Cassell's dictionary of cookery

Ox Tail Soup, Clear. — Cut a fine fresh ox tail into pieces an inch long, and divide the thick part into four. Wash these pieces, and throw them into boiling water for a quarter of an hour ; then drain, and wipe them with a soft cloth. Put them into a stewpan with two carrots, an onion stuck with three cloves, a sprig of parsley, a small piece of thyme, two or three sticks of celery, half a blade of mace, a tea-spoonful of salt, six or eight peppercorns, and a quart of water or clear stock. Boil, remove the scum carefully as it rises, then draw the saucepan to the side of the fire, and simmer very gently until the meat is tender. Lift out the pieces of ox tail, strain the soup, and if it is not clear and bright clarify it according to the directions given for clarifying soup. Turn three carrots and two turnips into any small shapes that may be preferred, or into thin shreds an inch long, being careful only that they are all of the same size. Other vegetables may be used as well as turnips and carrots — such as French beans, green peas, asparagus, celery, or onions. Put these into a saucepan, pour the clarified stock over them, and simmer gently until the vegetables are tender. Heat the pieces of ox tail, pour the soup upon, them, and serve as hot as possible. Time, about three hours to simmer the ox tail. Probable cost, 2s. Sufficient for six or eight persons. Ox Tail Soup, Thick.— This soup is, of course, much better if made with stock instead of water. If no stock is at hand, two pennyworth of fresh bones simmered gently with three quarts of water for six hours, and carefully skimmed, will make nearly two quarts of very good stock; or, if preferred, it can be made from fresh meat. Take two fine ox tails, wash them, cut them into pieces about an inch long, and divide the thick pieces into four. Put them into a stewpan with two ounces of fresh butter, and fry them until they are brightly browned. Slice some vegetables — two carrots, one turnip, two onions, and half a dozen sticks of celery, and fry them in the same butter, and with them two ounces of lean ham cut into dice. Pour over them a quart of water, and stir it over a quick fire for a quarter of an hour ; then add two quarts of stock, a bunch of sweet herbs, a bay-leaf, a dessert-spoonful of salt, half a tea-spoonful of peppercorns, three cloves, and a lump of sugar. Simmer gently ox (488) OX until the meat is tender and parts easily from the bones, then take it out, strain the soup, skim the fat from the top of the liquid, brown it in a saucepan, and mix smoothly with it two ounces of tine flour. Thicken the soup with this, and flavour it with two table-spoonfuls of mushroom ketchup, add the pieces of tail, simmer a quarter of an hour longer, and serve. If preferred, the vegetables may be crushed through a colander, and added to the soup in the form of a puree. A glassful of port may be added or not. Serve fresh rolls with this soup. Time, four hours to simmer the soup. Probable cost. Is. 6d. per quart. Sufficient for a dozen persons.