A Trifling Thing

Traditional at Christmas time, but no reason not to have made a New Year's resolution to eat more trifle too. My favorite trifle is sherry trifle, made with Harvey's Bristol Cream. Nothing comes close. Oh and you'll need to serve it in your grandmother's best glass bowl, because it won't taste the same in anything else. I use Mrs Beeton's recipe, more or less, and like to imagine them making a little extra to eat 'below stairs', very Downton Abbey.

4 individual sponge cakes (or make a fatless sponge, or use lady fingers or angel food cake)
raspberry or strawberry jam
1 cup fresh raspberries or strawberries, mashed or chopped a little
1/4 pint sherry
grated rind of 1/2 lemon
1 oz almonds, blanched and shredded
1/2 pint custard (make this in the Vitamix with 1/2 pint half and half, 2 eggs + 1 egg yolk, 1 oz sugar and a teaspoon of cornstarch - add ingredients in order listed, start machine, turn up to high and blend 5-6 minutes until hot and steaming)
1/4 pint heavy cream
1 egg white
1-2 oz sugar

Split the sponge cakes or substitutes, spread with jam and sandwich together in an even layer on bottom of glass dish. Add fruit. Pour sherry and lemon rind over and leave to soak for an hour or so. Pour custard over before it cools, then allow to cool. Bake or broil the almonds until they are a pale golden color and allow to cool. Whisk the cream with the egg white and sugar until stiff, and pile on top of the custard. Decorate with the almonds and a few whole raspberries or strawberries. Keep chilled until ready to serve.

Mince Pies

Ingredients

1 cup each currants, raisins, sultanas, craisins
1/2 cup chopped, mixed peel
Grated rind of 1 lemon
1 apple, peeled, cored and finely chopped
2/3 cup butter, in small cubes
1/3 cup almonds, roughly chopped
1 cups brown sugar
3 tbsp maple syrup
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp allspice
1 cup brandy

4 sterilized 1 1b jam jars

Measure all of the ingredients except the alcohol into a large pan. Heat gently, allowing the butter to melt, then simmer very gently, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes.

Allow the mixture to cool completely then stir in the brandy, rum or sherry.

Spoon the mincemeat into sterilised jam jars, seal tightly, label and store in a cool place. You can make the mincemeat up to six months ahead and store it in a cool place.

Crust

Here's my favorite French 'pate sablee', though it is not the easiest dough to handle:

(makes 2 3/4 lb) - yes, that's a lot, but these make great Christmas gifts

14 oz soft, unsalted butter
8 oz white sugar
1 medium egg, beaten, at room temperature
1 1/4 lb plain flour
(I use Plusgras or Kerrygold butter - lower water content than ours, and '00' flour does make a finer crust.)

Beat the butter with the sugar until lump free but not quite a cream. Add the egg, gently and quickly. Blend in the flour, stopping the machine as soon as the dough clings to the beater. Press into a ball, working with palms of hands if necessary to bring together, but try not to over handle. Form into a sausage shape, cover with plastic or foil wrap, chill for 1 hour.

Roll out dough. This amount will make 80 or 90 mini pies with lids (see photo), or use some to line a larger dish, then cut strips to make a lattice top. Don't fill the pies quite full of mincemeat, because it will surely expand on baking (425 F for 15-20 minutes for the small pies, 400 F for 25 minutes for larger ones).

Now where's my glass of sherry...

Cullen Skink

Here's an authentic recipe from my Scottish ancestors. This will serve 4-6 depending on whether a starter or a main course.

Ingredients

1 large smoked haddock (or other smoked, white fish)
3 tbsp butter
1 medium onion
1 1/2 pints milk
2 cups cooked, mashed potato
seasoning
chives
2 pints mussels (optional)

Place fish, skin side down, in a shallow pan. Cover with cold water and some of the milk. Add a knob of butter and season with black pepper. Bring to a boil then simmer for 5 minutes. Turn fish over, remove skin, add sliced onion, cover and simmer a further 5 minutes.

Remove fish from the pan and fillet it. Return the bones to the stock and simmer for 30 minutes. Strain off the liquid stock, add remainder of milk, the cooked, flaked fish and most of the mashed potato.

Bring to the boil and add more potato until the soup has the desired consistency. It should be fairly thick. Add a knob of butter. Season with more black pepper and salt (taking care with salt as the smoked fish may be salty).

To serve, sprinkle chopped chives onto each bowlful. Add a few mussels to each, if you are using them.

Oeufs farcis - that's stuffed eggs to you!

For the launch of our local French conversation evenings, it seemed appropriate to prepare some French dishes for everyone. I found a simple but delicious recipe for stuffed eggs in a cookery book from Provence, France...in French. Here's my translation for you.

Ingredients

Eggs
Salted anchovy fillets (1 per egg)
Capers (3 per egg)
Parsley, chopped (1/4 tsp per egg)
Bechamel sauce (see below)

Have as many eggs as you wish to prepare at room temperature. Hard boil them. When cool, peel them and slice in two lengthwise.

Carefully scoop yolks out of eggs. Remove excess salt and bone from anchovies. Mash them with the yolks and capers. Add parsley, and a generous tablespoon or two of bechamel sauce per egg. Mix well.

Spread remaining sauce over an ovenproof platter and arrange the egg white 'shells' on top. Fill each with a spoonful of the stuffing. Heat through in a preheated oven (375 F) for 10 minutes.


Bechamel sauce: the amount will depend on the number of eggs, but the basic recipe involves 1/2 pint heated milk, 1 1/2 tbsp olive oil and 2 level tbsp all-purpose flour. Heat the oil in a thick-bottomed pan and add flour. Cook, stirring, to obtain a smooth paste, then add the hot milk and continue stirring until you have a thick, lump-free sauce. Be sure to cook for 10 minutes so the flour is fully cooked and the flavor developed. Season with a little nutmeg and white pepper. Do not add salt because the anchovies and capers will give plenty to the dish.


JGH notes: I don't like tell the French how to cook, but a little finely chopped smoked salmon is a nice addition, and I like to add 1/2 a cup of dry white wine to the bechamel in place of that amount of milk. A little chili pepper sprinkled on top as the eggs come out of the oven adds zing and color too.

Bon appétit!

Pumpkin Pie...from scratch

Last year at Thanksgiving I urged you all to consider fresh pumpkin, not canned, but I did not give you my recipe. This year I'm making amends...

Ingredients

1 cooking pumpkin
an unbaked pie crust for a 10" pie dish (I use the magical Silver Palate no-roll crust)
1 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup evaporated milk
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 stick butter, melted
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp each ground ginger and cinnamon

Preheat oven to 400º F. Take a big knife and split the pumpkin in two. Scoop out seeds and set aside. Also remove any remaining fiber. Place the pumpkin, cut side down, on an oiled baking sheet. and bake for 35-40 minutes, or until tender. When cool enough to handle, scoop out the pumpkin flesh and mash until very smooth. Measure out 2 cups of the puree. Add the sugar, milk, cream, butter and seasoning; mix together thoroughly. Beat eggs lightly in a separate bowl, then incorporate into the pumpkin mixture.

Butter pie dish. Line with crust, or tip the no-roll crust in and pat down. Place on a baking sheet. Pour filling over. Bake for 10 minutes, then reduce heat to 350º F and bake a further 30 minutes or until the filling is set.

Now, remember I said to set the seeds aside? Here's why: rinse them to remove the pumpkin fiber and allow to dry. Use your hands to toss seeds in a little olive oil, then use your oily hands to grease a baking sheet. Spread out the seeds on it in a single layer. Bake at the top of the oven (at 400º F) until the seeds start to color (5-10 minutes, but keep checking). Toss in sea salt while still warm. Perfect to serve with cocktails.

Soybeans with Garlic and Chili

My dear friend Stephanie was not just fortunate enough to spend her birthday in Hawaii recently, but she also got to celebrate in style at Alan Wong's restaurant in Honolulu. Wong's recipes hardly fall into the 'non taxing' bracket', but this delicious, speedy pupu is the exception.

1 lb cooked soy beans with the shell on (cooked from frozen)
1 tbsp canola oil
1 tsp fresh ginger, minced
1 tsp garlic, minced
1 small chili pepper, minced
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp oyster sauce
½ tsp sesame oil

In a very hot skillet (a wok is ideal) fry garlic, ginger and chili with salad oil until golden brown. Add soybeans and continue to cook until heated through. Add soy sauce, oyster sauce, and sesame oil. Stir fry for an additional minute; season with salt to taste (optional) and serve immediately.

Custard without the Stress

I know I am guilty of bias when it comes to my Vitamix, but truthfully this recipe revolutionizes custard making (which means it's also the perfect technique for any egg custard-based dessert, such as my home-made ice cream).

Ingredients to serve 6

6 free-range egg yolks
1 1/4 cups heavy or whipping cream

3/4 cup milk

½ cup refined sugar

1 1/2 tsps vanilla essence

Place all the ingredients into the Vitamix and whizz on full power for 5 to 7 minutes until steaming and thick. (Yes, that's all there is to it!)

Pumpkin Curry

If, like me, you have a pumpkin mountain left over from Hallowe'en, and you've already made pie and soup and pancakes, you may like to try spicing things up a little with this recipe kindly provided by the kitchen supply company, Steamer Trading (with a few JGH tweaks).

Ingredients
2 tbsp groundnut oil
2 sweet onions, finely chopped
1/2 tbsp dried chili flakes
1 inch piece fresh ginger, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp curry powder
1 tbsp roasted, ground cumin
2 pounds fresh pumpkin, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
1 pint unsweetened coconut milk
Salt
Bunch fresh mint, coarsely chopped
Bunch fresh cilantro, coarsely chopped

Method
Heat the oil in a large pan. Fry the onion, with the chili, until transparent. Add the ginger and garlic, and stir fry for another three minutes. Add the pumpkin and spices, cook a further few minutes. Add salt and coconut milk, mixing gently but thoroughly. Cover the pan and simmer gently for about 20 minutes or until the pumpkin is tender. Garnish with the fresh herbs. Serve with plain rice and naan bread to mop up the juices.

Party Catering

I was recently asked to make potato salad and coleslaw for a party of 40. So as not to end up with the same old stuff I searched around for inspiration, and found it in herbs and Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall. The following recipes are scaled down to serve 10-12 people.

Potato Salad

Adding dill to potato salad lifts it out of the ordinary, and be sure to use red-skinned potatoes.

5 lb red-skinned potatoes
1 red onion
handful of fresh dill sprigs, chopped
handful of fresh Italian parsley, chopped
4 tbsp Hellman's (for nothing less will do) mayonnaise
4 tbsp soured cream
4 tbsp 
1 tsp grated horseradish (or horseradish sauce)
salt & pepper
lemon juice

Wash the potatoes. Add them to boiling, salted water and cook for around 12 minutes or until they don't resist the knife when pierced. Meanwhile slice the onion and make up the dressing by mixing the Hellmann's, soured cream and seasonings (keeping aside a handful of dill and parsley to garnish the dish). Drain the potatoes, and immediately they are cool enough to handle remove the skins, cut into bite-sized slices and fold into the dressing with the onion. (While still warm the potatoes will absorb the flavor better.) Adjust seasoning, adding a few squeezes of lemon juice, and garnish with the remaining handful of herbs.

Asian-Inspired Coleslaw

1 medium white cabbage
4 large carrots
1 sweet onion
handful of fresh chives or spring onion
1-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled
large handful of fresh cilantro, chopped
1 cup lightly salted peanuts
2 tbsp sesame oil
2 tbsp groundnut oil
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tsp honey
juice of 2 limes
black pepper
chili flakes

Put the sliced onion into a large bowl. Grate the carrot coarsely and add to the bowl. Grate the ginger finely and add. Remove any blemished or dry outer leaves from the cabbage, then quarter it, cut away the core and shred the leaves as finely as possible. Combine with the onion and carrot.

For the dressing, whisk all the ingredients together, making sure the honey is dissolved. Add chili according to taste. Add cilantro, leaving a handful aside for garnish.

Pour the dressing over the vegetables and mix thoroughly. Leave for at least 30 minutes to soften and absorb flavors.

Grind peanuts coarsely - a pestle and mortar are the best tools for this job - and fold into the salad. Garnish with remaining coriander (try including the green part of the spring onion or the chives too) and serve.

Hallowe'en Frighteners

Take a look at my special events recipes site for some Hallowe'en ideas, if you dare...

Jesse Grant Hester's Special Events Site

Watermelon Salad

Watermelon is in good shape and plentiful in early summer so with your melon baller in hand try making this wonderfully refreshing salad. Serve it chilled as an appetizer.

Ingredients for 4 people

Half a medium water melon (to yield 3-4 cups of melon balls)

A handful each of freshly picked and chopped mint and parsley

1/4 cup olive oil

juice of half a lime and half a lemon

1/4 tsp cumin seed, freshly ground

Salt, pepper, chili flakes, sugar to taste

Scoop the flesh of the watermelon into balls with a melon baller. (It is worthwhile doing this - rather than simply chopping - for the texture and sensation in the mouth.)

Make up a dressing with the oil, citrus juice, cumin and seasoning. Be cautious with the sugar - a pinch may be enough, depending on how sweet and ripe your watermelon is.Toss the watermelon balls and the fresh herbs in the dressing, then chill for at least an hour.

The addition of crumbled feta will make this a more substantial salad.

Grilled Vegetables

This is the time of year for grilling and for getting fit. Invest in a vegetable basket, such as the Weber Style, and do both at the same time with vegetables on the grill. Here are some suggestions for a meal for four people, or a side for several more. Feel free to vary and invent!

The mixture pictured includes baby tomatoes,
asparagus and zucchini in bite-sized pieces.

Ingredients

1 medium eggplant
1/2 red pepper
1/2 green pepper
1 small red onion
1 small head broccoli
1 cup small brown mushrooms

Marinade

3 tbsp red wine vinegar
3 tbsp olive oil
1 large clove garlic
1/2 tsp fresh rosemary, chopped
1/2 tsp fresh thyme, chopped
chili flakes, salt & pepper to taste

Slice the onion. Slice the eggplant thinly (this is important for absorbing the marinade and because it takes longer to cook) and cut into small wedges. Cut the peppers and broccoli into bite-sized chunks. Remove the stalks from the mushrooms and halve them.

Press the garlic clove and mix it in with the vinegar, oil, herbs and seasoning. Add the vegetables and marinate them for a couple of hours.

Heat the grill to 500 degrees. Place the vegetables in the basket on the grill. Cook for 15-20 minutes, stirring once or twice to ensure they are not burning, but do just begin to caramelize.

Red Onion Marmalade

Ingredients

1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp butter
3 large red onions, finely sliced
1 tsp dill seed
2 tbsp brown sugar
1 tbsp sweet chili sauce
1 cup red wine
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar

Heat the oil and butter in a skillet. Add the onion and dill seed, and cook for 5 minutes.

Add the brown sugar, chili sauce and  a couple of tbsp cold water. Cover and cook for 15 minutes, then add 125ml red wine and 75ml balsamic vinegar.

Bring to the boil and simmer for 15-20 minutes until syrupy. Serve with Glamorgan Sausages.

Glamorgan Sausages

Here's another recipe handed down from my Welsh ancestors. In the Welsh language these are: Selsig Morgannwg. These simple sausages don't sound like much but they taste surprisingly good, and they will delight your vegetarian guests.

Ingredients - Serves 4 (12 sausages)

6oz fresh white breadcrumbs
4oz cheese (Caerphilly is authentic, but a mixture of Cheddar and goat’s cheese, such as feta, works well)
1 small onion or white part of one leek
handful of fresh parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme, finely chopped
2 eggs
1 tbsp all-purpose flour
dried breadcrumbs
1 tsp mustard
salt and black pepper
groundnut oil for frying

Grate the cheese. Chop the onion or leek very finely. Mix with the herbs, fresh breadcrumbs, salt and pepper. Beat together 1 egg and 1 egg yolk, add mustard and use enough of this to bind the mixture. Divide into 12 and roll into sausage shapes.

Dip each sausage into egg white plus any remaining beaten egg mixture, then into well-seasoned flour. Chill for at least 20 minutes, then dip into egg again and coat with dried breadcrumbs. Fry in hot oil for about 10 minutes, until golden brown.

Serve with Red Onion Marmalade.

Tapenade

This is a killer dip or spread, bringing the flavor and sophistication of the Mediterranean to your table. Use the serving suggestions from my Three Dips post. It also has a wonderful affinity for eggs: mash up with boiled egg for a sandwich filling, or spread on toast then top with fried or scrambled eggs.

Note that it is very rich, and quite salty, so do not be tempted to add more!

Ingredients for one bowl

8 oz Kalamata olives, stones removed
2 anchovies (rinse to remove excess salt rinsed off)
1/2 cup capers, drained
1 or 2 cloves garlic, peeled
pulp/juice of half a lemon
5 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
a small handful of fresh herbs - a mixture of parsley, basil and oregano works well

Place all the ingredients in a food processor such as the Vegemix, and blend until well mixed but still with little chunks for texture. Adjust seasoning with black pepper, chili pepper and/or lemon juice as needed. This keeps well for a week in a covered jar.

Chard Parcels

Chard is not difficult to grow. The difficulty comes in deciding what to do with the copious amounts of chard you have grown, after the first few days of steaming, stir frying and dressing in salads. Here's a nice, easy recipe for packages that make great appetizers or a side for an Asian main dish, but that are also portable enough for a summer picnic. Serve them warm or cold.

2 lbs (around 30 leaves) of Swiss chard
2 cloves garlic
2 tbsp fine Japanese soy sauce
2 tbsp peanut oil
few drops toasted sesame oil
handful toasted sesame seeds

Bring 6 pints water to the boil in a large pan. Meanwhile, trim all but 3" of stem off each chard leaf. Blanch whole leaves in water for 3 minutes, in 2 or 3 batches, depending on the capacity of your pan. Try to place in pan with stems in water and leaves exposed, as the stems take longer, and the leaves will cook in the steam if your pan has a lid.

Remove chard, drain and place on a cookie sheet lined with paper towels to absorb residual moisture and to cool. When the chard is all cooked and cooling, press the garlic cloves into a bowl. Add the oils and allow to infuse.

To make the chard parcels: take a leaf, fold the stem in half and wind the leafy green around it fairly tightly so it holds its shape. When you have made all the packages up, heat the garlic-oil mixture gently in a 10" skillet. Carefully add the parcels to the skillet. Drizzle soy sauce evenly over them and cover the pan. Fry on low for 2 minutes then turn off heat.

Transfer packages to serving dish and sprinkle with the toasted sesame seeds.

Three Dips

You don't have to be on a Greek island to enjoy the flavors of the Mediterranean. These dips, accompanied by pitta bread or vegetable sticks, make great appetizers that will go very well with a cocktail. They are also good with my falafel.

Fava Bean Dip

2 cups dried fava beans (Bob's Red Mill brand, for example), soaked overnight in plenty of water
4 cloves garlic
2 scallions
2 tablespoons fresh cilantro
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp paprika
1/4-1/2 cup lemon juice
salt & black pepper

Drain the soaked beans. Put them in a pan and cover with cold water. Bring to the boil, then simmer, with the pan partially covered, for about 1 1/2 hours until the beans are tender. Top up the water during cooking time if necessary so the beans remain covered. Tip all ingredients into food processor and process until smooth. (Keep aside some herbs and a little olive oil to decorate your final dish.)

Taramosalata

4 slices of bread, crusts removed

6 ounces tarama (smoked fish roe)

1 small onion, finely chopped

1 garlic clove, pressed

3/4 cup light-flavored olive oil

juice of 2 lemons

fresh parsley or cilantro

Soak the bread in water for 5 minutes the squeeze dry. Place in food processor with tarama, onion and garlic. With processor running, gradually add olive oil, thinning with lemon juice, as if making mayonnaise. Stop when you have a well-mixed emulsion. Stir in a little black pepper and some finely chopped parsley or cilantro. 

Hummus Bi Tahini

2 x 15 oz cans garbanzo beans 

1/2 cup tahini

6 tbsp lemon juice

3 garlic cloves, pressed

1 tsp ground cumin

salt & black pepper

Drain beans, reserving the liquid. Blend beans, along with the other ingredients and 1/4 cup of the liquid. Process until the mixture is smooth, adding more of the reserved liquid until the desired consistency is reached. Season with salt and pepper, adding more cumin and/or lemon juice to taste.

Toad in the Hole

Serves 4-6

First catch and kill a substantial-sized toad or two small ones*. Generously oil a shallow metal pan. Add the toad and a little chopped onion; sprinkle with herbs. Make a pancake batter by sifting 2 cups sifted all-purpose flour with 2 tsp baking powder and 1 tsp salt. Beat 1 large egg with 1 cup milk and incorporate into flour mixture.

Place pan in very hot oven (425 F) for 5 minutes until the oil sizzles then remove and pour batter over. Return to oven for 20-25 mins until the batter is brown, crusty and risen, with bits of toad peeking through. Serve piping hot with freshly steamed kale or other greens.

*When toad is not in season, substitute six large, high quality pork sausages, from which you have removed the casings - carefully, so as to retain the shape.

Blackened Shad

If you live on the East Coast, near a river, look out for the American shad in Spring, when it leaves the waters of the North Atlantic and makes its way up river to spawn.

If you are lucky enough to get hold of the roe, fill a smoke box with pre-soaked applewood chips and put it on the Weber. Smoke the roe on a very low grill for 25 minutes. A whole shad is delicious smoked this way too – again, the grill must be set to very low, and allow a couple of hours, refilling the smoke box several times during the process.

Serves 24

Juice of 3 lemons
6 lb American shad, gutted, spine and major bones removed
3 red onions, thinly sliced
1 1b mushrooms, thinly sliced
1 cup white wine vinegar
1 tsp sugar
1½ tsp salt
Black pepper
2 cups extra virgin olive oil

Make a marinade for the shad from the oil, vinegar, lemon and seasoning, in an ovenproof dish. Dip the fish in, skin side down, then turn. Sprinkle mushroom and onion on top, and make sure they’re covered with the marinade too. Allow to stand for a couple of hours. With the broiler as hot as you can get it, place shad skin side up under grill for up to 10 minutes until the skin begins to blacken and the fish is just cooked and moist. (If you are using an outdoor grill, again with it as hot as possible, place the fish skin side down on an oiled griddle and watch carefully as it cooks.) 

While the fish is cooking pour marinade into a wide-based pan or wok, and stir fryl over a high heat until the vegetables are soft and the liquid has reduce by half; season to taste and spoon over shad.

Served with boiled baby Yukon Gold potatoes and steamed asparagus.

Note: try to obtain the largest American shad you can, as deboning smaller fish is very hard work.

Oxtail Stew

What can be more delicious than the smell of oxtail slowly stewing in its own juices? Here's a recipe for this underrated classic, taken not from Mrs Beeton but from a worthy successor, Leiths, the London cookery school established in the 70s by the very talented South African, Prue Leith who, incidentally, calls herself a fraud - a 'good' but not a 'great' cook. So there is hope for us all!

Ingredients for 6

4 pounds oxtail
all purpose flour
3 tbsp sunflower oil
12 oz carrots
12 oz onion
few sprigs thyme
2 garlic cloves
1/2 bottle dry red wine, such as Merlot or Pinot Noir
1 pint good meat stock
1 bay leaf
1 tsp sugar
1 tin chopped tomatoes
salt and pepper

Method

Heat oven to 300 F. Wash and dry oxtail, trim off excess fat, cut into 1 1/2" lengths. Season flour with salt and pepper, and toss the oxtail pieces in this mixture. A bag is useful for this process.

Heat the oil in a large pan over medium heat and brown the oxtail, a few pieces at a time, evenly on all sides. Remove each batch to a plates when ready. Deglaze pan in between batches by pouring off excess oil, adding a little water to the pan and scraping up the sediment. This can be returned to the mix later as long as not burned.

Peel carrots and cut into thick slices. Halve and peel the onions, then cut into wedges through the root. Heat a little more oil in the pan and brown the vegetables evenly. Chop thyme leaves, peel and crush garlic.

Pour wine and stock over browned vegetables. Add herbs, garlic, sugar, seasoning. Add tomatoes, bring to boil, then reduce to simmer. Reap turn oxtail to pan. Cover and cook in oven 3-4 hours until very tender and coming away from bone. Reduce oven temperature if necessary during cooking time to maintain no more than a very gentle simmer.

Remove oxtail and vegetables. Allow cooking liquid to sit for 30-40 minutes so fat rises to the surface. Skim off fat. Taste sauce, heating again to reduce volume if a more intense flavor is required.

Remove and discard carrots, onion and bay leaf. Return oxtail to pan and reheat gently to serve.

This is delicious with creamy mashed potato and some freshly steamed root vegetables.