Oxtail Soup

Photo: flickr user c_chan808

Ingredients

2 oxtails - (abt 6 lbs)

2 tablespoons butter

2 carrots sliced

2 turnips sliced

3 onions sliced

1 leek sliced

1 bn celery sliced

1 bn savory herbs such as

basil or rosemary tied with twine

1 bay leaf

12 whl peppercorns

4 whl cloves

2 slc ham chopped

3 quarts water plus

1/2 cup water

1 tablespoon salt

1/4 cup flour

2 tablespoons ketchup

cup Port

Preparation

Place oxtails and butter in Dutch oven or large soup pot. Add carrots, turnips, onions, leek, celery, herbs, bay leaf, peppercorns, cloves, ham and 1 cup water. Cook over high heat, stirring occasionally, until vegetables soften, 8 to 10 minutes.

Add remaining water, except for 1/2 cup, and bring to boil. Add salt. Skim fat and scum. Simmer gently until oxtails are tender, 3 to 3 hours 30 minutes. Remove oxtails and set aside.

Skim fat and scum again. Strain soup, discarding vegetables, herbs, spices and ham, and return soup to pot. Combine flour and 1/2 cup water and add to soup to thicken. Add ketchup and Port. Return oxtails to soup and simmer 5 minutes.

This recipe yields 10 servings.