The sweet, rich, rising aroma and complex weave of warmth and depth, like a smell-taste tapestry, could lead a person to part ways with the world happy.
I started on this curry trail the first time a local goat farmer brought his free-range meat to the Farmer's Market. I love the Farmer's Market and the people who put their hearts and souls into raising food on this hard-scrabble land.
So then and there I bought a package of goat stew-meat and put it in the freezer. Freezer instead of stove because I hadn't a clue about cooking goat.
For the next three months, every time I opened the freezer door I saw goat. Along the way I learned that the meat was probably tough and would need long, slow, moist cooking. Preferably with spices to scent the house and whet the appetite. Voila, Jamaican Curried Goat. Except that I didn't have any Jamaican Curry Powder, which every recipe assured me was essential to the dish.
Eventually I found a recipe for Jamaican Curry Powder and the surprise was that it had NO heat. So this mix can be used by folks who have to avoid a burn. And others can add Scotch Bonnets or their pepper of choice.
I made the goat curry, it was spectacular, and yes it bubbled for 5 hours before those free-range sinews were tender, but the wait was worth it.
A couple of weeks later I used leftover curry powder in a chicken curry. Half an hour cooking time, but thank-you-lord good on the tongue.
So if you want a Caribbean gone-to-heaven experience in your kitchen, here's the curry powder to carry you.