Scottish Oxtail Soup

Total Time: 2 hrs 50 mins Preparation Time: 20 mins Cook Time: 2 hrs 30 mins

Ingredients

• 1 oxtail, cut into pieces, surplus fat removed
• 2 onions, chopped (i recommend sweet onions)
• 1 large carrot, chopped
• 2 stalks celery, chopped
• 1 ounce butter (or meat dripping)
• 36 ounces beef stock
• 4 ounces tomato juice
• 1 tablespoon plain flour
• 3 tablespoons port wine
• 1 bay leaf
• 3 sprigs thyme
• 4 sprigs parsley (including stalks)
• 1 stalk celery, with leaves
• 2 whole green onions

Recipe

• 1 to make the spice bag, place 1 bay leaf, 3 sprigs thyme, 4 large sprigs parsley (including stalks), one 4-inch piece celery stalked with leaves, and two whole green onions in the center of a square of double thickness cheesecloth.
• 2 fold up the sides of the cheesecloth and tie off the top very tightly to make a spice bag.
• 3 (equivalent dry herbs may be substituted).
• 4 fry the oxtail pieces and the vegetables in the fat for a few minutes until lightly browned.
• 5 remove from heat.
• 6 pour the beef stock into a saucepan and add the fried oxtail and vegetables as well as the spice bag.
• 7 bring to the boil, and then transfer to a crockpot and cook on high for 1½- 2 hours (or longer if necessary) until the meat is tender.
• 8 strain the stock, cut all the meat (in small pieces) from the bones and then return the stock and meat to the pan.
• 9 bring to the boil.
• 10 puree.
• 11 mix the flour and port together and add to the soup.
• 12 simmer for 5 minutes before serving.