I made this with some odd cuts of mutton from the freezer, I had about 1kg of meat, including some ribs and other odds and ends. I started with a recipe from Original Flava for Curry Goat, and scaled up the ingredients. There’s actually several versions on their website, so I didn’t feel so bad adjusting it to fit what I had. I made the main part of the stew the night before I needed it, but because the ingredients needed marinaded, I actually started the prep on Tuesday for a meal on Thursday. The actual cooking part is very easy, and the end result is very very tasty, and quite hot.
The other thing that would be good to get ahead of starting is some scotch bonnet pepper paste, ground allspice and Caribbean curry powder, which is quite mild. They are all available online.
INGREDIENTS:
- 1kg mutton, cut into chunks about 3cm across
- Caribbean curry powder – around 3 tbsp
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
- 2cm ginger, chopped
- 1 tsp ground allspice
- 1 tsp turmeric
- Vegetable oil
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 3 cloves of garlic, chopped
- 3 cm ginger root, chopped
- 1 can of coconut milk (I only had around 300ml, not a full can, it was still delicious)
- 300ml vegetable stock or water
- 3 spring onions, chopped
- 1 heaped tsp dried thyme leaves
- 6 small waxy potatoes, cleaned and cut into chunks
- 1/3 tsp scotch bonnet chilli paste
- If you wish, add chopped tomatoes. I added two ripe tomatoes that were minding their own business in the vegetable rack.
METHOD:
- Chop the meat, leave bones in. In a large container with a lid, mix the mutton with 1 tbsp curry powder, salt, pepper, allspice and turmeric, and leave to marinade in the fridge overnight.
- The next day, heat 2 tbsp vegetable oil in a large pan and add a tablespoonful of curry powder. Fry the meat in batches, and set the browned meat aside in a bowl.
- Check there is enough oil in the pan, and the fry the onion over a medium to high heat, until it is beginning to brown, and then add the ginger and garlic. Continue to cook for another couple of minutes
- Add a little coconut milk and the scotch bonnet paste, mix it in and then add the mutton back into the pan. Stir it all together and then add the rest of the coconut milk, tomatoes, another 2 tbsp of curry powder, thyme and stock, and then cook the stew in a slow oven, around 150C for 2 hours. Once this step is complete, you could freeze the stew or put it in the fridge ready to finish the cooking later.
- Add the potatoes and the sliced spring onions, and simmer for another 30 minutes, until the potatoes are cooked.
This stew is one of those that benefits from being eaten the day after, as the flavours mingle together. Serve with rice.