Chef Vince Navarette 'Ropa Vieja' Braised Goat

Method

For the braised goat:

1. Preheat oven to 163°C.

2. Season goat cubes with ground cumin, salt and pepper.

3. Let the meat come to room temperature.

4. Heat a rondo pot over medium-high heat. Sear meat with blended oil until golden brown.

5. Remove browned goat cubes and sautée the peppers, onion and garlic until slightly softened.

6. Deglaze with wine and scrape the fond. Add chicken stock, followed by the demi-glace and reduce by 1/4.

7. Add tomato, bay leaf, olives, raisins, cilantro sprigs and goat cubes. Bring to a simmer.

8. Cover with a parchment round, followed by foil, and place in the oven for 2 hours. Check tenderness after the first hour, then every 30 minutes until fork-tender.

9. Once braising is complete, allow to cool and remove from the liquid. Remove all ingredients and place in the blender, discarding the bay leaf.

10. Blend until smooth. Strain solids with a fine mesh sieve. Pull apart the goat meat and toss it in the strained puree. Season to taste if needed.

For the dusted diver scallop:

1. Season scallops with porcini salt and pepper.

2. Heat sautée pan and melt butter.

3. Sear scallops on both sides until golden brown.

For the pickled beets:

1. Heat water, salt and sugar until dissolved.

2. Cool and place roasted beets and onions with vinegar solution in a cooler for 7 days.

3. Remove and cut into ¼“ dice.

For the sweet plantains:

1. Heat oil to 163°C.

2. Shallow fry until golden brown.

3. Dry and season to taste.

For the butternut squash gel:

1. Place all ingredients into the blender and puree until smooth.

2. Strain through a fine mesh sieve.

3. Season to taste.

For the rapini consumption:

1. Toast coriander seeds and cumin seeds until fragrant.

2. Cover with water and bring to a boil. Allow to steep for 20 minutes.

3. Strain liquid.

4. Bring the liquid to a boil and blanch rapini. Remove rapini and place it in an ice bath.

5. Once both the rapini and blanching liquid are cool, place them in a blender with Ultra-Tex 3 and puree until smooth.

6. Strain twice through a fine mesh sieve. Season to taste.

To serve:

1. Shingle plantain on an angle at the centre of the plate.

2. Place seared scallops on opposite ends of the plantains.

3. Top with goat ropa vieja.

4. Place butternut squash gel and pickled beet throughout the plate.

5. Pour rapini on either side of the plantains to flow organically.

6. Garnish with micro cilantro, micro pepper flowers and Maldon salt.

For garnish:

• Micro cilantro

• Micro pepper flowers, purple

• Maldon salt