Just got off the phone with George Marsh, chef de cuisine at Woodberry Kitchen, who was good enough to fill me in on that goat dinner I blogged about earlier today.
"We basically do the whole goat, roasted -- slow-roasted ahead of time," Marsh said.
The meat, raised on Washington County pasture with no added hormones or routine antibiotics, is simply prepared, with salt, pepper and fresh herbs. A whole head of garlic goes into the animal's mouth.
Woodberry presents the roasted goat to the table on a big cutting board, then takes it back to the kitchen for carving. It returns with the head and two back legs still on the bone, and the rest of the meat piled on a platter. Flatbreads, a variety of sauces and raw, pickled and roasted vegetables round out the meal, which serves four and costs $185.
I asked Marsh if diners were weirded out by the goat head.
"At least a couple people have cracked into the head and eaten the brains and especially the eyes," he said, adding that they eyes are "really gelatinous" but tasty. "They're really a delicacy. Not a lot in this country, but throughout Europe and South America, the eyes of most animals are treated as a delicacy."
Many Rocks Farm Suckling Goat is not always on the menu, and it takes about four hours to roast the six- to seven-pound animal. So customers should pre-order by calling Woodberry if they want one.
Many Rocks Farm goat. Sun photo by Kim Hairston