Oxtail Soup

Recipe View Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C). (5 minutes)

Recipe View Trim off excess fat from the oxtails. Spread them evenly on a shallow roasting pan. (5 minutes)

Recipe View Roast the oxtails in the preheated oven for 45 minutes, until deeply browned and caramelized. (45 minutes)

Recipe View While the oxtails are roasting, rehydrate the dried mushrooms in hot water in a small bowl for 30 to 45 minutes. Once softened, drain the mushrooms, slice them thinly, and set aside. (45 minutes)

Recipe View Transfer the roasted oxtails to a plate and set aside. Drain the excess fat from the roasting pan, reserving about 2 tablespoons. Add 1 cup of water to the roasting pan. Warm over medium heat, stirring constantly, to dissolve the flavorful browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Set the resulting broth aside. (10 minutes)

Recipe View Add the reserved fat to a large stockpot over medium-high heat. Sauté the chopped onion, sliced carrots, parsnip, turnip, and sliced mushrooms in the fat until softened and slightly caramelized, about 10 minutes. (10 minutes)

Recipe View Add the browned oxtails to the pot with the sautéed vegetables. Drizzle the brandy evenly over the oxtails. Carefully ignite the brandy with a long match or lighter, allowing the alcohol to burn off and infuse the dish with its aroma. (5 minutes)

Recipe View Pour the reserved water and browned bits mixture over the oxtails and vegetables. Add the remaining 5 cups of water. Stir in the barley, salt, savory, pepper, and bay leaf. (5 minutes)

Recipe View Bring the soup to a boil, then reduce the heat to low. Cover the pot and simmer gently for 2 hours, or until the oxtails are very tender and the meat is falling off the bone. (120 minutes)

Recipe View After simmering, remove the bay leaf. Taste the soup and adjust the seasonings as needed with additional salt and pepper to suit your preference. (5 minutes)