editor's note: This is another in the series of recipes contributed by Krista Darnell. We'll be featuring her recipes on a weekly or biweekly unscheduled schedule.
The most common question people ask me when they find out I raise goats, is "Why". When I tell them I eat them, the next question is always, "HOW?". They invariably tell me about such and such time when they ate goat and it was horrible. Dry and stringy are usually the words they use to describe it.
This is like driving a wrecked Viper and then deciding all Vipers drive like crap. Goat will easily dry out if overcooked, but that's not to be blamed on the goat. Sticking it in the oven and then running off to play in chat rooms will not contribute to a juicy dinner.
Aromatic Goat
Yield: 8 servings
1 Leg of goat (about 4 lbs)
3 lb Potatoes (about 5 oz each)
1 Lemon (may be doubled)
Honey
Olive oil
Butter
Rosemary, thyme & oregano
Put the leg of goat into a large roasting pan. Bruise the leaves of 2 or 3 sprigs of rosemary and sprinkle them over the meat. Add plenty of pepper and 1 tablespoon honey. Rub the mixture into the meat with your hands. Then rub half a lemon over the joint, squeezing the juice on to the meat as you do so. Do not add any salt. Leave to marinate for 4 to 24 hours.
Peel and quarter the potatoes, then arrange them in a single layer round the goat. Squeeze lemon juice over the potatoes -- use at least half a lemon, or up to one and a half lemons for a strong citrus flavour. Carefully pour 1/4 pint water into a corner of the roasting pan, then sprinkle over the potatoes and goat about 2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary, at least 1 teaspoon each fresh chopped thyme and oregano, and some salt and pepper. Drizzle on 1-1/2 teaspoons honey and 1 tablespoon olive oil, then dot with 1 oz butter.
Bake at 425 F (220 C) gas mark 6 for a further 1 to 1-1/4 hours. The ingredients will become gilded and will burnish to a rich brown in places. Lift the meat and turn the potatoes occasionally, and if necessary, add a little boiling water to the pan to prevent
drying out.
Enjoy!
Krista