Bouquet Garni

Bouquet Garni


All of you experienced cooks will know exactly what a Bouquet Garni is. I recall the first time I cooked a recipe with this as a requirement, I had no idea what it was and had to look it up.  For all of you who do not know, here it is : a bundle of fresh herbs tied together with a piece of string which is then placed in the stew or dish that you are cooking. Bay leaf, Thyme and Parsley are used, however I add lemon thyme, rosemary and basil to mine. (Fresh herbs can also be tied up in cheesecloth to facilitate easy removal after cooking.I prefer to use the bundle and then remove any stalks left in the pot after cooking.)

Papa's Oxtail Stew - "You're gonna luv this"

I have just been down to the bottom of the garden to feed the birds and man is it cold. Brrrrrrr. The oxtail stew I made last night would be more than welcome today, however it was so good there was none left.  A few good friends, a fire, a bottle of the good old grape and an oxtail stew on a chilly night. Great!! Here is my recipe :-






























Papa's Oxtail Stew

Ingredients

35 grams Papas All In One Stew Mix
1/4 cup Olive Oil
2 kilos oxtail
4 rashers bacon (chopped)
1 large onion (finely chopped)
Half 410g tin chopped tomatoes or two ripe tomatoes, skinned and chopped
1 leek (finely sliced)
2 carrots cut into chunks
1 tin butter beans (drained)
1 and a quarter cup red wine ( I use Robertsons Ruby Cabernet,excellent for stews and to serve with your meal)
Water as needed
Bouquet Garni ( a bunch of herbs tied with a piece of string. Make your own using, bay leaf, rosemary and parsley. I add Basil and Lemon Thyme as well.)
6 small pickling onions ( peeled, leave whole)

What you need to do:-

For the benefit of local people, I buy my oxtail from Richdens Superspar in Hillcrest. Excellent!
Trim the oxtail of all fat. In a large pot, brown oxtail on all sides in small batches then set aside. Add chopped bacon to pot and saute until crisp. Remove excess bacon fat with a spoon. Add oil, onion and leek and saute until soft. Add 1 cup of red wine and mix well. Add the oxtail and the tomato and enough water to just cover the oxtail. Give the mixture a good stir. Throw in the bouquet garni and cover with lid. The oxtail must be cooked on low heat for a few hours so allow to simmer gently.Cooking times may vary. Check every hour, and give the oxtail a good stir. Simmer until oxtail is almost tender,( usually takes about 2 hours), add pickling onions, carrots , butter beans and Papa's Stew Mix. Stir the mixture I usually add more wine at this stage, a quarter cup, however this is optional. Simmer until the carrots are soft. During the last 20 minutes of cooking, check the mixture frequently, If too thick, add more water sparingly and thin to the desired consistency. Serve with baby potates in a parsley butter. ( Heat butter in microwave, add chopped parsley.Coat potatoes). You might prefer to serve with mash or rice.  A french loaf goes well with oxtail too.

Bring out the wine and enjoy!!!