Ochsenschwanzsuppe

Ingredients

• 1.2 kg (2⅔ lb) oxtail, cut into segments
• 2 tbsp butter or oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 carrots, diced
• 1 celery root (or 2 celery stalks), diced
• 1 leek, sliced
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 2.5 litres (10 cups) water
• 2 bay leaves
• 6 juniper berries, lightly crushed (or omit and add 1 tbsp gin with the sherry)
• 6 peppercorns
• 3 sprigs thyme
• 2 tsp salt
• 120 ml (½ cup) dry sherry or Madeira
• 1 tbsp chopped parsley
• Dash of cayenne or paprika

Steps

1. Heat the butter in a large pot over medium-high heat. Sear the oxtail in batches until well browned, about 4 minutes per side. Set aside.
2. Add the onion, half the carrot, celery root and leek to the pot. Cook over medium heat for 8 minutes until deeply golden.
3. Stir in the tomato paste for 2 minutes until it darkens. Add the water and scrape up the browned bits.
4. Return the oxtail with the bay, juniper, peppercorns, thyme and salt. Bring to a boil, skim, and reduce to a bare simmer.
5. Cook partly covered for 3 hours, until the meat is falling off the bone.
6. Strain the broth, discarding the vegetables and spices. Pick the meat from the bones, discarding bones and gristle.
7. Skim the fat from the broth and boil it for 5 minutes to concentrate. Add the remaining carrot, finely diced, and simmer 10 minutes until just tender.
8. Return the meat, stir in the sherry and cayenne, and heat 3 minutes. Adjust the salt and sprinkle with parsley.

Notes

• Clear soup: classic versions are strained for clarity; do not boil hard.
• Serving: with buttered rye toast or cheese straws as a starter.
• Make ahead: keeps 3–4 days and freezes well for 3 months; reheat until steaming hot.
• Slow cooker: brown the oxtail and vegetables, then cook on low 8–9 hr with 2 litres (8 cups) water. Strain, skim and boil the broth to concentrate it as in step 7.
• Chef's touch: add the sherry off the heat, just before serving, so its nutty aroma is not boiled away.