CAMELOT FANTASIES

Oxtail soup

Soaking time: at least 4 hours
Preparation time: 30 minutes
Cooling time for stock: 5 hours
Cooking time: 3 1/4 hours

Ingredients for four to six

1 meaty oxtail, divided into joints
1 teaspoon vinegar
2 tablespoons dripping
2 onions, peeled and chopped
2 large carrots, peeled and chopped
3 sticks celery, trimmed and chopped
1 rasher bacon, roughly chopped after the rind has been cut off
3 pints (1.7 litres) stock
Bouquet garni
3 bay leaves
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 carrot, peeled and cut into rings
1 small onion, peeled and sliced
2 tablespoons plain flour
1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
4 tablespoons sherry or Madeira

Soak the chopped oxtail in enough cold water to cover, with 1 teaspoon of vinegar added, for at least 4 hours. Drain and wipe dry. Heat half the dripping in a large, heavy-based saucepan. Add the oxtail pieces and cook over a high heat, shaking the pan frequently, until browned on all sides. Remove the oxtail with a slotted spoon.

Add the chopped onions. carrots, celery and bacon to the juices in the pan and cook over a medium heat, stirring every now and then, until the onions are golden-brown. Return the oxtail to the pan, add the stock, bouquet garni and bay leaves, season with salt and pepper and bring to the boil. Skim off any white scum that rises to the top, then simmer the soup for 3 hours, or until the meat is falling off the bones.

Strain off the stock into a large bowl and discard the onions, carrots, celery, bacon, bouquet garni and bay leaves. Leave the stock to cool for 1 hour, and then put in the refrigerator for about 4 hours, until any fat has hardened on the surface. Remove and discard the fat.

Boil 1 pint (575/600m.l.) of the stock in a small pan, add the carrot and onion rings, and simmer for 15 minutes. Strain off and keep the stock, and reserve the rings for garnishing.

Remove the meat from the bones and chop finely. Heat the remaining dripping in the cleaned saucepan. Add the flour and stir over a medium heat until the flour turns the colour of a hazelnut. Gradually add all the stock, stirring continuously until the soup comes to the boil and is thick and smooth. Simmer for 3 minutes and then add the meat, nutmeg and lemon juice. Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary, and stir in the sherry or Madeira. Garnish each serving with a portion of the cooked carrot and onion rings.