Curried goat

You may be bored with curried goat. You may have had it up to here with its proliferation, from the goat stands to the fast food “Mighty McGoat.” You may have even told yourself, “I’m never eating goat again, and if Roumel writes about it, I’m skipping to the new case filings to see who got divorced.” But trust me on this one. It was one of the best things I’ve ever eaten.

At a recent “seminar” in New Orleans, one of the “sessions” was held at an intriguing French-Jamaican restaurant called “Compere Lapin” (translated to “Brother Rabbit,” another helpless creature that might find itself in the stewpot). The curried goat with sweet potato gnocchi and cashews caught my eye, and it turns out to be Chef Nina Compton’s signature dish. Compton blends her Caribbean roots with classical French training and was runnerup on Top Chef before opening her restaurant in 2015. She is garnering rave reviews with dishes like this one.

Yes, I know you’re probably all goated-out. But at least try this one once, when you’ve got ten pounds of goat you just don’t know what to do with and want to try a recipe as baffling as the New York Times Thursday crossword puzzle.

Curried Goat

Ingredients

10 lbs. baby goat cut into sections

2 quarts mirepoix made with equal parts celery, onions and carrots (the holy trinity of Cajun/Creole cuisine – look it up)

1 bunch each thyme and rosemary

1 bottle white wine

2 ­quarts canned tomatoes roughly chopped

2-3 quarts Brown chicken stock, as needed

2 cups curry mix (recipe follows, or buy mix)

4 cans of coconut milk

2 cups ginger roughly chopped

2 jalapenos chopped roughly

2 dried ancho chiles

Curry Spice Mix

Combine the spices below and multiply x 15

1 teaspoon Garam Masala

1/2 teaspoon ground coriander

1/4 teaspoon dry or 1 medium piece fresh  turmeric chopped finely

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/4 teaspoon cayenne

1/4 teaspoon onion powder

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

Finished Ragu

4 onions julienned

1 large sachet rosemary

1 bottle white wine

35 cherry tomatoes dehydrated

4 oz. baby mustard greens

3 teaspoons garlic sliced

Plantain Gnocchi

5 large egg yolks

5 sweet plantains

1/4-1/2 lb. AP flour

salt

Method: In a mixer combine the plantains, egg, salt and then add the flour slowly. Pipe the mixture onto a cutting board and then cut in to inch logs and then place in a floured sheet tray and freeze.

Garnish

Chopped cilantro

Chopped cashews

Method: Rub the goat with the curry powder and ¼ cup salt and refrigerate overnight. Season the meat with salt and pepper. In a large roasting pan, sear the meat on all sides ensuring it is golden brown on each side (on medium heat this should take about 10 minutes). This develops the flavor. Once brown on all sides, remove from pan. In the same pan, sweat the vegetables (mirepoix, peppers) on medium heat, add the ginger and the herbs, and continue to cook until the vegetables are translucent.

Add the tomatoes and reduce. Deglaze with the wine (using a wooden spoon gently rub the bottom of the roasting pan, releasing the cooked meat particles or the “Fond” or foundation of the ragu). Let it reduce on low heat and cook down by half of the volume. Pour into a deep hotel pan, then add the goat and then cover with brown chicken stock. Cover with foil and cook at 325° until tender — about 3 hours. Using tongs, remove the goat and place on a baking tray. Strain the braising liquid through a fine strainer and reserve.

Take the meat off the bone and leave in medium sized chunks in a medium sauce pot. Add 2 tablespoons olive oil and caramelize the onions heavily. Add the rosemary and garlic, then add wine and reduce to “sec” or almost dry. Add the braised goat and braising liquid and coconut milk. Cook for 1 hour until the ragu is thick on low heat. Cook the gnocchi in boiling salted water until floating. Drain and add to the ragu and simmer for about one minute, add cherry tomatoes and mustard greens. Garnish with chopped cashews and picked cilantro.

OK OK. I get it. In the time, effort, and expense it would take to actually make this recipe, you could book a trip to New Orleans, make reservation at Compere Lapin, and have it served to you on a platter. But in actually making it, you get a sense of what separates a professional chef from the cook who slaps a ground goat patty on your Mighty McGoat.

Anyone who does actually make this, message me. I’ll come and help!

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Nick Roumel is a principal with Nacht & Roumel PC, a firm in Ann Arbor specializing in employment and civil right litigation. He has many years of varied restaurant and catering experience, has taught Greek cooking classes, and wrote a food/restaurant column for “Current” magazine in Ann Arbor. Follow him at Twitter @nickroumel or Instagram @nroumel, or see fortyyearsacrossamerica.blogspot.com.