Spiced Goat Water Stew with Rich Flavorful Sauce Recipe
Goat Water is a flavorful Caribbean goat meat stew slow-simmered with aromatic spices, Scotch bonnet chilli, and fresh herbs, thickened to a creamy consistency and traditionally served with bread. This hearty dish offers tender goat meat infused with warm cloves, allspice, and thyme, complemented by a subtle hint of rum and a slightly sweet caramelized base.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 2 hours 45 minutes
- Total Time: 3 hours
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Category: Stew
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Caribbean
Ingredients
Scale
Meat and Marinade
- 1 lemon, juiced
- 1kg goat meat, cut into 5cm chunks
Cooking Ingredients
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 tbsp brown sugar or molasses
- 2 tsp cloves
- 2 tsp allspice
- 2 tsp ground mace
- Few thyme sprigs
- ½ garlic bulb, cloves peeled and crushed
- 1 Scotch bonnet chilli, chopped
- 1 celery stick, chopped
- ½ green pepper, chopped into 1½cm chunks
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1 tsp gravy browning
- 2–4 bay leaves
- 1 tsp cornflour
- 50ml water (to mix with cornflour)
- 1 tbsp rum (optional)
To Serve
- Bread
Instructions
- Marinate the Goat Meat: Mix the lemon juice into a large bowl of water and rinse the goat meat thoroughly in this lemon water to help tenderize and clean it. Drain the meat and pat dry with kitchen paper to remove excess moisture.
- Caramelize Sugar and Brown Meat: Heat vegetable oil in a large saucepan or casserole over medium-high heat. Stir in the brown sugar or molasses and cook until golden and caramelized, about a few minutes. Add the goat meat chunks and brown them evenly on all sides, which locks in flavor.
- Add Spices and Simmer: To the browned meat, add cloves, allspice, ground mace, thyme sprigs, crushed garlic, chopped Scotch bonnet chilli, celery, green pepper, chopped onion, gravy browning, bay leaves, and 1 litre of water. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to low. Cover the pot and simmer gently for 2 to 2½ hours until the meat is very tender and infused with all the aromatic spices.
- Thicken the Sauce: Mix the cornflour with 50ml water to create a slurry. Stir this into the stew and simmer uncovered for 10 minutes more. The sauce will thicken to a consistency similar to single cream, enveloping the meat with a rich, velvety texture.
- Finish and Serve: Stir in the optional tablespoon of rum for an added depth of flavor. Serve the hot goat water immediately with bread on the side for dipping and enjoying the savory broth.
Notes
- Removing excess moisture from the goat meat after rinsing helps with better browning and texture.
- The Scotch bonnet chilli adds significant heat; adjust or omit based on your spice preference.
- Gravy browning adds color and depth but can be omitted if unavailable; the stew will still be flavorful.
- Slow simmering is essential to tenderize the tough goat meat thoroughly.
- The rum is optional but recommended for authentic Caribbean flavor.
- Serve with crusty or dense bread to soak up the rich sauce.
Keywords: Goat water, Caribbean stew, goat meat recipe, slow simmered goat, spicy goat stew, traditional Caribbean dish
