and then pulse in a spice grinder, the peanuts need to be cold before you grind them.

8 kid goat chops (you can also substitute lamb chops, if you cannot get goat)

30ml peanut or rapeseed oil

Salt to taste, my preference is maldon sea salt

Suya Spice rub
70g peanut powder
50g Smoked Paprika
45g Ground Ginger
30g Ground Cayenne Pepper
30g Garlic Powder
45g Onion Powder
10g Chicken Bouillon powder

Mix all ingredients together

To Grill

Set your barbecue up for direct cooking at 200c

Coat the chops in the oil and then sprinkle over the suya spice ensuring they are well covered

Allow the chops to marinate for at least 30 minutes, if you can, overnight is even better

Grill the chops for 2 minutes each side for medium rare, longer if you wish for medium or well done

Season to taste with the salt

Kitchen Exile Goatober

Every year I make a special effort to get involved in Goatober in October. you can find recipes such as Bock and bock beer pie, Harissa goat sausages and Pulled aromatic goat and there will be one more recipe before the end of the month. You can also search using the link Goatober on my website which gives you lots more recipes. 

Goatober is a now an international festival celebrating male goat meat, in started in New York in 2011, since then it has become an international event spanning many countries. In 2017 it officially launched here in the Netherlands with more participation from farming organisations and chefs. 

So why the special effort just to promote one product? With the increase in demand for goat dairy products, there is a preference with goat dairy farmers for (naturally) female goats. As a result of this demand, male goats are considered a "waste product" and many are euthanised at birth. 

Goatober is not just about raising awareness of the meat but acts as a means to connect farmers, some already in the dairy industry and farmers who would take the male goats and raise them on their farms. These male goats are not going to waste and are raised to be part of the meat industry. 

Goat meat is very underestimated, it has a wonderful flavour which can be compared to either lamb in it's young stage or venison or mutton in it's later stages. It is a very lean meat so very healthy and it's preparation and cuts are similar to those of lamb too.

You're probably now asking where can I buy goat and preferably ethical goat meat from small farmers and local butchers? In the UK you can purchase from Cabrito Goat Meat who do online deliveries, James Whetlor the owner of Cabrito (and founder of Goatober in Europe) has also written a book Goat, cooking and eating. Here in the Netherlands you can buy direct from farmers at KoopenGeit,  De BokkenBunker amongst others or you can buy from Butchers such as Slagerij Poldervaart in Amsterdam. For a full list of all participating Butchers and Farmers head to Meat the Male 

Give goat a try!

Goat rendang

Rendang has its roots in Indonesian and Malaysian cooking, the recipe will vary from region to region. It has a wonderful aromatic flavour and a richness from the coconut milk. A versatile dish that works with chicken, pork, beef or goat and benefits from slow cooking. This is my take on the dish.

Rendang paste
10g fresh ginger grated
10g galangal grated
4 sticks lemongrass grated
2 shallots peeled and roughly chopped
2 cloves of garlic peeled
10g fresh turmeric grated or 5g turmeric powder

3 cardamom pods

5g cumin seeds

5g coriander seeds

Roast the cardamom, cumin and coriander seeds in a heavy bottomed pan for 5 minutes and then grind into a fine powder in a mortar and pestle
Place all the ingredients in a food processor and blend until you have a paste
You can also grind these in a mortar and pestle if you wish and grind that way, its the more traditional approach, but I find for larger amounts, the food processor is much easier
You can store the paste in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week or in the freezer for a couple of months

This makes enough for two portions

Curry
50g curry paste
500g goat shoulder cubed
400ml coconut milk
10ml fish sauce
5g palm sugar
1 green chilli finely chopped (optional)
5 lime leaves

5cm stick cinnamon

2 star anise
10 ml oil for frying
50g toasted grated fresh coconut

10ml lime juice

In a wok or heavy based pan add the oil, cinnamon stick, star anise and curry paste and fry on a medium heat for 2-3 minutes
Next add the goat, coconut milk, lime leaves, chilli, and toasted coconut

Place a lid on the pan
Simmer on a low heat for 3 hours until the goat meat becomes tender (start to test the meat after a couple of hours)

Keep an eye on the liquid level throughout the cooking, the rendang should be thick and not too loose, if it gets too dry, add a little water
To finish stir through the lime juice, fish sauce and palm sugar

Serve with steamed rice

Goat kofte

First recipe for goatober 2020!

I like to pair my goat with spices as they work so well together. The spices in this kofte recipe have elements that bring out a sweetness in the meat and lift the dish. 

500g goat fillet finely minced
2g cinnamon
5g cumin seeds

2g turmeric

2g coriander seeds

5g smoked hot paprika flakes

5g paprika
2g ginger powder

30g onion grated

2 cloves garlic grated

10g pork or lamb fat

3g celery salt

Pepper to taste

Mix all the ingredients together, and leave for a few hours or preferably overnight to allow the flavours to come together

Before cooking fry off a small piece to check the seasoning, if it needs more salt then add some
If using wooden skewers, make sure to soak them for a few hours in water before you put them on the BBQ, otherwise they will burn 

To make the koftes, make sure your hands are cold, it makes it easier to form the shapes on the skewer

Take a small amount of the mix, form a ball and then put a skewer through the ball and then start to form a sausage shape around the skewer, it takes a bit of practice to get it right

Once you've made the koftes, place back in the fridge for a couple of hours to allow them to firm up

Set your barbecue up for indirect grilling at 200c

Cook for 2 minutes each side getting a nice char on the koftes

Jerk spiced goatherd pie

This take on shepherds pie pairs jerk spices with a sweet potato topping, the sweet and the spices work so well together. The goat shoulder gives an earthy hit marrying all the flavours together in this dish. One of my favourite goat dishes to date.

Meat base
1 onion chopped
1 medium carrot diced
1 stick celery diced
400g goat shoulder minced
5g ground cinnamon
5g ground all spice berries
10g freshly chopped thyme leaves
2 red chillies finely chopped
2g madame jeanette powder
1 bay leaf
2 cloves garlic finely chopped
2g ground nutmeg
50ml chicken stock
1 heaped teaspoon cornflour mixed with a small amount of water 
Salt and pepper to season
oil for frying

Sauté the onion, celery and carrot on a low heat until soft in half the oil, add the spices and herbs and cook for a further 5 minutes
Remove the veg from the pan 
On a medium heat cook the mince mix until brown in the rest of the oil
Place all the veg back in the pan with the mince, add the stock and simmer for 20 mins
Thicken the sauce with the cornflour, stir well to avoid lumps
Season to taste
Place in a deep casserole dish and allow to cool
If cooking on the BBQ then place the ingredients in a cast iron skillet or a dish that is suited to BBQ cooking

Mash topping
500g boiled sweet potatoes (I put these through a ricer to get a smooth consistency)
50g butter melted
Salt and pepper to season

Mix all the ingredients together until you get a smooth mash, season to taste

To finish the pie
Top the meat sauce with the mash
Place into a hot oven at 180c fan, 190c normal for 30 mins
If cooking on the BBQ then set up for indirect cooking and cook at 180c for 30 minutes

Harissa goat sausages

This recipe is based on merguez style sausages that are often traditionally made with Lamb. As I may have mentioned before goat pairs really well with spices, so these sausages are perfect. I like to make the sausage mix the day before to allow the flavours to develop. 

Sausage casings (hog or sheep casings are good)
1kg goat shoulder roughly minced
10g whole cumin seeds, lightly crushed
2g fennel seeds
10g sweet paprika powder
50g harissa paste

10g chilli flakes
Salt and pepper to season

Soak the casings overnight or according to the instructions before making the sausages
Mix the spices and seasoning together with the minced goat shoulder, place in the fridge for a few hours or overnight to let the flavours develop
To test if it has been seasoned enough, fry off a small piece and taste, adjust seasoning or spices if necessary
Fill the sausage casings slowly using a sausage stuffer
Do not overstuff the casing otherwise the sausages will burst when cooking
I like to make these into a cumberland style sausage link which is a round continuous coil, up to you how large you wish to make it

You can secure the coil for cooking by putting a skewer through to hold it in place

Bock and bock beer pie

As well as it being goatober, it's also bocktober! So a double helping of bock in the form of goat meat and bock beer. With the change in the weather, it's definitely pie season too and who doesn't love a good pie. We certainly do chez Kitchen Exile. 

Makes 4 medium size pies using a 10cm pie dish

To make the pie filling

400g neck of goat sliced into 1 inch pieces
1 large carrot peeled and finely chopped
2 sticks of celery, chopped to the same size as the carrot
2 medium onions finely chopped
150ml bock beer

150ml lamb or chicken stock
15g plain flour
15g tomato purée
Sprigs of thyme and rosemary
1 bay leaf
Oil for frying
Salt and pepper to taste

In a cast iron pan fry the neck on a medium heat in the oil to get a nice sear on the outside and place to one side on a plate

Next fry off the carrots, onions and celery on a low heat in the residual oil until soft and glossy, it should take about 15 minutes

Add the tomato purée and cook out for 3 minutes
Add the flour, this will help thicken the stew and cook out again for 3 minutes
Now add the beer and stir to ensure that any flour stuck to the bottom of the pan has been removed
Tip in the goat and add the stock and  bring to the boil briefly for a couple of minutes.
Add the herbs
Put a lid on the pot and place in a low oven at 110c (fan) 120c (normal) for 3 hours.
Allow to cool before adding to the pastry, remove the herbs before assembling the pies

To make the pastry
200g plain white flour
115g butter
1 medium egg yolk
30ml iced water
pinch salt
Beaten egg yolk to glaze the pastry

Rub the butter and flour together until it resembles bread crumbs
Add the egg yolk and water and bring the mixture together until it forms a stiff dough
(this can also be made in a food processor, simply pulse the flour and butter mix until it resembles bread crumbs, then add the water and egg yolk until it comes together)
Wrap the pastry in cling film and place in the fridge for an hour to rest
Once the pastry has rested then roll out to 2mm thick
Next get your pie dish and cut out the pastry using the pie dish, ensure you have excess pastry around the edges
Then take the cut out pastry and press into the pie dish making sure there are no air bubbles, pushing the pastry into all the corners
You can trim any excess pastry from the edges of the pie dish using a knife if need be

Also cut out round shapes for the lid of the pie, place on a plate and cover with cling film and place back in the fridge until ready to fill and cover the pie

To assemble the pies
Fill the chilled and lined pie dishes with the stew mix about three quarters of the way up
(If you like you can add some goat cheese to the stew mix, about 50g cut into small pieces should be sufficient.)
Glaze the sides of the pastry with either water or egg wash and then place the lid on top.
Press down the sides of the top to ensure it is all sealed
With a knife make a small slit in the top to allow steam to escape
Glaze with the beaten egg
Cook at 190c (fan), 200c (normal) for 30 - 40 mins, check after 30 mins to see if the internal temp is up to 84c before serving

Pulled aromatic goat with spiced date sauce

This is my kick off recipe for Goatober 2019! 
The preparation takes a couple of days but the brining of the meat infuses lots of flavour into the meat. Followed by low and slow cooking on the BBQ, it makes for a tasty dish. 

1 kg goat shoulder
If cooking with larger pieces then you will need to adjust the cooking time. 
It could take up to 16 or more hours hours if you have a larger piece.

For the brine
1l water
10g salt
10g brown sugar
1 whole garlic bulb (cloves removed and crushed to release the oils)
3 bay leaves
10 cloves
10g whole cumin seeds
10g whole coriander seeds
5cm piece of cinnamon
5g ground ginger
1 onion cut into eighths
2g saffron strands

Lets start with the goat
48 hours before you want to BBQ or slow cook, put all the brine ingredients in a plastic or glass bowl and stir until the salt and sugar have dissolved
Add the goat and ensure that the liquid covers the meat
Cover with a lid or cling film and place in the fridge to marinade for 48 hours

To cook

Additional ingredient 500ml chicken or lamb stock

Set your BBQ for indirect cooking at 120c
Place the goat uncovered on the bbq and cook for 4 hours on indirect heat
After 4 hours, I take the goat off the BBQ
I then place the goat in a roasting tin with the stock and cover it with foil and return it to the BBQ for another 4 hours
Remove from the BBQ and allow to rest for at least 1 hour before serving
Reserve the juices and stock for the sauce

Spiced date sauce
5 dates 
200ml chicken stock (you can use the stock that was used to roast the goat)
1 red chilli finely sliced
1 bay leaf
5g whole cumin seeds
5cm piece of cinnamon
1 onion roughly chopped
2 cloves garlic roughly chopped
2 g ras el hanout
30ml oil for frying

Fry off the onion and garlic on a low heat in the oil until soft and glossy, 
Add the cumin, ras el hanout, chilli and cinnamon and cook out for a further 5 minutes
Add the stock and simmer for a further 15 minutes
Remove the cinnamon and transfer the sauce to a blender or food processor and whizz until smooth

To serve
Shred the goat using two forks
Pour the sauce over the goat and mix through
Serve in flat bread or brioche buns

Crispy goats fry with wild garlic chimmichurri

What is fry I hear you ask. The word is often used as a generic term for offal such as sweetbreads, heart, liver or in this case testicles. This is not a recipe for the squeamish or faint of heart but does reap rewards in tasty morsels at the end of all your hard work.
Like most offal it is best to keep the dish simple, in this case after preparation I coated them in flour, egg and bread crumbs and fried in butter. The taste is less gamey than liver and is worth giving a try. 

You will need to ask your butcher or goat farmer for these specifically as they are not normally available. When you do get them they will look like this.

Not a pretty sight, but bear with me, the preparation is simple enough. 
First of all, you will need toplce them in a bowl soak them in water and milk overnight (roughly 50/50 milk to water until they are covered).
As you can see in the above picture they are covered in a membrane, you will need to cut gently through this making an incision and it will peel off easily. 
Often there will be a second membrane underneath, repeat the incision and it should come off easily again. 
What you are now left with is the meat, this can now be sliced into small rounds ready to be coated in breadcrumbs.

2 goats testicles
200g panko breadcrumbs
1 egg beaten
75g flour seasoned with salt and pepper
50g butter for frying

Place the flour on one plate, the egg on another, and the breadcrumbs on a third
Using one hand, dip the slices first into the flour, then into the egg and finally into the breadcrumbs ensuring they are well coated on both sides
Repeat the process for the other slices
Place each slice to one side until you have coated them all and are ready to cook them

To cook the testicles
Place the butter in the pan and ensure it is on a high heat
Place the testicles in the pan
Brown on both sides quickly and then lower the heat and cook for a further 2 minutes keep turning to ensure the breadcrumbs do not burn and the testicles cook through

Chimmichurri

50g wild garlic leaves finely chopped or 4 cloves of garlic grated

30g flat leaf parsley finely chopped

30g red onion finely chopped

5g chilli flakes

10g dried oregano

50ml olive oil

75ml rose cava vinegar

Mix all ingredients together until well combined

Serve drizzled over the testicles

Goat bhuna

This is one of my favourite curry house dishes typically made with lamb but I've made an exception for Goatober, the goat meat works really well with this dish. While Bhuna may be the curry house name of the dish, it is actually the name of the cooking technique. It is a method of frying the whole spices in oil to bring out the flavour and then adding the meat, letting it cook in its own juices. It is a drier curry in comparison to masala style that most of you are familiar with.

I'd like to thank Monique van den Broek aka Mevrouw de Bok for the meat for my goat recipes this month. Monique is involved with Boeren van Nederlands and like myself is keen to promote goat meat here in the Netherlands. She travels the Netherlands with her goat Thijs de Ambassadeur speaking at events. 

Whole spices
1 black cardamon pod
3 green cardamon pods
4 cloves
1 blade of mace
1 bay leaf

Ground spices
10g cumin
5g coriander
5g turmeric
10g mild chilli powder
10g garam masala

3 large onions peeled and chopped
4 cloves of garlic grated
30g ginger grated
3 tomatoes roughly chopped
2 - 4 green chillies sliced (or more if you like it really hot)
30ml oil or ghee for cooking
1kg goat shoulder or leg, diced into 1 inch cubes
Salt and pepper to taste
Coriander leaves for garnish

First fry off the whole spices in the oil on a medium heat for 5 minutes to release the aromatics
Add the onions and lower the heat, cook the onions until soft and glossy, this takes about 10-15 minutes
Next add the coriander, cumin, chilli powder, turmeric, garlic, chillies and ginger and stir through, cook for a further 5 minutes
Add the goat and tomatoes, place a lid on the pan, lower the heat and cook for 3 hours stirring every so often to ensure it doesn't burn on the bottom
You can also cook this in the oven (130c fan, 140c normal) or BBQ (150c indirect).  
If the mixture is getting too dry, just add a small amount of water
Half an hour before the end of the cooking time add the garam masala and stir through
You need the meat to be tender but not falling apart, so do check the meat at regular intervals after 2 hours of cooking to see if it is starting to give
When finished, season with the salt and pepper
I like to serve this with steamed rice and chapatis

Goat shin carnitas

This isn't the first time that carnitas have featured on Kitchen Exile. Last time I focused on punchy flavours recreating an almost chorizo like flavour. This time I'm looking at more subtle earthy flavours that accentuate the goat meat. This dish can be slow cooked on the stovetop or in the oven but my preferred method is sous vide and slow cooking in a water bath.

70g duck fat (use solid fat if you can, makes it easier to vacuum pack)
10 sprigs fresh oregano
15g smoked paprika
4 cloves garlic peeled and crushed with the side of a knife
1 large bay leaf
10g cumin seeds
5g sea salt flakes
2g freshly ground black pepper
500g goat shin removed from the bone and kept whole

Sous vide method
Rub the shin with the smoked paprika and cumin seeds and season with the salt and pepper
Place the shin in the sous vide bag and add the oregano, bay leaf, garlic and duck fat
Seal the bag and place in a water bath at 82c for 7 hours
Once the shin is cooked, you can either place it in the fridge where it will keep for up to a week or crisp it up in a pan
Simply remove the shin and shred with a fork, pour out the fat into a pan and on a high heat fry the shin for 2 minutes to crisp it up
Serve with salsa, sour cream and cheese on a soft tortilla

To cook on a stove top or in the oven
All ingredients as above except you will need 300g of duck fat
Rub the shin with the smoked paprika and cumin seeds and season with the salt and pepper
Place the duck fat in a saucepan or heavy based casserole pot and on a medium heat melt the fat
Lower the heat and add the shin, oregano, bay leaf and garlic and cook for 4 hours on a very low heat, do not allow it to get above 82c
If cooking in the oven set the oven to 80c normal, if you have a fan oven then use the normal oven setting

Stuffed shoulder of goat with saffron potatoes

Goat is well suited to Persian style dishes. I decided rather than make a koresh or tagine, to stuff the goat shoulder with the spices and fruits you'd find in a koresh and slow roast it instead. The quinces sweeten quite nicely during the cooking process and it's something a little different to the usual stuffed leg or shoulder of lamb.

1 kg shoulder of goat, boned out, ask your butcher to do this

200ml lamb or chicken stock

Butchers twine 

50ml oil

Stuffing mix

2 cloves garlic grated

10g grated ginger

100g quince grated

50g grated onion

5 strands saffron

50g roasted unsalted pistachios finely chopped

5g ground cinnamon

5g ground cumin

Salt and pepper

Mix all the stuffing ingredients together, season with salt and pepper and rub all over the inside of the shoulder

Roll up and tie with butchers twine to hold it together

Rub the outside with the oil and season with salt and pepper

Place in a roasting dish with the stock and cover with tin foil

Place in the oven (140c fan, 150c normal) or BBQ set up for indirect cooking (150c) for 2 hours

Take the foil off and cook for another hour

Allow to rest in a warm place for about 15 minutes before serving

You can use the roasting liquid as gravy, just place in a pan and reduce by half to thicken slightly

Saffron Potatoes

4 potatoes peeled and thinly sliced about 2ml thick

100ml chicken stock and 5 strands saffron

Salt and pepper

Mix the stock and the saffron together in a small dish 

Layer the potatoes in a small baking dish and season each layer with the salt and pepper

Pour over the stock and saffron mix and place in an oven (140c fan, 150c normal) or BBQ set up for indirect cooking (150c) for 1 hour
You can test for doneness by piercing with a knife, if it goes through easily they are done

Korean Style goat burger with kimchi

I like my burgers with a bit of a spicy punch. With Goatober in full swing I thought it would be nice to add a goat burger to my repertoire, it's also a good introduction to the meat if you're not so sure about what the meat tastes like. 

Burger mix
500g goat mince 80% meat to 20% fat mix
30g finely grated ginger
30g finely grated garlic
30g finely chopped spring onion
15ml soy sauce
10ml sesame oil
10g  chilli powder


Fry off the ginger, spring onion and garlic in the sesame oil on a very low heat for 5-7 mins, do not allow to brown
Place to one side to cool and drain off any excess oil
Add the cooled garlic, spring onion and ginger to the mince along with the soy sauce and chilli powder, mix well to combine
Place in the fridge for 4 hours to allow the flavours to infuse
After the 4 hours has elapsed form the burger patties, up to you what size you'd like 
Place the burgers back in the fridge to firm up
I like to cook the burgers on the bbq direct heat.

Kimchi

Normally Kimchi is made several weeks in advance and then left to ferment to develop its flavour. You can make this a few days in advance. The flavours will be quite fresh with a little less of the zing that comes with fermentation.

200g Chinese cabbage, main thick stalk removed and roughly sliced
45g table salt
1 litre water
4 cloves garlic finely grated
50g ginger finely grated
70ml rice wine vinegar
50g caster sugar
10ml sesame oil
10ml fish sauce
50g korean chilli paste
4 spring onions finely chopped
50g carrot sliced into very thin strips


Place the cabbage leaves in a bowl with the water and salt and allow to soak for 3 hours
After the 3 hours have elapsed, remove the leaves and rinse off the excess salt
Mix together the garlic, ginger, sesame oil, chilli paste, sugar and fish sauce, stir well to combine
Place the cabbage, spring onion and carrot in a bowl and coat with the paste
Transfer to a clean airtight container or sterilised jar with the lid on and place in the fridge for 3 days
You can also leave this mix for up to one month before using

Assemble the burger in a bun topped with mayonnaise, cheddar and kimchi. 

Goat, Cooking and Eating - review

This is the first book from James Whetlor, founder of Cabrito goat meat and a keen advocate of ethical goat farming. While many of us would not necessary consider goat a daily staple or a go-to meat. James makes a good case on why we should consider it and also why more chefs need to put this on their menus.

The book starts out giving us a history and background about the goat industry through the ages and how it is perceived in various cultures for farming cooking and eating. It also gives us a good reason why we should consider goat meat, in particular billy goat meat. As well as ethical reasons, we get even more reasons in the shape of many and varied delicious recipes from Europe, India, the Caribbean, China, West Africa and the Middle east.

The recipes take the shape of various forms of cooking and cover everything from slow cooking to BBQ (some of my favourite methods of cooking), traditional roasts and bakes. You are greeted with recipes such as suya kid chops, the iconic Caribbean dish curry goat (you can't not have a curry goat recipe in there!) and moving to traditional dishes such as souvlaki, shawarma, pastilla, tagine and cassoulet. There are dishes to suit all tastes and all levels of cooking skills and if you want to push the boat out, how to make your own sausages and cook a whole goat as well!

As well as recipes from James himself, he has also given us recipes from the likes of Yotam Ottolenghi, Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall (one of my food heroes), Olia Hercules (a fellow alumna from my old chef school Leiths), Jeremy Lee, DJ BBQ and Gill Meller to name but a few. The photography by Mike Lusmore is striking and colourful and the dishes are styled simply which I like, it makes the recipes more approachable. I'm a big fan of spice and there are plenty of recipes that feature those elements.

It is also good to know that 50% of the proceeds from the book go to support the charity Farm Africa, who work with local farmers and communities to help them support themselves and fight poverty. 

I really enjoyed the diversity of recipes in the book and the fact it incorporated goat into dishes that would not necessarily feature it. Nice to see a nod to West African cooking too with suya and peanut curry dishes, as many of you know I've become a fan in the last few years. I certainly think this book will change people's mind about a not so well known meat and maybe we will start to see it become more widely available in the shops and feature on Restaurant menus too. Here in the Netherlands I know of only a few restaurants that feature goat Rijks and Nacarat in Amsterdam and Dartel in Leiden. If there are others, do let me know!

Goat is released on April 5th in the UK (currently available on Amazon) and in the US and Australia on the 1st of May. I have also been reliably informed that there is a Dutch version coming out soon and will keep my dutch readers posted as to when.

Grilled rack of kid goat and wild garlic pesto

Kid goat has a similar taste to lamb but I think it has a lot more flavour and texture and is also a leaner meat. The pesto uses raw walnuts which add a lovely creamy texture and the wild garlic has a nice light tang which goes well with the grilled goat.

1 6 bone rack of kid goat (fat cap removed)
10ml oil for coating 
salt and pepper to taste

Set your BBQ up for direct cooking with the cast iron griddle at 180c
Coat the rack in oil and season with the salt and pepper
Place the rack on the griddle and cook for 3 minutes until you have a nice char, turn and repeat for the other side and then place the rack standing up and cook the bottom for a further 3 minutes
If you are cooking rare then 9-15 minutes and a core temp of 49c - 54c is what you are aiming for
If the rack happens to be quite large, it will take a bit longer to reach core temps, I would advise transferring the rack to a heavy bottomed cast iron pan and cover with foil if you wish to cook it for longer
Cook for 9-15 minutes (core temp 49c - 54c) for rare, 18 minutes for medium rare (54c - 60c) or 22 minutes Medium (60c - 66c)

Remove the rack to one side and allow to rest for 10 minutes in a warm place

You an also cook the rack in the oven

Before cooking in the oven, coat the goat in the oil and season with salt and pepper

In a pan sear the goat on a high heat on all sides to get a nice char

Place the goat in the oven at 180c and follow the instructions above for how you cook it to your liking

Pesto

150ml olive oil

100g wild garlic leaves

75g raw walnuts

100g grated parmesan

Juice of half a lemon

Salt and pepper to taste

Place all the ingredients except the salt and pepper in a blender or food processor and blend until you get a rough textured sauce

Season to taste with the salt and pepper

7 hour roast goat with ras el hanout

Many of you may not have tried goat, never mind cooked it. Goat is more commonly associated with the dairy industry and many male goats are then sadly euthanized at birth as they are no longer of use to the farmer. The meat is not seen as popular so most of the males are not kept on the farm any longer than is necessary.

During October or Goatober/Boktober, as it has come to be named, goat meat is celebrated within the food industry to make people more aware of the meat. If more people eat goat, then male goats are kept for longer and there is less waste within the diary industry.

It is a very underestimated meat, and one would say it can be an acquired taste. Initial flavours would be similar to lamb, but goat does take on a gamier stronger flavour as it gets older. I find that it pairs well with stronger spice flavours in this instance. The younger goat can be treated much the same as lamb for recipes. Cooking and preparation, it is pretty much the same cuts as lamb so the approach is the same.

With this recipe you need to give yourself a couple of days for prepping and marinading, it also takes a day to cook as well. Thankfully it's not one of those recipes that you need to keep checking so just stick it in your BBQ or oven, ensure a constant temp and leave it to do its work.

2 kg goat shoulder or leg
100ml yoghurt
10ml oil
Juice of one lemon
Salt to season

Ras el hanout (my version)
15g cumin seeds
15g coriander seeds
1 inch piece of cinnamon
5 green cardamon pods
1 black cardamon pod
1 whole nutmeg
1 blade of mace
1 tsp black pepper corns
5 cloves
5g dried turmeric
15g paprika
5g chilli flakes
5g dried ginger
5g fenugreek seeds

Place all the spices, bar the ginger, turmeric and paprika in a pan and roast on a medium heat for 5 minutes
You can either place these in a mortar and pestle or use a coffee grinder to crush to a fine powder
Once you have made the powder then add the ginger, turmeric and paprika and mix through

This makes enough to be used again and will keep in an airtight container for up to 2 months

To prepare the goat
Rub the meat all over with the oil 
Mix 30g of the ras el hanout with the yoghurt and then smear on the goat until the meat is covered
Allow to marinate for 12 hours
Before cooking season with the salt and lemon juice

My preference is to cook this on the BBQ, I set mine up for indirect cooking at 110c
Place the goat on the BBQ with a drip tray underneath and cook for 7 hours
Those of you cooking in an oven need to set your oven to 110c (fan), 120c (normal)
Once the goat is cooked, allow to rest in a warm place for 1 hour before serving

I like to serve this with a tzatziki and beetroot, carrot, orange and cumin salad