Grenadian-Style Curried Goat

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For this recipe, use a good quality imported curry powder; the domestic curry powders just don’t have the taste or the punch needed for this recipe. Serve this dish with rice and peas or fried plantains or cooked yams.

Ingredients

  • 2 pounds fresh goat (or lamb), cut into large pieces, washed

  • 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

  • 4 tablespoons freshly grated ginger

  • 1 teaspoon salt

  • 4 tablespoons vegetable oil (use coconut oil if available)

  • 4 tablespoons white sugar

  • 2 hot Scotch bonnet (or habanero) chiles, seeds and stems removed, minced

  • 6 cloves garlic, minced

  • 2 cups chopped onion

  • 1 tomato, peeled, seeded, and chopped

  • 3/4 cup tomato sauce

  • 4 tablespoons imported curry powder

  • 3 teaspoons dried thyme, or 4 sprigs fresh thyme

  • 1 cup water, if necessary

Instructions

Put the cut-up goat in a large, shallow glass dish. Drizzle the lime juice over the meat, and spread the ginger over the meat. Sprinkle the meat with the salt, then cover the pan and marinate in the refrigerator for 4 to 6 hours.

Heat a very large, heavy casserole to a high heat, add the oil and the sugar, and allow the mixture to carmelize. Add the meat and remove the casserole from the heat and allow the meat to brown without stirring for 30 seconds. Return the pan to the heat, stir the meat, and finishing browning it.

Turn the heat down to medium and cook for 10 to 15 minutes, carefully turning and stirring the meat.

Add the chile peppers, garlic, and onion; reduce the heat to a simmer, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes stirring twice. Then add the remaining ingredients, cover, and simmer for 1 ½ to 2 hours, or until the meat is tender. Stir the meat occasionally and check to make sure it doesn’t burn. Add more water, if necessary.

Trinidadian Coconut-Curried Goat

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Goat meat, which is not commonly eaten in the United States (except in the Southwest), appears in many West Indian recipes. The Trinis sometimes eat curried goat Jamaican-style, but this version with coconut is more customary.

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons ghee (clarified butter) or vegetable oil

  • 1 onion, chopped fine

  • 2 cloves garlic, minced

  • 3 seasoning peppers, seeds and stems removed, chopped fine (or substitute Yellow Wax Hots)

  • 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger

  • 2 teaspoons ground coriander

  • 1 teaspoon turmeric

  • ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

  • 2 teaspoons red chile powder (powdered pure chiles, without spices)

  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin

  • 1½ pounds lean goat meat (or substitute lamb), cut into ½ -inch cubes

  • 1½ cups water

  • 2 tablespoons coconut cream, or more to taste

  • salt to taste

Instructions

Heat the ghee or oil in a skillet, add the onion, garlic, peppers, and ginger and sauté for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add the coriander, turmeric, black pepper, chile powder, and cumin and sauté for another 3 minutes, stirring constantly.

Add the meat and brown it, stirring occasionally. Add the water and simmer the meat until tender, about 1 hour. Add more water if the mixture becomes too dry. Stir in the coconut cream and cook for 5 minutes.

Add salt to taste and serve hot with rice and a chutney of choice.

Southwestern Chipotle Corn Chowder

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The word chowder comes from the French chaudiere meaning caldron, which traditionally were the iron pots used to cook soup, and the term refers to a thick soup or stew. This chowder combines two native Southwestern ingredients, chile and corn. The chipotle chile gives the soup a rich smoky taste which compliments grilled foods, but other chiles can be substituted. Jalapeños, serranos, and green New Mexican chiles are also tasty substitutes. This soup can be made heartier with the addition of crab, clams, shrimp, or chicken.

Ingredients

  • 1 medium potato, peeled and diced

  • 2 strips bacon

  • 1 small onion, chopped

  • ½ cup diced bell pepper

  • 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

  • 3 cups chicken broth

  • 1 15-ounce can creamed corn

  • 1 cup whole-kernel corn

  • 2 teaspoons canned chipotle chiles in adobo sauce

  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

  • ½ cup cream, optional

  • Garnish: Crumbled bacon

Instructions

Precook the potatoes in a microwave on high for 5 to 6 minutes or until just done.

Fry the bacon in a heavy stockpot or saucepan until crisp. Remove the bacon, drain on a paper towel, and reserve for the garnish. Add the onion and bell pepper to the pot and saute for 5 minutes or until the vegetables are softened. Add the flour into the onion mixture and continue to saute for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring constantly to cook the flour but being careful that the flour doesn’t brown.

Add the broth, both corns, potatoes, chipotle, and cumin. Raise the heat and bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer the soup for 20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Slowly stir in the cream, if using, and simmer for an additional 5 minutes.

Crumble the reserved bacon. Ladle the soup into a tureen or individual bowls, garnish with the bacon and serve.

African Groundnut Soup

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West African cooking quite often uses the mixture of chiles and peanuts, which are called groundnuts there. This unusual soup uses peanut butter as the peanut source and is one that you can have it on the table in under an hour. Don’t eliminate mixing the peanut butter with a little of the soup before adding to the pot, or the mixture may curdle.

Ingredients

  • 1 to 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, peanut preferred

  • 2 carrots, peeled and diced

  • 1 medium onion, chopped

  • ½ teaspoon grated ginger

  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

  • 6 chile piquins

  • ½ teaspoon sugar

  • 3 cups chicken broth

  • 1 cup creamy peanut butter

  • Salt to taste

  • 1 cup cooked rice

  • Garnish: Chopped fresh cilantro

Instructions

 

Heat the oil in a heavy stockpot or saucepan add the carrots, onions, and ginger and saute until the carrots are softened, about 5 minutes. Add the cumin, chile, sugar, and broth and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 30 minutes

 

Remove the soup from the heat and put it in blender or food processor and puree until smooth. Strain the soup back into the pot and return and reheat.

In a small bowl mix the peanut butter with ½ cup of the soup until smooth. Stir this mixture into the soup and simmer for an additional 5 minutes or until hot.

To serve, put some of the rice in the bottom of individual bowls, top with the soup, garnish with cilantro and serve.

 

Pebre (Chilean Salsa)

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Chileans have this salsa in their homes for every meal and, why not? It can be used on everything but cornflakes! As prepared from this recipe, pebre commences with a nice side-cheek “glow,” proceeds on with a back of the throat grab and climaxes with a tip o’ the tongue tingle–all the while maintaining a tasty, lingering flavor.

Ingredients

  • ½ large onion, chopped

  • 1 clove garlic, minced

  • ½ teaspoon ground coriander

  • 1 small bunch cilantro, finely minced fine

  • Juice of 2 small lemons

  • 1 ½ tablespoons olive oil

  • 3 tablespoons Ají (chile) sauce, or substitute your favorite thick hot sauce

Instructions

Combine all the ingredients in a non-metallic bowl and let sit for at least an hour to blend the flavors.