Newcastle United star Papiss Cisse has secret weapon - goat curry!

May 3, 2012 - PRLog -- IT’S the dish that’s powered Newcastle United striker Papiss Cisse to a flying start in the Premier League side’s  revered Number 9 shirt.
And now football fans across the North of England  can tuck into goat curry – the star striker’s favourite dish – thanks to talented chefs at a Raval Luxury Indian Restaurant.
The £10m star has told how he – and fellow striker Demba Ba - lap it up.
He said: “I love it. The chef at the club, Liz, did a really great job. I spoke to Demba before I came here and he told me how good it was.”
And the team at Raval Restaurant in Gateshead – famed for giving a cookery lesson to former England and Magpies striker Alan Shearer earlier this year - has now put the grub on the menu. You can watch a video of Shearer's efforts in the kitchen here.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w_fBdMCirEc
Meanwhile, Raval has even pledged to cook a whole goat for the team if the Toon make it into the Champions Leauge – no kidding!
The restaurant created their recipe after learning how the Senegal striker got a warm welcome by United’s chefs.
The Black and Whites also served up the tasty treat at the training ground as part of their Africa Day – a cultural and team-building exercise – so all the players are hooked on the potent dish now.
Boss Alan Pardew says it’s even powered Cisse’s match-winning performances.
Raval Restaurant manager Avi Malik said: “Goat curry is hugely popular in India because, unlike in Britain, the meat is widely available there. It is very lean meat, mainly because goats live in hilly areas and use lots of muscle to get around.
“The meat is therefore organic and high in protein, so it’s easy to see why it is popular with footballers, but if it is not properly prepared and cooked, it can be toug h.
“However, it is a very versatile meat because it works well with a wide variety of spices. The trick is to marinate it for a long time and then slow cook it in a special oven, called a Dum Pukht. Then it has a wonderful flavour and texture.
“Obviously it’s not easy to get hold of goat meat at your local supermarket, but  most Asian supermarkets and Halal outlets will stock it. Any time Newcastle United’s players want to try goat curry, all they have to do is give us a call and we will get it on the menu for them. In fact, if the Magpies make it into the Champions League our chefs would happily cook an entire goat to help them celebrate!”
The dish went down a treat with tasters in Gateshead.  One, Carol Feeley, a designer at Beacon Creative in the town, said: “If I saw goat meat on a menu I wouldn’t even think of trying it. But this is one of the best curries I’ve ever tasted.”