Jamaican Curry Goat

Method

1. Rinse the goat pieces (bone-in, about 4 cm), pat them dry and check for small bone splinters. Put them in a bowl with most of the curry powder, the allspice, salt, black pepper, half the onion, half the garlic, the grated ginger, and half the scallions and thyme. Rub everything in with your hands (wear gloves; curry stains), cover and refrigerate for at least 1 h, ideally overnight.

   Add in this stepGoat, bone-in, cut into 4 cm pieces 500 gJamaican curry powder 1½ tbspGround allspice (pimento) ½ tspSalt 1 tspGround black pepper ½ tspOnion, sliced ½Garlic cloves, crushed 2Fresh ginger, grated 10 gScallions, chopped 1Fresh thyme sprigs 1½

2. Heat the oil in a heavy 22 cm pot over medium heat. Add the remaining curry powder and stir for 1 min until it darkens slightly and smells toasty. Jamaican cooks call this 'burning' the curry, but stop before it turns black or it will taste bitter.

   Add in this stepVegetable oil 1½ tbspJamaican curry powder 1 tbsp

   medium heat

3. Turn the heat up to medium-high heat. Shake the marinade vegetables off the meat and set them aside, then add the goat and turn it in the curry oil for 6 min, until every side is coated and lightly browned. Stir the vegetables back in for the last minute.

   medium-high heat

4. Pour in most of the water, so the meat is almost covered, and add the rest of the onion, garlic, scallions and thyme. Drop in the whole scotch bonnet without cutting or piercing it. Bring to a boil on high heat, then cover, turn down to low heat and simmer for 1 h 20 min. Stir every 20 minutes and add a splash of hot water if the pot looks dry.

   Add in this stepWater 480 mlOnion, sliced ½Garlic cloves, crushed 2Scallions, chopped 1Fresh thyme sprigs 1½Scotch bonnet pepper, whole 1

   high heat→low heat

5. Peel the potatoes, cut them into 3 cm chunks and add them with the remaining water. Simmer uncovered on medium-low heat for 25 min, stirring now and then, until the meat pulls easily off the bone and some of the potato breaks down to thicken the gravy. If the pepper starts to split, lift it out straight away.

   Add in this stepPotatoes 300 gWater 120 ml

   medium-low heat

6. Turn off the heat. Carefully lift out the scotch bonnet and the bare thyme stems, taste the gravy and add a little salt if needed. Let it rest for 5 min, then serve with rice and peas, plain white rice or roti.