Jamaican Goat Head Soup (Manish Wata)

Steps

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1. 1
   Prepare the goat head and offal. Source a burnt goat head for maximum flavour. Cut into pieces and wash thoroughly three times with vinegar.
   ▶ ≈2:35
2. 2
   Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the cleaned goat head and offal to the boiling water.
   ▶ ≈3:37
3. 3
   Prepare all seasoning ingredients. Chop the onion, scotch bonnet pepper, garlic, scallion, thyme, and pimento seed.
   ▶ ≈4:16
4. 4
   Add all the chopped seasoning ingredients to the pot early to develop flavour throughout the cooking.
   ▶ ≈5:15
5. 5
   Prepare the root vegetables: slice carrot and peel and dice cho into small pieces (these will become translucent). Add to the pot.
   ▶ ≈6:03
6. 6
   Let the soup boil on high for approximately 45 minutes until about 85% cooked. Monitor the liquid level and add hot water (not cold) if needed to maintain consistent boiling.
   ▶ ≈12:02
7. 7
   After approximately one hour, prepare the main starches. Peel the yellow yam, cut into four pieces, and immerse in cold water to prevent discoloration.
   ▶ ≈14:48
8. 8
   Prepare the green banana by washing thoroughly but leaving the skin on, then slice. Cooking with the skin retains nutrients.
   ▶ ≈18:37
9. 9
   Prepare other starches by peeling cocoyam and potato, cutting into appropriate-sized pieces.
   ▶ ≈20:23
10. 10
    Add all the starchy vegetables to the pot. Turn heat to high and let boil for about 20 minutes.
    ▶ ≈21:20
11. 11
    Make flour dumplings. Pour flour into a large bowl and gradually add cold water while stirring bit by bit (never pour all at once or it becomes pancake batter). Mix until a dough forms.
    ▶ ≈22:23
12. 12
    Let the dough rest. Cover with a damp paper towel to keep it moist while you prepare to drop it.
    ▶ ≈26:59
13. 13
    If making a gluten-free version, remove some soup at this point. Otherwise, reduce heat to medium and prepare to add dumplings.
    ▶ ≈27:27
14. 14
    Shape the dumplings. Either form traditional spinners (elongated) or simply drop small pieces directly into the pot as drop dumplings. Both work well.
    ▶ ≈28:06
15. 15
    Check the goat head pieces carefully and ensure all teeth are removed before serving.
    ▶ ≈30:04
16. 16
    Add the concentrated seasonings: onion powder (½ tbsp), all-purpose seasoning (1 tbsp), seasoning salt (2 tbsp), garlic powder (1 tbsp), black pepper (½ tsp), flavour rice (1 tbsp), and sea salt (1 tbsp). Taste and adjust as needed.
    ▶ ≈31:04
17. 17
    Add a small amount of Ram it Up goat mix seasoning to amplify the goat flavour. Stir well.
    ▶ ≈36:06
18. 18
    Taste the soup and make final adjustments to seasoning. Ensure it is properly salted and flavourful without being oversalted.
    ▶ ≈37:27
19. 19
    Check that the soup is done. The meat should be tender, vegetables soft, and dumplings fully cooked and floating. Judge by colour, taste, and meat tenderness.
    ▶ ≈39:25
20. 20
    Serve the soup in bowls, ensuring each serving has a good mix of meat, vegetables, and dumplings.
    ▶ ≈40:07