I know, I know.. my team wasn’t even playing in the Super Bowl this year so why should it matter? I’ll tell you why, I made a fool of myself by supporting the great Peyton Manning in a public viewing area and was ridiculed and defeated when he crushed the definition of choking! That’s the last time Peyton, the absolute last time.
Why am I telling you all of this? Because while I may still be stewing over the Broncos loss, I had an amazing stew during the game. Late last week I reached out to a close girlfriend of mine, a fellow food lover, to see if she wanted to grab dinner. We both were less interested in the game due to the lack of the Pats, but we figured we could still catch a glimpse. So we made a plan to hit up Strip T’s, a spot I have been wanting to try for quite some time. But just like the Broncos, we were defeated that night when we arrived to find it closed on Sundays (what?!). We quickly decided on a plan b at one of my favorite Somerville spots since moving to Boston… Highland Kitchen. That right there should be enough said, but there’s more. Everytime I’ve gone into Highland Kitchen I have been a little cautious to try the goat stew, and have never had anyone brave enough to try it with me. But not this time, the goat stew was happening. But why stop there? They had poutine on the menu as a special that night, so that was an obvious choice, and then we balanced it off with some broccolini (because clearly we need our greens). And no meal of goat stew, while watching the Super Bowl, would be complete without an ice cold Lone Star… hello nirvana.
The poutine came first and did not disappoint. The fries were perfectly crispy where not saturated by gravy, and the gravy had just the right amount of salt to counter the creaminess of the cheese. But oh… the cheese… it wasn’t your trypical poutine cheese curds, and that’s ok because it was gobs of heaven. And the addition of taso ham was the perfect finish. Yum!
Next came the goat stew and broccolini. Let’s talk broccolini because, while fantastic, it was not the star of the halftime show. It was perfectly seasoned and tender without being overcooked, but still had the right amount of crispness that I love in my vegetables. So now this brings us to the stew, this is where I find myself at somewhat of a loss for words. So I took a heaping spoonful, mixed it with some of the rice included with the dish and dug in. I love my spice, and this spice did not leave me feeling like I just missed the game winning field goal. Highland Kitchen’s goat stew was the perfect balance of heat and sweet from the curry. I’m not a massive curry fan but this had the exact amount of coconut that I need to make it a palate pleaser for me. The broth itself could have been a meal, but the goat was so tender and expertly cooked that I ended up just picking the goat out by the end (well that and trying to watch my carbs after the massive plate of fries). The plantains on the dish were fried up and had the right amount of acid and sweetness to counter balance the heat. What I will say is, if you try the goat stew make sure you have an ice cold beverage to soothe yourself after. But it is definitely a dish that I would order again, and again, and again.
All in all it was a great night, I got to have dinner with a great friend and watch the Seahawks absolutely dominate the Broncos (yes, my allegiance did change by the end). Definitely a great start to the week!
Bon appetit!