Oxtail Soup

Ingredients

 * 1 oxtail
 * 15 ml butter or dripping
 * 1 large onion, chopped
 * 3 medium carrots, diced
 * 1 medium turnip, thinly sliced
 * 2 medium tomatoes, skinned and finely chopped
 * 45 ml chopped celery
 * 3 peppercorns
 * 2 whole cloves
 * 2 litres water
 * 1 bouquet garni (3 sprigs parsley, 1 sprig thyme, 1 bay leaf)
 * 125 ml cake flour
 * 25 ml sherry or dry red wine (optional)
 * 5 ml salt
 * 1 ml cayenne pepper

Directions

 * 1) Add the meat and the onion and sauté till the onions are golden and the meat browned.
 * 2) Add the remaining vegetables, the peppercorns, cloves, water and bouquet garni and simmer, covered, for 3 hours.
 * 3) Mix the flour to a paste with a little water and stir it into the soup to thicken it.
 * 4) Add the sherry or wine and season with salt and cayenne pepper.
 * 5) Add the meat and serve immediately.