Luxe ‘Irish Stew’ of Goat

From Lyndey Milan’s Taste of Ireland: episode 6, The Burren and Galway

Irish stew is traditionally made of lamb, potatoes and onions and with long, slow cooking the potatoes start to disintegrate and thicken the broth. However, I learned when I was in The Burren, that there is a long tradition of goats in Ireland, beginning as long ago as the great Irish potato famine in 17th. Therefore when I was in the area I decided to make a deluxe version of Irish stew using goat. You could also use lamb.

Servings: 4 – 6
Preparation Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 1 – 2 hours

Ingredients:
1 shoulder (or leg) of goat, cut into chunks (approx 1.2kilos)
¼ cup (35g) plain flour
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
¼ cup (60ml) rapeseed or olive oil
1 litre (4 cups) chicken or lamb stock
6 cloves garlic
20 (800g) baby new potatoes
1 bunch (400g) Dutch carrots, peeled
4 small (480g) parsnips, peeled
1 bunch green onions, trimmed and cut into 5cm lengths
Freshly chopped parsley

1. Toss goat in flour seasoned with salt and pepper. (A plastic bag works well to keep the hands clean).
2. Heat one tablespoon (20ml) oil in a frying pan over medium high heat. Add half the meat and brown all over, turning frequently. Remove. Repeat with another tablespoon (20ml) oil and remaining meat. Remove. Deglaze the frying pan with stock, scraping up any brown bits on the bottom which add to the flavour of the sauce.
3. Heat a large pot suitable for stove top or oven over medium high heat. Add remaining tablespoon (20ml) oil. Add garlic cloves and cook, stirring continuously until they start to brown. Layer meat, potatoes, carrots, parsnip and green onions on top of the garlic. Pour over stock from frying pan. Bring to the boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer for an hour or until goat is tender. (Cooking time will depend on the age of the goat and also if it is wild or farmed. If it requires very long cooking remove the vegetables after an hour and then return after the goat is tender to warm through).
4. Taste for seasoning. Sprinkle with parsley and serve immediately with a glass of Guinness.