Jamaican Goat Curry

I’ve made a lamb Jamaican-style curry before, adapted from my Curry book but I’ve really wanted to give the real, goat-deal a try ever since I made that.

In Ludlow at a food festival with some friends earlier this year there was a stall selling packs of goat meat (and also the most amazing Goat Burgers - delicious) so naturally I grabbed a pack and stored it in the freezer until I could get hold of some Scotch Bonnets. In itself a bit of a mission until I had to make a trip to SW London.

Anyway, I’ve adapted from the recipe in Curry again with a few further changes inspired by ideas from other recipes read. Goat on the bone would have been better here but it took me so long to source some goat (admittedly in a fairly lazy way, a trip to Walworth Road or Peckham would almost certainly come up trumps a hell of a lot earlier) that I just went with what I had.

Serve with rice and peas (you could use this recipe). Fried plantain is traditional too if you’re able to get hold of some.


Jamaican Goat Curry
serves 3-4

500g diced goat
1 tbsp chives, finely chopped
2 Scotch Bonnet chillies, 1 deseeded and chopped, the other left whole
2 garlic cloves, crushed
½ tsp ground allspice
½ small bunch of thyme, leaves picked & chopped
2 tbsp Caribbean curry powder
scant ¼ tsp cumin powder
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 tbsp corinader, finely chopped
½ tbsp grated ginger
½ tsp salt
200ml coconut milk

Rinse & pat dry the cubed goat and then mix it, in a bowl, with the chives, chopped chili, allspice, cumin, 1 tbsp of curry powder and half the thyme and garlic.

Leave to marinate overnight if possible, or at the least 4 hours.

Around 15-30 minutes before you are ready to cook, take the meat out of the fridge so it can come to room temperature.

In a large cast iron casserole heat the oil and add the remaining garlic, thyme, the onion and ginger. Cook over a medium heat for about 5 minutes until the onion is softened and starting to turn golden.

Mix the remaining curry powder with 2 tbsp water to make a loose paste and add that to the pot. Cook, stirring all the time, until the liquid has evaporated.

Add the goat a few pieces at a time stirring between each batch to ensure that everything is coated with the curry mixture in the pan and then cook for five minutes until the meat is browned all over. You’ll need to stir fairly constantly to ensure it doesn’t stick.

Cover the pan and let simmer for another 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally then remove the lid and turn up the heat as we’ll want the natural juices that were released as it simmered to be evaporated off.

Now add the salt & whole Scotch Bonnet as well as the coriander, coconut milk and about 125ml water (swirl the water around in the bowl that had the meat marinating).

Bring to the boil before turning back down to low. Cover and simmer for 2 hours. Remove the lid and cook for a further 30 minutes or until the sauce is thickened and glossy and the meat fall-apart tender. Serve with rice and peas.