Name: Oxtail and dumpling soup
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 210 min
Total time: 230 min
Yield: 6
Ingredients: 2 tbsp olive oil; 2 kg oxtail, cut into 3cm pieces; 3 carrots, peeled and coarsely chopped; 3 celery stalks, coarsely chopped; 2 onions, coarsely chopped; 3 garlic cloves, sliced; 2 tbsp tomato paste; 3 thyme sprigs; 2 rosemary sprigs; 2 fresh bay leaves; To serve: crusty bread; Thyme dumplings; 2 eggs; 225 gm (1½ cups) self-raising flour; 1 tbsp thyme leaves; Pinch of freshly ground nutmeg

Oxtail and dumpling soup

Rodney Dunn recipe for oxtail and dumpling soup.

Serves 6

Prep

20M

Cook

3H 30M

Total

3H 50M

This simple soup uses the very tasty oxtail cooked on the bone, which produces a wonderfully rich beef broth along with tender morsels of beef to serve in the soup. The meat could be shredded then added to the soup, but eating the meat from the bone is much more fun. Just make sure there’s plenty of hand towels.

Ingredients

2 tbsp olive oil

2 kg oxtail, cut into 3cm pieces

3 carrots, peeled and coarsely chopped

3 celery stalks, coarsely chopped

2 onions, coarsely chopped

3 garlic cloves, sliced

2 tbsp tomato paste

3 thyme sprigs

2 rosemary sprigs

2 fresh bay leaves

To serve: crusty bread

Thyme dumplings

2 eggs

225 gm (1½ cups) self-raising flour

1 tbsp thyme leaves

Pinch of freshly ground nutmeg

Method

Main

1.Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat, add oxtail and cook, turning occasionally, until caramelised (8-10 minutes), then transfer to a plate. Add carrot, celery, onion and garlic to pan, and sauté until softened (8-10 minutes). Add tomato paste and cook, stirring occasionally, until paste darkens (4-5 minutes), then return oxtail to pan, add herbs and 2 litres water, and bring to a simmer. Simmer, partially covered and skimming the fat from the top occasionally, until meat is falling from the bone (2¾-3 hours). Season to taste.

2.For thyme dumplings, whisk eggs in a bowl, add flour, thyme, nutmeg and 1 tsp salt, and gently knead to combine. Roll mixture into 2cm balls, add to soup, cover and cook until dumplings double in size (12-15 minutes). Serve with crusty bread.