Oxtail and farro soup
“Italian family recipes.”
- 2kg of oxtail, cut into pieces by the butcher
- 2 sticks celery, chopped
- 1 carrot, peeled and chopped
- 1 onion, peeled and chopped
- a handful of parsley stalks
For the soup
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 diced onions
- 8 cloves of garlic, each cut into 3-4 pieces
- 1 sliced celery heart (including the tender
- light-green leaves)
- 2 bay leaves
- 350g peeled and diced waxy potatoes
- 250g finely chopped ripe tomatoes
- 250g cavolo nero, trimmed of stalk and
- chopped into pieces
- 250g pearled farro (or barley), washed
- 2 good pinches of salt
- salt and freshly ground pepper
To serve
- freshly grated parmesan
- crusty bread
Try this hearty and delicious Italian classic.
Method
For the oxtail
Wash the oxtail pieces very well and place in a large pot. Add the vegetables - celery, carrot, onion and parsley stalks - and cover with water. Bring to the boil and then turn down to a simmer for 60-90 minutes until the meat is tender. It should strip off the bone easily.
Drain the stock from the oxtail and keep it in a container to cool. Discard the vegetables and, when cooled, strip all the oxtail meat from the bones.
For the soup
Heat the olive oil in a heavy-bottom soup pot. Add the diced onions, 8 garlic cloves, celery heart and bay leaves. Lightly fry these for 2-3 minutes, making sure they don't colour.
Add the potatoes, tomatoes and cavolo nero and stir. Add farro (or barley) as well as enough oxtail stock to cover everything by 3-4 centimetres. Raise the temperature and bring to the boil. As soon as it boils, turn down to a simmer and add a couple of good pinches of salt. Keep simmering for 20-25 minutes until the farro has softened.
Add the oxtail pieces, season with salt and freshly ground pepper and serve with plenty of grated parmesan and crusty bread.
Serves 6-8.
