Mauritian Goat Curry

Goat meat is not easy to source in rural Andalucía unlike Brixton or places in the Midlands, and notwithstanding the number of goat herds I have seen, it was still very surprising when I stumbled across it at Carrefour - I grabbed a leg, like you do. Cabrito, a word of Spanish origin, refers specifically to young, milk-fed goat and that's what I purchased.

According to Wiki: As of 2010 goat is the most widely consumed red meat, eaten by more than 70% of the world's population. It is a staple of Africa, Asia and South/Central America, and a delicacy in a few European cuisines.

Despite being classified as red meat, goat is leaner and contains less cholesterol and fat than both lamb and beef, and fewer calories than beef or chicken; therefore, it requires low-heat, slow cooking to preserve tenderness and moisture.

I followed one of Gordon Ramsay's recipes, more or less anyway - Mauritian Goat Curry, delicious it was too.

Make a chilli paste by whizzing up a small red onion, 2 garlic cloves, 2 chillies (seeded if desired), a knob of fresh ginger, seasoning and oil ... 

Cut the meat into bite size pieces and brown in a little oil, setting aside.

Fry off the chilli paste, then add turmeric, cumin seeds, mustard seeds, cinnamon stick, a star anise (use fennel seeds if you wish) cardamom pods, brown sugar, few curry leaves, chopped fresh tomatoes, stock...

Add meat back to pan, you can add some cubed potatoes at this stage too, bring to a boil then turn down to a simmer. Open a bottle of wine then return in 3 hours or more... you may want to open another bottle - the meat should be tender and the curry will have thickened up.

Serve sprinkled with fresh coriander leaves, Indian apple pickle and naan bread on the side.