Tastes of the Caribbean - Part 2

We all think of ye olde pirates as plunderers of gold, silver and gems, but in reality they were more likely to attack merchant ships for other cargos, especially spices, as these ships were not as heavily armed and the spices could easily be traded throughout the newly colonised islands. Each island has its own hot sauce, made from the many different chillies, and a variety of curry powders can also be found. Marinating, or “seasoning up”, is used on many of the islands and typically starts with chopped chives and oregano, celery leaf, grated onion, mashed garlic, ground chillies, powdered cloves and lime juice. One of the most popular dishes of the Caribbean is definitely goat curry. I persuaded my Jamaican cousin, Leon, to share his amazing recipe with us.

Cousin Leon’s Jamaican Curry Gewt*

1.4kg goat meat – with bones to add flavour
and an element of surprise when you eat it!
2 onions, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 whole Scotch Bonnet pepper
3–4tbsp basic Caribbean curry powder,
depending on taste (choose one from
whichever island you’re on!)
2 lamb stock cubes
Cooking oil
28g ground black pepper
2tbsp salt
4 sprigs thyme
Juice of 2 limes
2 potatoes, peeled and cut into 1cm cubes
(optional)

1. Cut the meat into bite-sized pieces, and wash with the lime juice and water.
2. Rub the seasoning (garlic, onion, ground pepper, thyme and salt) into the meat
and refrigerate for an hour or overnight.
3. Remove the meat from the refrigerator (retaining the seasoning).
4. In a saucepan, heat the oil on high until fairly hot, then add one tablespoon of
curry powder. Stir more curry powder in until the colour starts to change.
5. Put the goat meat in the saucepan, stirring for two minutes and being careful
not to burn it.
6. Add two tablespoons of water with the lamb stock cubes to the pot. Keep
stirring until the meat looks like the muscles are tightening up.
7. Turn down the heat to medium and add two cups of water to the saucepan. Add
the Scotch Bonnet. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes.
8. Check on the meat in the pot, stir again and add water to cover the meat.
9. Simmer for another 20 minutes, and then check to see if the meat is medium soft. If it
is, return the seasoning you removed earlier to the pot. Add the potatoes now if desired.
10. Simmer for another 15 minutes on a slightly lower heat.
11. Taste to see if it’s hot enough, if not you’ll have to go hunting for another
Scotch Bonnet pepper. Find, slice up and return to the stove.
12. Cook the stew until most of the water is evaporated, and let the fat and bones
from the goat flavour the stew and add body.
13. Serve with rice, rotis and reggae!
*Seriously, this is how it’s pronounced!