Cabrito Assado no Forno com Batatas: Roast Kid with Potatoes

Cabrito Assado no Forno com Batatas is a classic Portuguese goat roast consumed during Easter. It combines a whole leg of a young goat marinated overnight and then slowly roasted with some baby potatoes. It’s a dish that historically marked the end of Lent, a period where Catholic communities usually abstain from eating red meats. 

Despite not being located in the Mediterranean, Portugal is categorized by UNESCO as one of the countries that follow a Mediterranean diet. While the consumption of white meat and fish are preferred in this particular way of eating, that doesn’t mean red meats are completely excluded. In Portugal they are often reserved for special occasions, such as Easter, Christmas, and weddings. On the Easter Sunday the tradition calls for Roast Kid with Potatoes (Cabrito Assado), a rich dish to mark the end of Lent, where Catholic communities usually abstain from eating red meats.

Portuguese Roast Kid (Goat) Recipe

This goat roast is traditionally prepared in a wood-fire oven, where it’s slowly roasted with some baby potatoes. Originally it was supposed to be a Lent-breaking meal, it’s common to prepare the whole animal, but you can also prepare parts of it, or (quartos) meaning a quarter of it.

I will be using a whole leg of approx. 1,5kg. The goat should be preferably seasoned in advance and left to marinade for at least 12 hours in a mix of white wine, herbs, salt, piri-piri, paprika, lard, and garlic. Although most people are not acquainted with preparing goat, I guarantee is quite straightforward. In Portugal most butchers and supermarkets have goat (cabrito) available and ready to be cooked.

How to Make Portuguese Roast Kid (Baby Goat)

Cabrito Assado no Forno com Batatas: Roast Kid with Potatoes

Recipe by Ana Veiga

5.0 from 1 vote

Course: MainCuisine: Mediterranean, PortugueseDifficulty: Easy

Servings

6

servings

Prep time

10

minutes

Cooking time

2

hours 

10

minutes

Calories

621

kcal

Cabrito Assado no Forno com Batatas is a classic Portuguese goat roast consumed during Easter. It combines a whole leg of a young goat marinated overnight and then slowly roasted with some baby potatoes.

Ingredients

• 1 Leg of Kid (Goat) – 1.5kg

• 600 g Potatoes

• 1 tbsp Lard

• 1 tbsp Olive Oil

• 1 tsp Piri Piri Powder

• 1 tsp Sweet Paprika

• 3 Garlic cloves – sliced

• 1/2 cup White Wine

• Fresh Parsley to Taste

• 1.5 tsp Salt

• Freshly Ground Black Pepper

Directions

• Start by combining the lard, olive oil, piri-piri powder, paprika, garlic cloves, salt and pepper in a small bowl, then rub it evenly over the meat.
• Place the meat in a seal-able bag, add the wine, allow it to marinade overnight in the refrigerator.
• Remove the meat from the fridge 40 minutes in advance, in the meantime heat your oven to 180°C.
• Place the meat in a baking tray with the marinade liquids, seal with foil, then bake it for approximately 2h. Check your goat halfway through, if the liquid has evaporated too much add more wine or water.
• In the meantime, peel the baby potatoes, then cook them until fork tender.
• Remove the leg from the oven, then increase the temperature to 200 or 220°C.
• Place your potatoes around the meat, drizzle some olive oil on them, season with more salt and pepper. Return to the oven for about 10 minutes, until the goat skin is golden and crispy. 
• Serve with freshly chopped parsley or any herb of your preference.

Notes

• Marinating your leg of goat is best overnight, so allow at least 12 hours!

Have you tried this recipe? Let me know in the comments! Looking for more meaty Portuguese recipes? Check this Portuguese Pork Sandwich.