Recipe: Oxtail Soup
Oxtail, Swede & Pearl Barley Soup with Horseradish Cream
Serves 4
It’s a good idea to start this soup the day before you need it. I like to braise ·he oxtail, strain off the liquid and cool it down so you can remove the lat and pick the meat from the bones and chill it overnight. The next day making the soup itself only takes about 45 minutes. This is about as hearty and satisfying as you can get from a soup.
Ingredients
- 1.5kg oxtail, cut into 2.5cm pieces
- ½ cup plain flour
- 100ml vegetable oil
- 1lt beef stock
- 1 onion, peeled and diced
- 2 cloves garlic, sliced
- 1 large swede, peeled and diced
- 1 stick celery, diced
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tbs yellow mustard seeds
- 25gm butter
- 25gm flour
- ½ cup pearl barley
- ¼ cup chopped parsley
- 100ml creme fraiche
- 50gm fresh horseradish, grated
- salt and pepper
Method
Dust the oxtail pieces with flour and fry in a heavy based frypan until golden all over. Transfer to a casserole dish and pour over the hot beef stock. Cover and cook at l 50°C for 4 – 5 hours or until the meat is falling off the bone. Strain off the cooking liquid and refrigerate until set. Pick the meat from the bones of the oxtail and refrigerate.
In a small saucepan, cover the pearl barley with cold water and bring to the boil. Simmer, covered for 25 – 30 minutes or until softened.
In a large saucepan, saute the onion, garlic, celery, swede,
mustard seeds and bay leaves. Add the flour and cook over a low heat for 2 minutes.
Scrape any lat from the top of the cold oxtail braising liquid and discard. Heat the braising liquid, adding enough water to it to bring the total volume up to 750ml. Add the hot liquid to the soup and bring to a simmer.
Add the pearl barley and shredded oxtail and simmer for 30 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and just before serving stir through the chopped parsley and finish with a tablespoon of horseradish cream.
For the horseradish cream, stir together the creme fraiche and grated horseradish and season with salt and pepper.
Note: If you can’t find fresh horseradish you can substitute ready-made horseradish cream which is available from supermarkets.
Dust the oxtail pieces with flour and fry in a heavy based frypan until golden all over. Transfer to a casserole dish and pour over the hot beef stock. Cover and cook at 150°C for 4 – 5 hours or until the meat is falling off the bone. Strain off the cooking liquid and refrigerate until set. Pick the meat from the bones of the oxtail and refrigerate.
In a small saucepan, cover the pearl barley with cold water and bring to the boil. Simmer, covered for 25 – 30 minutes or until softened.
In a large saucepan, saute the onion, garlic, celery, swede, mustard seeds and bay leaves. Add the flour and cook over a low heat for 2 minutes.
Scrape any lat from the top of the cold oxtail braising liquid and discard. Heat the braising liquid, adding enough water to it to bring the total volume up to 750ml. Add the hot liquid to the soup and bring to a simmer.
Add the pearl barley and shredded oxtail and simmer for 30 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and just before serving stir through the chopped parsley and finish with a tablespoon of horseradish cream.
For the horseradish cream, stir together the creme fraiche and grated horseradish and season with salt and pepper.
Note: If you can’t find fresh horseradish you can substitute ready-made horseradish cream which is available from supermarkets.
