CookEat Recipe
Oxtail and Barley Soup à l’Anglaise
Oxtail and barley simmered with diced vegetables, then finished with tomato sauce and demi-glace.
Method
Steps
Step 1
Preheat a conventional oven to 400°F. Put the ten quarts cold water in a very large stockpot with ample headroom and begin heating. Have a butcher clean and cut the two fresh raw white calf feet into small pieces. Put them in a roasting pan with the half pound raw ham cut into pieces, one pound veal bones, two carrots, two onions and two leeks, all sliced, the three branches parsley root and one celery branch, sliced. Add the ten cloves, four bay leaves, twenty whole allspice berries, two tablespoons whole black peppercorns, one teaspoon thyme and one and a half tablespoons salt. Spread about four tablespoons rendered pork lard over the vegetables and roast until the bones, meat and vegetables are golden, without burning.
Step 2
Transfer the complete roasted mixture to the stockpot and add the one pint canned tomatoes. Bring slowly to a boil and cook for thirty minutes. Cover, lower the heat and keep at a gentle simmer until the liquid has reduced by half. Before proceeding, check that the meat on the feet and the ham have each reached at least 70°C for two minutes, probing away from bone.
Step 3
In a second very large saucepan, heat the three ounces butter, stir in the six tablespoons flour and cook for twenty minutes, stirring regularly, until the roux is thoroughly brown. Carefully pour the hot stock mixture into the roux, mixing well. Keep at a very gentle simmer for twelve hours, stirring regularly and adjusting the heat to prevent catching.
Step 4
Mix in the half pint sherry, then strain through a clean fine conical strainer into clean heat-safe containers, removing all bones and aromatics. Measure one gill of the actual finished demi-glace for this sauce. Loosen that measured portion with a little hot ready-to-use unsalted veal broth until somewhat fluid, and keep all of it hot for immediate use. Rapidly cool the remaining demi-glace in shallow containers and refrigerate at 40°F or below within two hours; use within forty-eight hours or freeze.
Step 5
For the tomato sauce, dice the four ounces lean raw ham, slice two carrots and two onions, and chop one leek, two parsley branches, one celery branch, one green pepper and one garlic clove. Melt two ounces butter in a large saucepan. Add the ham and these vegetables with two cloves, one teaspoon whole peppercorns, half a bay-leaf sprig, half a thyme sprig, one tablespoon salt and one light tablespoon icing sugar. Cook over brisk heat for about twelve minutes, stirring, until lightly browned.
Step 6
Stir the four tablespoons flour into the sauce pan and cook for five minutes. Add the two quarts fresh ripe red tomatoes cut into quarters and one quart cold water. Mix, cover and simmer very gently for one and a half hours, stirring occasionally. The diced ham must be thoroughly cooked; check that its centre reaches 70°C for two minutes.
Step 7
Press the sauce through a sieve and then strain through clean food-safe cheesecloth. Measure the actual finished sauce portion needed below and keep it hot for immediate use. Divide the unused sauce into small shallow containers, cool rapidly and refrigerate at 40°F or colder within two hours; freeze for longer storage.
Step 8
Have a butcher cut half of a fresh raw oxtail into small sections and remove loose bone splinters. Cut the one medium red carrot, one small turnip, one additional onion, one additional leek and two additional celery branches into small squares. Brown the tail sections and these vegetables in the separate half ounce melted butter for about ten minutes, stirring, until golden.
Step 9
Wash and drain the six tablespoons raw barley. Add to the soup with the two tablespoons Worcestershire sauce, separate one tablespoon salt, half teaspoon white pepper and separate three quarts hot water. Bring to a boil and simmer gently for about one and a half hours, skimming fat, until the barley and tail meat are tender and the thickest tail meat reaches 70°C for two minutes, probing away from bone.
Step 10
Check for and remove loose bone fragments. Stir in one actual gill of the finished hot tomato sauce and all the loosened one-gill demi-glace portion. Mix and boil for ten minutes. Pour into a hot tureen and serve promptly, leaving bones uneaten.
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