Shoulder of Goat with Kasoundi

Was there ever a simpler dish than this to make in a slow cooker?  Two basic ingredients, and yet the flavor is outstanding.

You can purchase Kasoundi or make your own (recipe to follow)

For a 3.5 to 4 litre slow cooker. 

Serves 4 to 6.

1 boned shoulder of goat

½ cup Kasoundi

2 teaspoons cornflour mixed to a paste with 1 tablespoon cold water

Place the shoulder of goat in the slow cooker and spread with the Kasoundi. 

Place lid on cooker and cook for 4 to 5 hours on High or 8 to 9 hours on Low or until the meat is tender.

Heat oven to 190 degrees C. 

Remove goat from cooker and place in a baking dish. 

Bake for 10 minutes or until the topping dries a little and consolidates.

Remove from oven and leave to stand 10 minutes before carving.

Meanwhile, turn cooker to High setting for 10 minutes, then thicken the sauce with some or all of the cornflour paste. 

Skim any fat from surface and then add salt and pepper to taste.

Serve the goat, slice over couscous and drizzled with the sauce along with fresh seasonal vegetables or a green salad.

Kasoundi

This preserve is an Indian style chilli oil pickle.  You will notice that the finished product has some oil floating on top.  Please don’t be tempted to remove it, as it is an essential ingredient for the preserving.

Once the jar is emptied of pickle, this oil, which will remain to some extent in the jar.  It can be used to flavor dressings, or to sauté meats, chicken, fish or vegetables.

My personal favourite is to dip little pieces of fresh baked crusty bread into the flavoursome oil, a simple feast but absolutely delicious.

Ingredients

1½ cups white or cider vinegar

20 cloves garlic

2.5cm piece of green ginger

250g long red or green chillies, stalk end removed and each cut into 3 pieces

2kg ripe tomatoes, chopped

1½ tablespoons of mustard seeds

1 ½ cups oil such as mild flavoured olive, peanut or sunflower

One and a half tablespoons of turmeric

4 tablespoons cumin powder

1¼ cups sugar

1 tablespoon salt

Method

Peel the garlic and ginger, then place in a food processor with the chillies.

Blend well on high speed until well pureed. You can chop by hand of course if you don’t have a food processor)

Place in a large saucepan or jam pan with the rest of the ingredients.  Bring to the boil, stirring, then simmer for approximately two hours or until desired consistency is reached.

Pour into warm sterilized jars and seal immediately.

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Herbed Goat with Fennel and Preserved Lemon  

As the goat cooks, it is enhanced by the flavors of fennel and preserved lemon, which forms a sauce by the end of cooking time.  The goat is made even more flavoursome by its crisp herb crust.

For a 4.5 litre capacity slow cooker. 

Serves 4 to 6

For the herb crust

1 cup fresh breadcrumbs

3 cloves garlic, crushed

1 anchovy fillet, finely chopped

2 teaspoons finely grated lemon rind

3 teaspoons chopped fennel fronds

1 tablespoon chopped parsley

¼ teaspoon salt

For the goat and fennel

1 small fennel bulb, green fronds removed and the remainder cut into 8mm slices

2 teaspoons diced preserved lemon (rind only)

2 cloves garlic, crushed

3 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme

½ cup white wine, such as Sauvignon Blanc

1½ teaspoons ground fennel

¼ teaspoon salt

1 leg of goat, bone in

1½ teaspoons apricot jam

3 teaspoons cornflour mixed to a paste with 1½ tablespoons cold water

To make the herb crust, mix all ingredients together well.

Place the sliced fennel into the slow cooker, add the preserved lemon, garlic, thyme, wine, ground fennel and salt. 

Place the goat leg on top, fleshiest side up.  Spread the herb crust over, pressing onto the surface. 

Place lid on cooker and cook for 4 to 5 hours on High or 8 to 9 hours on Low until the meat is tender.

Heat oven to 200 degrees C.  Transfer goat from cooker and place in an ovenproof dish.  Place on an upper rack of the oven and cook for 10 minutes or until the crust is crisp.  Remove from oven and leave to rest.

Meanwhile, turn cooker to High setting and after 10 minutes, thicken the fennel sauce with some or all of the cornflour paste. 

Stir in the apricot jam and salt and pepper to taste.  Serve the goat, sliced with the fennel sauce and seasonal vegetables.

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Braised Goat Shanks with Mint and Cucumber Relish

This rich and delicious dish is made perfect by the slight acidity of the Relish

For a 4.5 to 5.5 litre capacity slow cooker.

 Serves 6

1 small red capsicum, diced

1 onion, diced

¼ cup diced dried apricots

3 cloves garlic, crushed

1 teaspoon whole grain mustard

2 teaspoons diced preserved lemon (skin only)

1½ teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

2 teaspoons redcurrant jelly

½ teaspoon salt

3 teaspoons cornflour mixed to a paste with 1½ tablespoons cold water

6 goat shanks

3 teaspoons cornflour mixed to a paste with 1½ tablespoons cold water

In the slow cooker, mix together the capsicum, onion, apricots, garlic, mustard,

preserved lemon, Worcestershire sauce, jelly and salt. 

Add the shanks to the cooker and stir well to coat.

Place lid on cooker and cook for 4 to 5 hours on High or 8 to 9 hours on Low or until the shanks are tender. 

Remove from the cooker and keep warm.

Slim any fat from surface and then add salt and pepper to taste. Thicken the sauce with some or all of the cornflour paste – cooking on High for 5 more minutes.

Serve with creamy mashed potato and seasonal vegetables.

Mint and Cucumber Relish

1 cucumber, finely diced

1 teaspoon salt

½ cup natural yoghurt

1 long red chilli, finely diced

½ small red capsicum, finely diced

1 spring onion, diced

½ teaspoon Dijon mustard

1½ tablespoons chopped mint

2 teaspoons lime juice

¼ teaspoons sugar

Mix the cucumber and salt together and mix well.  Leave to stand 10 minutes, then drain away the liquid.  Mix with the remaining ingredients.

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Slow cooked seasoned rabbit

I small onion, finely diced or grated

1 ¼ cups fresh breadcrumbs

1 teaspoon chopped fresh sage or rosemary

1 teaspoon chopped thyme

1 rasher bacon, finely diced

1 egg yolk

Pinch salt, optional

60ml apera (formerly known as sherry)

60ml tomato sauce (ketchup style)

1 rabbit, prepared for cooking

3 teaspoons cornflour

250ml chicken stock

Method

In a bowl, mix together the onion, breadcrumbs, herbs, egg yolk and salt.

Press this into the cavity of the rabbit.

Place rabbit in slow cooker.

Mix together the apera, tomato sauce and 60ml of the stock and pour over the rabbit.

Place  lid on cooker and cook on High for 4 hours approximately, or 30 minutes on High, then 5 to 6 hours on Low.

Remove rabbit from cooker and cover with foil.

Transfer liquid from cooker to a small saucepan.  Pour in the remaining chicken stock and bring to the boil.  Thicken (stirring) to desired consistency with some or all of the cornflour paste.

Serve portions of rabbit with a little of the stuffing with the gravy.