Kid & Clams by Hannah Blake
Spring lamb is the ubiquitous celebration meat in the early months of the year, especially on a traditional Easter table. However, the lambs are only just being born so have had no time to develop any flavour or character. It would be far better to leave these young animals in the field til Autumn and instead roast a leg of mutton. Or you could try something different which is just as versatile as lamb and I would argue even more delicious. We should all be eating more goat. It's sustainable, ethical and has a delicate, sweet and musky flavour. One of the things that makes goat so appealing to cook and eat is its global nature. It can be smoked in Nigeria or pulled in Deep South US BBQ dishes or cooked on a tandoor. It pairs beautifully with Mediterranean herbs such as oregano and rosemary or with the classic partners of wine and garlic. Or take a tour down the spice route with Indian, Caribbean or Moroccan flavours.
Kid Saddle with Black Pudding, Clams and a Wild Garlic Crumb
Boned and rolled saddle has artistry to it. It is a real skill to prepare (you can ask your butcher to do it for you) and it makes the final dish on the plate look beautiful. This recipe by Scott Goss at The Twenty Six, with its ‘surf and turf’ element and blend of colour, is a cracker and well worth the effort. Find a local stash of wild garlic near you, it’s in the hedgerows and woods right now. Take a plastic bag and follow your nose.
Serves 8 or a hungry 6
1 boned saddle of kid (ask your butcher to separate the fillets from the saddle)
200g good-quality black pudding, crumbled
200g wild garlic or spinach, wilted and squeezed dry
Splash of rapeseed oil
A few garlic cloves and a couple of carrots and celery sticks, for roasting the saddle
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the clams
500g small clams, preferably palourde, soaked in cold water for an hour
1 banana shallot, finely diced
30g unsalted butter
25g wild garlic, finely chopped or 1 large garlic clove, crushed
175ml dry white wine
For the crumb and oil
Oil for deep-frying
200g basil
100g young wild garlic leaves
100g stale brioche
100ml rapeseed oil
Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas mark 4.
Open flat the boned saddle. Season well and cover with the black pudding and the wild garlic or spinach. Place the kid fillets on top (over their original places on the saddle), roll and tie at intervals with butcher’s string to secure.
Sear the rolled joint in a medium-hot pan with a little rapeseed oil until golden all over. Place the garlic cloves, carrot and celery in a roasting tray and place the seared joint on top.
Roast for 18 minutes for medium-rare, or 25 minutes for medium. Remove from the oven and rest for the same amount of time as in the oven.
Meanwhile, heat the oil for deep-frying in a deep, cast-iron pan to 180°C/350°F and keep an eye on it. Deep-fry the basil and wild garlic for 30 seconds. They will spit so be careful. Lift out with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper.
In a food processor, blitz half the deep-fried basil and wild garlic with the brioche into crumbs. Blitz the remaining half of the basil and wild garlic with the rapeseed oil, then strain through a muslin cloth.
Scrub the soaked clams and throw away any with broken shells. Sauté the shallot in the butter over a low heat until soft, then add the wild garlic. Increase the heat to medium-high and tip in the clams and white wine. Cook with the lid on for a few minutes until the shells have opened.
To serve, slice the meat, arrange on a platter, family style, and top with the clams still in their shells and the garlic wine liquor from the pan (leave the last few tablespoons of liquor as it might have sediment). Dress with the crumbs and oil and serve.
Delicious served with new season buttered Jersey Royals, spring peas and asparagus, with a little fresh mint stirred through.
Goat can be found locally in Tunbridge Wells at Peter Speaight Butchers in the Pantiles or at Ian Chatfield’s butchers at Nottcutts. Alternatively order online at cabrito.co.uk or turnerandgeorge.co.uk.
Recipe by Scott Goss, executive chef at The Twenty Six which appears in Goat: Cooking and Eating by James Whetlor (Quadrille, £20)
This feature is written by Hannah Blake, owner of The Dining Room PR and communications consultancy, specialising in food, restaurants, books and lifestyle.
