If you are a meat lover you should consider
eating more goat meat. Did you know goat has more protein than beef, it’s lean
and lower in fat than chicken and contains lower calories than beef chicken and
pork. And that’s why it has become of my favourite meats. On my last visit to
Princi Butchers in North Perth I was able to buy some marinated baby goat on
the bone and could not resist getting some to prepare this recipe which I adapted
from Chef Ashley Martin’s recipe for goat pithiviers as seen in SBS TV.
Ingredients
– 16 portions
1 kg marinated baby goat meat on the bone
2 diced onions
2 celery sticks diced
1 carrot diced
2 garlic cloves crushed
Sprig of thyme
2 diced onions
2 celery sticks diced
1 carrot diced
2 garlic cloves crushed
Sprig of thyme
Bay leaf
800 gms crushed tomato
200 ml dry white wine (Galafrey Sauvignon Blanc)
2 cups chicken stock or water (as needed)
olive oil salt and pepper
6 sheets Pampas puff pastry
1 egg separated. (White for sealing pastry. Yolk for glazing pastry.)
2 cups chicken stock or water (as needed)
olive oil salt and pepper
6 sheets Pampas puff pastry
1 egg separated. (White for sealing pastry. Yolk for glazing pastry.)
Nigella seeds - optional
Preparing
the ragu
Heat
some olive oil in a heavy based casserole. Sear several portions of goat meat at
a time without over crowding the pan. Cook each until brown then set aside in
another container.
Add another dash of olive oil to the heavy based casserole and then add onion, celery, carrot, garlic, thyme and bay leaf. Cook this till it begins to soften. Then add the dry white wine and cook for 5 minutes allowing the wine to reduce by half.
Add another dash of olive oil to the heavy based casserole and then add onion, celery, carrot, garlic, thyme and bay leaf. Cook this till it begins to soften. Then add the dry white wine and cook for 5 minutes allowing the wine to reduce by half.
Return
the goat meat to the vegetables and add the crushed tomato ensuring everything
is evenly mixed and covered. If necessary add enough stock or water to cover
the mixture. Season it to taste. Cover the liquid with baking paper and place a
lid on the casserole.
Cook
slowly for about 2 hours making sure the mixture is covered in liquid at all
times.
Allow
to cool and remove all the meat portions from the casserole. Remove the meat from
the bone and dice into 1-2 cm pieces and return it to the casserole. There
should be sufficient liquid to cover the meat by 1-2 cm. If there is too much liquid
it can be skimmed and used later as a reduction to serve as a sauce for the pithiviers.
Cool
the casserole and place it in the fridge overnight. The next day the casserole
(pie filing) will be set in its own jelly ready for filling the pithiviers.
Making the pithiviers
Using
an 11 cm round pastry cutter, cut out 36 rounds in the puff pastry. Spoon 50g of
the cool goat and vegetable mix in the center of the pastry circles (use a 9cm ring to center
and support the mixture). For the pastry
tops you can make a few 1 cm cuts in the centre of each top to allow for steam
to escape. Brush the edge of the circle of each top with the egg white and place
this side on top of the goat mix and press around the edges on the pastry with a fork.
Brush
the pithiviers with the egg yolk and bake in a hot over for approx 30
minutes. I sprinkled nigella seeds on the tops.
Serve with the sauce made from any
leftover liquid or tomato ketchup.
