Oxtails a la Castellane

Cut some large oxtails in three inch lengths, soak for an hour, drain, and blanch the pieces for half an hour, then throw them into cold water. Mask the bottom of a saucepan with fragments of bacon, roots, and sliced onions. Put the pieces of tails on top, and moisten with sufficient broth to cover them entirely; boil the liquid, skim, and let simmer slowly for three hours. Drain them, trim, and return to the saucepan; strain and remove the fat from the broth, pour it over the tails, and finish cooking slowly for one hour. Braise some whole chestnuts (No. 654), and when done, arrange the oxtails pyramid form on a dish, surround by the braised chestnuts, reduce the stock with a little espagnole sauce (No. 414), and some blanched celery cut into quarter of an inch squares; when it is cooked pour the sauce over and serve.