Choto al ajillo — kid goat with garlic — is one of those Andalucían dishes that stops you mid-conversation. I first encountered it at Café Bar La Revuelta in my village, when Lucio ran the bar and Mari-Carmen worked the kitchen. In those days there was no tapas menu — you got what you were given. A tapa would arrive with your drink, and if you ordered another drink, another tapa would follow. That was how it worked at lunchtime.

It was on one of those occasions that choto al ajillo appeared alongside a glass of something cold and on another that el cochinillo, suckling pig, arrived. I fell in love with both, though for different reasons and on different visits.

El cochinillo deserves its own mention. Some time later, friends visited from England and insisted on taking me somewhere special — somewhere they could pay. Bar Revuelta it was; nobody needed to drive, and I had a word with Lucio. He suggested cochinillo roasted in the oven over sliced potatoes and onions. I agreed, then watched Lucio take a small step backwards when I told him I also wanted Yorkshire puddings and apple sauce. I offered to make the apple sauce at home and use his oven for the puddings. He agreed. I never did get my muffin tin back.

Choto al ajillo has stayed with me longer than the puddings did. Whenever I see it on a menu, it is usually what I order.

What is Kid Goat with Garlic?

Choto al ajillo is a rustic, flavourful stew, particularly celebrated in the provinces of Granada and Jaén. The meat is bone-in kid goat, chopped into small pieces and slow-fried in generous amounts of extra virgin olive oil until tender and golden brown. Don't be put off by the amount of garlic — this isn't a garlic breath dish. The cloves are fried whole to infuse the oil, then blended with fried bread, almonds and spices to make a thick, silky paste called a majado. By the time it reaches your plate, the garlic has fully mellowed into something rich and deeply savoury.

The Majado — the Secret Step

The majado is what defines choto al ajillo and sets it apart from other goat stews. Fried garlic, fried bread, a small handful of blanched almonds, guindilla chillies — small, slender dried chillies native to Spain with a gentle heat that builds slowly — and peppercorns are all pounded together or blended with a splash of dry white wine to create a thick paste that thickens and flavours the sauce as it simmers. The almonds add a creamy depth and subtle sweetness that balances the acidity of the wine beautifully. If I am cooking for one, I use a pestle and mortar. For three or four people, the blender does the job just as well.

A Note on the Meat

Choto is kid goat — a young goat, chopped into small bone-in pieces. The bone-in cut is not negotiable; it gives the sauce its body and depth. At 1 kg, you are looking at three generous portions—the meat yield isn't high, but what you get is extraordinarily tender and full of flavour.

Choto al Ajillo con Almendras — Kid Goat with Garlic and Almonds

Serves 3–4

Ingredients

• 1kg kid goat, bone-in, chopped into small pieces
• 1 whole bulb of garlic, cloves peeled and left whole
• 2–3 slices day-old white bread
• Small handful of blanched almonds
• 2 dried guindilla chillies
• 1 tsp black peppercorns
• 1 tsp dried oregano or thyme
• 2 bay leaves
• 150ml dry white wine
• 200ml veal stock
• Extra virgin olive oil — generous
• Salt

To serve: fresh parsley, a quarter of a lemon, crusty bread — sourdough if you have it.

Method

Heat a generous pour of extra virgin olive oil in a wide, heavy pan over medium-high heat. Add the guindilla chillies and garlic cloves together and fry until the garlic is golden and the guindillas have darkened slightly — watch them carefully, as burnt guindillas turn bitter. Remove both and set aside. At this point you have a choice: return the guindillas to the pot later for a deeper heat, or leave them out if you prefer just a hint of spice in the oil.

Fry the bread slices in the same oil until golden on both sides. Remove and set aside. Fry the almonds briefly until golden. Remove and set aside.

Season the goat pieces and brown them in batches until they develop a deep golden crust — allow around 15 to 20 minutes for this stage. Don't rush it; the crust is where much of the flavour lives. Remove and set aside.

Now make the majado. Place the fried garlic, bread and almonds in a blender — or a pestle and mortar if cooking for one — with the white wine and a pinch of salt. Blend or pound to a thick, granular paste. This version is sometimes called Choto al Ajillo con Almendras — a heartier variation that reflects the abundance of almond trees throughout rural Andalucía.

Return the meat to the pan along with the peppercorns, oregano and bay leaves — and the guindillas if you want the deeper heat. Pour the sauce over the majado and stir to coat it. Add enough veal stock to cover the meat. For a good homemade veal stock and the basics of stock-making, I have a full guide here.

Bring to a gentle simmer, cover, and cook for 25 to 40 minutes until the meat is succulent and the sauce has thickened into a rich glaze. Check occasionally and add a splash of water if needed.

Taste, adjust seasoning, and serve garnished with fresh parsley and a quarter of lemon if you fancy it. Good bread to mop up the sauce is essential.

This kid goat with garlic – choto al ajillo – is an Andalucían goat stew recipe that is part of the Lamb & Goat collection — lamb and goat recipes from Casa Adora and the road.

This recipe is also part of the Slow Cooker & Slow Cooking Recipes collection — braised meat, one-pot casseroles, confit, and slow roasts from Casa Adora and the road, gathered in one place. Browse all recipes here.

Wonky photos, proper food, genuine adventures – The Flexible Chef