Our resident chef Mark Hix explains how Goatober has crossed the Atlantic and is now converting British chefs on our windy shores
Ginuary, Leek Week, Avocado Hour – if you can think of it, there’s a date in the calendar set aside to honour it. It’s all got a bit ridiculous, to be honest, and that’s why we pick and choose the foodstuffs we celebrate at Hix group to suit each restaurant.
In case you missed it, this month is Goatober and before you rush out to your nearest city farm, it’s not about meeting them, it’s about eating them. The month is the brainchild of James Whetlor, a businessman specialising in cabrito goat meat, who is bringing this celebration to the UK following Goatober’s success in the US.
At the beginning of the month, he brought together a number of chefs to each cook a course featuring goat. The event really showed off the meat’s versatility; we rustled up a goat chop curry, for instance, while Gill Mellor from River Cottage made a goat tartare with fried oyster, and all proceeds went to Action Against Hunger – a great foodie charity to support.
The evening left me wondering why goat wasn’t more popular; the flavour and texture is very similar to lamb, but you rarely see it on menus in the UK, unless it’s a Caribbean restaurant.
At Hix Oyster and Chop House in Farringdon, our head chef Jamie Guy is not only showcasing the goat chop curry, but a goat roly poly, a delicious savoury version of the classic jam dessert, made using a base of neeps.
Hix's Goat curry
SERVES 4
It's important to buy a single muscle cut for this or use goat chops
Ingredients
For the roasted curry spices
- 1tbsp fenugreek seeds
- 1tbsp fennel seeds
- 1tbsp fenugreek leaves
- 1tbsp cumin seeds
- 1tbsp dried chilli powder
- ½tbsp caraway seeds
- ½tbsp nigella seeds
- 1tbsp turmeric
- 6 cloves
- 1tbsp mustard seeds
- ½tbsp podded cardamon seeds (the black seeds inside the green pods)
- 1tbsp ground cumin
- 1tbsp ground coriander
- 1tsp ground cinnamon
Put all of the spices into a heavy-bottomed frying pan and cook over a medium heat, stirring constantly and not letting them burn, until they turn dark brown. Transfer to a plate and leave to cool, then store in a sealed jar if you aren't using them straight away.
For the curry
- 800g-1kg goat meat, cut into rough 3-4cm chunks
- 2-3tbsp natural yogurt
- 2 medium red onions, peeled and finely chopped
- 3 medium cloves of garlic, peeled and crushed
- A small piece of root ginger, scraped and finely grated
- A good pinch of saffron
- A good pinch of curry leaves
- 75g ghee (or a half oil/half butter mix)
- 2tbsp roasted curry powder (see above)
- 1tbsp tomato purée
- 500ml lamb or beef stock
- A few sprigs of coriander, roughly chopped
Marinate the goat in the yogurt for a couple of hours. Meanwhile, gently cook the onion, garlic, ginger, saffron and curry leaves in two thirds of the ghee for 3-4 minutes, until soft. Add the curry spices and tomato purée and stir well. Add the stock, bring to the boil and simmer for 20 minutes. Blend a quarter of the sauce in a liquidiser, until smooth, then add it back to the pan and return to a low heat and simmer until the sauce has reduced and thickened. Heat the remaining ghee in a frying pan, remove the excess yogurt from the goat and season and fry until lightly coloured. Pour the sauce in and simmer gently for about 1-2 hours or until tender, topping up with water or more stock as it's cooking. Add the coriander, simmer for a couple minutes and serve with basmati rice