Goat with eggplant (aubergines)

Kyria Maria made this with for us with goat, but you could also use lamb or mutton.

• serves

  8

• prep

  20 minutes

• cook

  45 minutes

• difficulty

  Mid

Kyria Maria used a shoulder of nanny goat, or what she referred to as mother goat,  roughly cut into chops, so she had to boil it first to tenderise it and remove some of the fat.  She usually boils it for about 45 minutes, then leaves the boiled goat in the broth to keep it soft until she needs to use it. 

In Australia, goat tends to be much younger, smaller and leaner and so can be cooked for a much shorter time. For a small goat (approx. 8.5 kg whole goat), ask your butcher to cut the leg and shoulder into thick chops. Otherwise, just halve the quantities and use either shoulder or leg chops. Lamb can also be substituted.

Ingredients

• 2 kg goat, roughly cut into chops (chondra in Greek)
• 900 g small eggplants (see note)
• ⅓ cup (80 ml) olive oil
• 2 small (267 g) red onions, grated
• 1 clove garlic, crushed or more to taste
• 1 large (180 g) carrot, cut into a large julienne
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 2 cloves
• 4 juniper berries
• ½ bunch celery, leaves and 1 stalk only
• ¼ cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
• 6 medium (900 g) tomatoes, 4 grated or pureed and 2 chopped (see Note)
• chicken, beef or vegetable stock to cover, or reserved broth

Instructions

1. If using old goat or mutton, rather than young goat, place the chops in a large saucepan and cover with water. Bring to the boil and cook for 45 minutes. Set aside to cool, reserving chops, removing fat and resulting broth.

2. Half peel the eggplants by running a vegetable peeler vertically at 3 cm intervals from top to bottom.

3. Heat ¼ cup olive oil in a very large frying pan over medium low heat. Add eggplants and cook, turning frequently, until golden and soft. Set aside.

4. Meanwhile, heat the remaining tablespoon of olive oil in a large casserole over medium heat. Add goat chops and cook until just golden. Add the onion, garlic, carrots, cinnamon, cloves, juniper berries, celery, parsley and tomatoes. Pour over stock (or reserved broth), top with eggplants and cook for 40 to 50 minutes or until tender. Do not stir eggplants through the mixture.

Note

• Maria used two varieties of eggplant: the normal variety Tsakonikes and a sweeter, seedless variety called Flaskes. Substitute with small eggplant or larger Japanese eggplant.

• Selino is a herb with a celery-like taste and celery leaves. Celery leaves and/or flat-leaf parsley can be substituted.

• In the winter, 3-4 tablespoons of canned tomato paste can be substituted for fresh tomatoes.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.

Kyria Maria used a shoulder of nanny goat, or what she referred to as mother goat,  roughly cut into chops, so she had to boil it first to tenderise it and remove some of the fat.  She usually boils it for about 45 minutes, then leaves the boiled goat in the broth to keep it soft until she needs to use it. 

In Australia, goat tends to be much younger, smaller and leaner and so can be cooked for a much shorter time. For a small goat (approx. 8.5 kg whole goat), ask your butcher to cut the leg and shoulder into thick chops. Otherwise, just halve the quantities and use either shoulder or leg chops. Lamb can also be substituted.