Ingredients
| FOR THE SPICED LENTIL & OXTAIL SOUP | |
| 1½-2kg oxtail or use osso bucco or other bone-on beef cut | |
| 1 tablespoon vegetable oil | |
| 1 onion, chopped | |
| 2 teaspoons cumin seeds | |
| 1 teaspoon ground turmeric | |
| 1 teaspoon salt | |
| 2½ litres water or beef stock | |
| 2 large carrots, peeled and chopped | |
| 2 parsnips, peeled and chopped | |
| 2 stalks celery, chopped | |
| 1 turnip, peeled and chopped | |
| 1 leek, chopped | |
| 2 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into cubes | |
| ½ cup green lentils | |
| GREEN HARISSA | |
| 1 bunch coriander | |
| ½ bunch flat-leafed parsley | |
| 1 clove garlic | |
| 1-2 green chillies | |
| 2 spring onions, sliced | |
| ½ teaspoon ground cumin | |
| zest and juice of 2 limes | |
| 3 tablespoons olive oil |
A scotch broth is my idea of true comfort food. The version I make is based on my mother’s. She always toasts and grinds cumin seeds and sprinkles them over the top just before serving. I think that is why cumin must be my most loved and possibly abused spice. Any vegetable can be used here although I admit there were no neeps around when we photographed this. I replaced the more common barley with green lentils and made a fresh green harissa to serve with the soup. I like to dollop a spoonful into each soup bowl – it breaks down quickly into the soup and turns the broth a vibrant green, adding a gentle heat.
Instructions
| 1. | FOR THE SPICED LENTIL & OXTAIL SOUP |
| 2. | Remove any really fatty bits from the beef. |
| 3. | Heat the oil in a large saucepan. Brown the beef in batches, taking your time to ensure that the meat has a rich, dark colour (alternatively you could roast in a hot oven to brown and then deglaze with water or stock). |
| 4. | Drain off most of the fat, leaving around a tablespoon in the pan, then add the onion and cook until caramelised. |
| 5. | Add the cumin seeds and turmeric and cook for a minute before adding the salt and water or stock (it should cover the meat). |
| 6. | Bring to the boil, then gently simmer for three hours. Skim the impurities from the stock occasionally. |
| 7. | Remove the meat from the pot and when cool enough shred the meat from the bone and discard the bones. (At this point I often keep the meat and stock separately, refrigerating them both overnight. The next day I remove and discard the layer of fat on the stock.) |
| 8. | Return the meat to the pot with the stock and bring to a simmer. Add the carrots, parsnip, celery and turnip and cook for 30 minutes. |
| 9. | Add the leek, potatoes and lentils and cook for a further 30 minutes. |
| 10. | Adjust seasonings to taste and serve with the harissa and good bread. |
| 11. | GREEN HARISSA |
| 12. | Roughly chop the coriander and parsley, stems and leaves. |
| 13. | Put into a blender with the remaining ingredients and blitz with a couple of tablespoons of water to make a smooth paste. |
| 14. | Add extra olive oil or water if required and adjust salt to taste. |
Recipes & food styling Ginny Grant / Photography Aaron McLean / Styling Ellen J Hemmings
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