Recipes

All in all, goat meat, also called chevon is closer in flavor and texture, to venison than lamb meat. But for very young kids, the meat will look a bit darker. It is even lower in cholesterol than chicken and has as much protein as beef. It can be cooked in numerous ways, ground and smoked, frozen or canned. A variety of herbs and marinades can be used to accommodate it. You have to use about 2 pounds of meat for 4 persons. Red and rose wines are the best companions.

For a simple marinade place the meat in a deep dish, add 2 big sliced carrots, 2 sliced onions, 1/2 a tea spoon of pepper, 1 clove, thyme and laurel. Cover with red wine and allows to marinate for 2 days. Any marinated meat must be quickly browned in order for the marinade not to drain out of the meat, reduce temperature after 15 minutes and proceed with cooking.

One of the most complete set of recipes, along with plenty of information about goat meat facts, can be found in the book of Mary Jane Toth "Goats produce too!" There is also a very nice recipe book in Gail Bowman's book "Raising meat goats for profit". You will find some recipes in "Meat goats, their history, management and diseases" by Stephanie & Allison Mitcham.

Here is a simple way of preparing roast kid:
take a leg of a kid of 3 to 4 months old, weighing 2 to 3 pounds, pierce it with the point of your knife in 6 to 8 places where the flesh is the thickest. Into the gashes place a piece of peeled garlic, or place garlic in half of the gashes and force tiny strips of bacon in half of them. Place the meat in a lightly greased roasting pan with half a pint of water or veal broth and a teaspoon of salt and pepper; break 1 1/2 ounce of butter over the meat. Roast in the oven at 350F, allowing around 30 minutes per pound. After cooking scrape your roasting pan, add a little water if necessary and cover the meat with that gravy.

Chevon is also pleasant prepared as a veal blanquette. Here is what you need:
- 1 cup dry white wine
- 2 onions peeled (one can be studded with 2 cloves)
- 1 small bouquet garni
- 1 peeled garlic clove
- some salt & pepper
- about 2 pounds of goat meat (e.g. shoulder or leg, cut in small pieces)
- 1/4 cup of butter
- 1/3 cup white flower
- 1 egg yolk
- 3 table spoons of heavy whipping cream
- 2 table spoons of lemon juice
- optional: 1 1/2 cup of sliced mushrooms

Add about 6 cups of cold water to the wine, onions, garlic and the bouquet garni. Season and bring to a boil, then add the meat, cover, lower to medium heat and let simmer for about half an hour. Drain the meat, set aside with 1 cup 1/2 of the stock. Melt about 3 tablespoons of butter in a skillet, add the meat and sprinkle with flower. Once the meat is brown slowly add the stock and let again simmer for about half an hour. Use the remaining butter to cook the mushrooms, add them to the meat. Combine the egg yolk with the lemon juice and the whipping cream, add to the meat.

Kid with saffron Cut the meat in cubes, add salt, pepper, thyme, laurel, paprika and fennel (preferably in powder.) Squeeze a lemon, mix with 3 table spoons of olive oil, rub the meat and let it rest for 3 hours. Warm up 4 table spoons of olive oil in a deep skillet and brown the meat, then add 6 ounces of minced onions per pound of meat, allow the onions to melt at moderate temperature. pour boiling water up to the level of meat in your skillet, add half a tea spoon of saffron and a clove of garlic, cook for about 25/30 minutes per pound of meat.

Kid with sorrel Cut the meat into cubes, add salt and pepper. Melt 3 ounces of butter in the cooking pan, gently brown the meat, adding a bit of broth now and then, add a crushed clove of garlic and let it cook for 20 minutes per pound. Keep the meat warm. In a separate pan slowly cook the minced sorrel with a couple of tea spoons of olive oil, add half a cup of heavy whipping cream When ready to serve add 1 egg yolk, the juice from a lemon and half a cup of whipping cream to the sorrel sauce, pour onto meat.

Here is a simple way to prepare a Calderade: In a deep oven dish place layers of cut up meat, potatoes, onions slices, tomato and sweet pepper slices. Cover to mid height with water, add thyme, laurel, salt and pepper. Cover and cook at moderate temperature for 25/30 minutes per pound of meat.

Moroccan inspired Tajine This is a kind of stew which is called after the very cooking vessel it is cooked into (the conical pot's lid withholds the steam and gently steams meat and vegetables.) It is often served with couscous (I prefer the wheat couscous, count 1 pound of couscous to serve 6 people.) Heat 2 or 3 table spoons of butter or oil, stir in 2 finely chopped onions and saute until golden brown. Stir in your spices: 1 or 2 tea spoons of turmeric, 1 tea spoon of ground ginger, 1 or 2 tea spoons of cinnamon. Add the meat and coat it with the mixture of spices. Add enough water to almost cover the meat and bring it to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover and gently simmer it for 1 1/2 to 2 hours. You can then either make it real sweet by adding some honey or add more fiery spices like harissa or ras-el-hanout. Cook for another 30 minutes. You can enrich your tajine with fruit (dates, prunes, apricots), nuts (almonds, pistachios, chestnuts) and/or vegetables (zucchini, bell peppers, tomatoes, eggplants, carrots.)

Desert for anyone? Here are a few suggestions:

To prepare these ramequins a la creme you will need 4 to 6 small porcelain ramekins, 1 3/4 cups of milk, 1/2 cup of heavy whipping cream, 6 egg yolks, 3 table spoons of fine granulated sugar and 1 teaspoon of dried verbena leaves. Preheat the oven at 300F and slowly heat the milk and whipping cream, remove from the heat, add the verbena leaves, cover and let steep for 10 minutes. Mix the egg yolks and sugar until it thickens and becomes almost white. After removing the verbena leaves add the mixture milk/cream while continuing to mix. Fill the ramekins, put them in a bain-marie (high sided oven casserole which you fill with with warm water) place in the oven for about 20 minutes, cool before eating.

For this mousse de fromage blanc you will need 1 cup of chilled heavy whipping cream, 1/2 cup of confectioner's sugar, 1 cup of fromage blanc and 1 vanilla bean. Pour the chilled cream in a bowl and whik until it gets frothy, stir in the sugar, then gently fold in the fromage blanc. Cut the vanilla bean in half lengthwise and scrape the seeds in the mixture. Pour into ramekins and cool before serving.

To make an unusual liqueur with goat's milk, mix a quart of fresh milk with a quart of white rum, add 6 ounces of fine granulated sugar, one finely sliced lemon and 2 sliced vanilla beans. Allow to rest in a bottle or covered dish in the fridge, mixing the whole mixture every day. After 3/4 days filter and serve with a sprinkle of cinnamon or nutmeg. Do not keep for more than a week.

Ready for a caramel or two? This is what you will need to make about 12: 1 cup milk, 1 cup fine granulated sugar, 2 1/2 table spoons of butter and 2 table spoons of honey. You will also need one metal ice tray and some sunflower oil. Oil the base and sides of the ice tray. Pour the milk in a heavy pan, add the sugar, butter and honey. Bring it to simmering and cook over low heat for 20/30 minutes stirring constantly (depending on the length of cooking you will obtain soft or hard caramels.) Pour the mixture in the ice tray while still hot and let it cool at room temperature, cut into square pieces.