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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 Bovril. 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 them 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 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 fine 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, 1s. 6d. per quart. Sufficient for a dozen persons.