The Goat in the Pot in the High Country

Lick your lips! In the course of researching a feature article on the fantastic food and wine of Victoria's High Country region, I contacted wunderchef Naomi Ingleton of The Butter Factory in Myrtleford to ask if I could reprint a few of her recipes. 

In the end, the magazine I was writing for didn't use them - but Naomi has kindly given me permission to reproduce them here. Fire up the stove, get out the olive oil... and don't forget to pick up goat for our very first dish...

Nug Nug Goat Stew with Grilled Vegetables & Spaetzle

Ingredients

Stew
500g primal goat cuts, diced
1 brown onion, diced
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
1 carrot, diced
2 celery sticks, diced
2 bulls horn peppers, red
2 green zucchini
½ cup fresh green peas
1 bay leaf
1 cup dry white wine
1 litre goat or chicken stock

Spaetzle
1 cup plain flour
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground pepper
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 large eggs
¼ cup milk

Method
In a heavy based pot fry onion, garlic, carrot and celery. Add goat and fry until browned, deglaze with white wine. Add the stock and bay leaf, cover and simmer until meat is tender, add the peas at the end.

Halve and seed the peppers, quarter the zucchini and grill.

To make the spaetzle, sift the dry ingredients, make a well in the middle and combine with the milk and eggs. If you do not have a spaetzle maker (like a cheese grater with a dough catcher) you can use a piping bag over hot water to make the little dumplings.

To serve the stew, add a little of the noodles to a bowl, drape the stew over the top and arrange the grilled vegetables.

And for dessert...

Strawberry & Buttermilk Panna Cotta

500ml buttermilk
250ml cream
3 gelatine leaves
¼ cup strawberry puree
2 tablespoons sugar
Strawberries for garnish

Soak the gelatine leaves in water to soften, do not use hot water. Warm the buttermilk (if you do not have access to buttermilk use pouring cream instead), cream and sugar in a heavy based saucepan and add the softened gelatine.

Mix in the berry puree and pour into Dariole moulds, or you could use teacups if you do not have the moulds. Refrigerate overnight.

Run a small knife around the edge of the mould and gently tip the set panna cotta onto a plate. You can decorate with some berry coulis or just the strawberries.

Guest recipe blogger Naomi Ingleton is owner and chef at The Butter Factory, 15 Myrtle St, Myrtleford. 

To read my article on the food and wine of Victoria's High Country region in the January 2011 issue of Virgin Blue's inflight magazine, click here (then jump to page 62).