Goat Curry

Don't be put off by the cooking time – make it on a day when you have time to spare and you haven't just come in from work – it may be a long time, but believe me it is 100% worth it!
Goat is something I had never tried before (I presume that’s the same for most people) but I saw this recipe and I thought I had to try it. However goat can be difficult to come across especially where I live – thankfully my dad works with someone that uses goat regularly and so we were able to get some (if you can’t get goat mutton is a perfect alternative)

Ingredients – Serves 4 – Ready in 4 hours 30 minutes

• 1kg goat shoulder (or other braising cut)
  
• 3 tbsp olive oil
  
• ½ tsp turmeric
  
• ½ tsp ground cumin or cumin seeds
  
• ½ tsp mustard seeds
  
• 1 cinnamon stick
  
• 2 star anise
  
• 4 cardamom pods , lightly crushed
  
• 1 tsp unrefined light brown sugar
  
• a few curry leaves (optional)
  
• 1 x 400g tin chopped tomatoes
  
• 400ml chicken stock or water
  
• a handful of coriander leaves, for garnishing

CHILLI PASTE

• 1 small onion , roughly chopped
  
• 4 garlic cloves , peeled
  
• 4 small seeded chillies , roughly chopped
  
• 3cm piece ginger , roughly chopped
  
• generous pinch sea salt
  
• 3 tbsp groundnut oil

Now for the How To:

• To make the chilli paste:
  
• Put all the ingredients into a small food processor and whizz to a fine paste.
  
• Stop the machine and scrape down the bowl two or three times to ensure it's all evenly ground.
  
• Scrape the paste into a small bowl and set aside.
  
• For the curry
  
• Cut the goat shoulder into small, bite-size chunks and season with salt and pepper.
  
• Heat half the oil in a wide saucepan.
  
• Fry the meat in two batches until golden brown all over.
  
• After each batch, remove to a plate and set aside.
  
• Tip the chilli paste into the pan and stir over medium heat for 2-3 minutes until fragrant.
  
• Add the dried spices, sugar and curry leaves, if using.
  
• Continue to stir for another minute.
  
• Add the chopped tomatoes and stock to the pan and stir well.
  
• Reduce the heat, cover the pan and cook slowly for 3-4 hours until the meat is just tender.
  
• Remove the lid and skim off the excess oil.
  
• Gently simmer for another 20-30 minutes until the curry has reduced and thickened. The meat should be very tender.
  
• Season to taste and serve topped with coriander leaves.

This was a truly amazing curry! The goat was so tender it completely fell off the bone and melted in the mouth, the paste was zingy, but wasn't over powering – I seriously have no faults on this recipe – if the idea of goat puts you off try it with mutton, as it’s cooked for such a long time the meat is delicious and so tender! We all thought it was worth the lengthy cooking time – something like this needs to be done correctly and it wasn't worth risking ruining it by trying to speed up the cooking process!

Make it at a dinner party and everyone will love it!

I think goat now stands at the strangest thing I have eaten – what about you? Have you tried anything out of the ordinary?

Bye for Now! X

Goan Fish Curry

This may sound a little strange… but where I live we actually have a mobile fish monger. So basically they drop around a leaflet advising you of the fish they have and prices etc and every couple of months they will give you a call and see what fish you want and how much. So my dad signed up for it and it’s an excellent service, much cheaper than the supermarkets and the fish is caught that morning and then transported around!
Anyway… because of this we ended up having a lot of fish in the freezer and so I wanted to do something different with it and to try a different style of curry, and so Goan it was!
I thought this was an excellent curry, I thought it might have been a bit spicy, but the flavours were brilliant and the fish was so tender and it was just lovely all round, and as an added bonus its ready in less than 30 minutes, a perfect midweek curry!

Serves 2 – ready in 30 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 tsp coriander seeds
  
• ½ tsp cumin seeds
  
• 1 dried red chilli
  
• olive oil
  
• 1 onion , halved and sliced
  
• a small piece root ginger , finely grated
  
• 2 garlic cloves , crushed
  
• ½ tsp turmeric
  
• 1 x 400ml tin coconut milk
  
• 1 tsp tamarind paste
  
• 1-2 green chillies , finely sliced
  
• 300g sustainable firm white fish such as haddock , Pollack or cod, cut into chunks
  
• steamed rice to serve

Now for the How To:

• Toast the seeds and dried red chilli, then grind in a pestle and mortar, or spice grinder.
  
• Heat a little oil in a pan and cook the onion with a big pinch of salt until soft and golden.
  
• Add the ginger, garlic, turmeric and ground spices and fry for 1 minute.
  
• Add the coconut, tamarind and green chillies and simmer for 5 minutes.
  
• Add the fish and cook for 3-4 minutes until just cooked. Serve with rice.

Give it a try and let me know what you think!
Next up is a Lemon Drizzle Cake!
Bye for Now! X

Mini Meatloaves with chive Mash

I’ve often heard of meat loaves in American TV shows and movies, and so I decided its worth giving it a go to see what all the fuss is about, I'm not sure if it’s exactly how the Americans do it, but there’s no harm in trying!

Serves 4 – read in 1 hour including prep

Ingredients:

For the Meatloaves:

·         4 tsp olive oil

·         1 onion, finely chopped.

·         1 carrot, finely chopped

·         50g fresh breadcrumbs

·         175ml passata

·         2tsp Worcestershire sauce

·         1 egg, beaten

·         500g lean beef or pork mince

·         2tsp thyme leaves

·         2 plum tomatoes, halved, seeds scraped out

·         1 tsp sugar

For the Chive Mash:

·         4 large potatoes (Maris Pipers)

·         2tbsp butter

·         100ml milk

·         chives

Now for the How To:

·         Heat oven to 200c / 180 fan / gas 6 and heat 1tsp oil in a large frying pan.

·         Add the onion and carrot and soften for 10 minutes.

·         Once cooked add to a large bowl, add the breadcrumbs, 5 tbsp of the pasta, the Worcestershire sauce, egg, mince half the thyme and some seasoning. Mix well.

·         Brush 4 large ramekins, or 6 muffin tins with the remaining oil (if using the silicone muffin trays, the extra oil isn’t needed)

·         Press the mince mixture into them, and pour the remaining cassata over the top.

·         Top each one with a tomato half, sprinkled with a pinch of sugar, salt and pepper and the remaining thyme.

·         Bake for 50 minutes.

·         Meanwhile peel and chop the potatoes and boil for 15 minutes in salted water until tender.

·         Drain and return to the pan, mash with the butter and the milk.

·         Season to taste, fold through a small bunch snipped chives and serve.

I didn’t really know what to expect from this recipe, as I didn’t really know what a meat loaf was! But the only way I can think of describing it is a mix between a meatball and a faggot it was delicious and I can understand exactly why it’s so often mentioned in American TV shows and films! I will be trying this recipe again soon!

Next up is a desert and cinnamon Nutella Cake!

Bye for Now! X