Jamaican Curry Goat

Ingredients

• 1.4 kg (3 lb) bone-in goat shoulder or leg, cut into 5 cm pieces
• Juice of 2 limes, for washing the meat
• 4 tbsp Jamaican curry powder
• 1 tbsp all-purpose seasoning
• 1 tsp ground allspice (pimento)
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 1 tsp salt, plus more to taste
• 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 6 garlic cloves, crushed
• 4 spring onions, chopped
• 4 sprigs fresh thyme
• 8 whole pimento (allspice) berries
• 1 scotch bonnet pepper, left whole
• 3 tbsp coconut or vegetable oil
• 750 ml water or light stock
• 2 medium waxy potatoes, peeled and cut into 4 cm chunks

Before you cook

• Wash the goat pieces in a bowl of cold water with the lime juice, then drain and pat dry.
• Stir together 2 tablespoons of the curry powder with the all-purpose seasoning, allspice, ground ginger, salt and black pepper.
• Rub the spice mixture into every piece of goat with your hands.
• Add the onion, garlic, spring onions and thyme to the bowl and toss through the meat.
• Cover and marinate in the fridge for at least 4 hours, ideally overnight.
• Peel the potatoes and cut them into chunks.

Steps

1. Lift the onion, garlic, spring onion and thyme off the marinated goat and set them aside in a small bowl.
2. Heat the oil in a heavy Dutch pot over medium-high heat until it shimmers.
3. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of curry powder to the hot oil and stir for 30 seconds until it darkens and smells toasty.
4. Lay the goat into the pot in a single layer and brown it hard for 8 minutes, turning the pieces once.
5. Tip in the reserved onion, garlic, spring onion and thyme and stir for 4 minutes until softened.
6. Add the pimento berries and pour in the water.
7. Bring the pot to a boil, then drop the heat to the barest simmer and put the lid on.
8. Cook for 2 hours, stirring every 30 minutes, until the goat pulls away from the bone.
9. Add the potato chunks and lay the whole scotch bonnet on top of the stew.
10. Simmer uncovered for 25 minutes until the potatoes are tender and the gravy clings to a spoon.
11. Lift out the scotch bonnet and any bare thyme stalks.
12. Taste the gravy and adjust the salt, then rest the pot off the heat for 10 minutes before serving with white rice.