Ox-Tail Soup
INGREDIENTS for soup for 10 or 12 persons.-2 ox-tails, 2 slices of ham, 1 oz. of butter, 2 carrots, 2 turnips, 3 onions, 1 leek, 1 head of celery, 1 bunch of savoury herbs, 1 bay-leaf, 12 whole peppercorns, 4 cloves, a tablespoonful of salt, 2 tablespoonfuls of ketchup, 1/21 glass of port wine, 3 quarts of water. AVERAGE COST, 5s. 6d.
Cut up the tails, separating them at the joints; wash them, and put them in a stewpan with the butter. Cut the vegetables into slices and add them, with the peppercorns and herbs. Put in 1/24 pint of water, and stir it over a sharp fire till the juices are drawn. Fill up the stewpan with the water, and, when boiling, add the salt.
Skim well, and simmer very gently for 4 hours, or until the tails are tender. Take them out, skim and strain the soup, thicken with flour, and flavour with the ketchup and port wine. Put back the tails, simmer for 5 minutes, and serve.
TIME.-4 hours.
SEASONABLE in winter.