CHANFANA - PORTUGUESE GOAT STEW

Eating fresh, whole, seasonal and locally sourced produce may be ultra-trendy these days but in Portugal, good eating is a deeply engrained part of lifestyle and culture.

There are many conflicting stories as to why goat meat is popular in Portugal but one in particular makes good sense to me. During the French invasion of Portugal, soldiers regularly commandeered the livestock from peasant farms but they seemed to feel that ‘old goats’ were way too tough for their liking so chanfana (very slow-cooked goat) was born.

I recently came across The Scottish Goat Meat Company in Banffshire, Scotland and ordered a number of goat shanks in order to have a go at chanfana - I did not have the correct black pottery vessel (called a caçoilas ) or the wood-fired oven but I cooked it for over 5 hours and it was quite delicious!

Head to Victoria and Adam’s website and learn a lot more about their passion and about this ‘healthy’ meat.