This casserole is based loosely on the French home-cooking standard, le miroton. If you fear goatiness, please turn the page. This dish celebrates the sweet carnality of the goat with abandon.

　　

Ingredients

Makes 6 to 8 servings

　　3 pounds boneless goat shoulder, cubed

　　1/2 quart goat's milk

　　1 pound gold potatoes, sliced 1/2 inch thick

　　Salt and pepper

　　1/4 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

　　2 1/2 pounds yellow onions, sliced thin

　　1 tablespoon chopped garlic

　　1 small bunch parsley, chopped

　　1 small bunch thyme, chopped

　　1/4 cup white wine

　　3 cups bread crumbs or 2 cups panko

　　Capricious cheese or any dry goat cheese you like, grated

　　

Step 1

Soak goat meat in goat's milk overnight in fridge. Slice meat thin, reserving milk. Soak potatoes in goat's milk, aside from the goat, for 1 hour. Pat goat dry, season with salt and pepper to taste, and then brown meat in a large sauté pan in the olive oil. Remove meat. Sauté onions in same pan until slightly golden; add garlic, parsley, and thyme. Cook for 10 minutes and set aside. Deglaze the pan with wine.

　　

Step 2

Layer the bottom of a casserole dish with half the onion mixture. On top, place the goat and then the potatoes in a layer; finish with remaining onions. Almost fully cover top layer with goat's milk and deglazing liquid from pan. Mix bread crumbs with goat cheese and sprinkle over gratin.

　　

Step 3

Cover and cook in 350°F oven for 1 1/2 hours; uncover and cook for another 20 minutes, until cheese and bread crumbs are toasted and liquids are bubbling.

　　Recipe © Donald Link from Primal Cuts: Cooking with America's Best Butchers by Marissa Guggiana (www.welcomebooks.com/primalcuts) 2010