Oxtail Soup

One of the much-loved soups of the Great British public, and memories of when the local butcher's shop sold oxtails inexpensively.

This soup is one of our favourite soups and the one I always used in the hotels, for Mr. and Mrs. Finken at Lodge Hill as well as for lord and Lady Hanson.

To make this soup a real winner for a dinner party replace 1 pint of the stock with red wine and near the finish add 3 tablespoon of a good port.

Serves/Makes: 4

Prep-Time: 20 minutes

Cook-Time: 4 hours

You Will Need;

1 oxtail

2 carrots diced

1 turnip diced

1 onion diced

4 tablespoons dripping or oil

1 tablespoon seasoned flour

6, peppercorns

2 sprigs, fresh thyme

3 tablespoons parsley chopped finely

1 bay leaf

4 pints water or beef stock

Method:

Joint the oxtail and blanch it (put it into a saucepan with a pinch of salt, cover with cold water, and bring to the boil.

Strain off the water, put the joints into cold water for a minute, and then wipe them with a cloth.

Season the tablespoon of flour with salt and pepper, and coat the joints of oxtail with it, I find it best to place the seasoned flour into a plastic food bag and then add the oxtail and give it all a good shake.

Melt the dripping or oil in a saucepan, and brown the joints well, turning them over so that all sides are browned. Add the stock or water and bring to a boil, boil gently for about 30 minutes, skimming off the scum as it rises.

Tie up the peppercorns, thyme, bay leaf, and parsley in a piece of muslin.

Pour off any excess fat, add the herb and spice parcel and diced vegetables, season with salt & pepper and simmer for three and a half hours, then strain off the stock.

Set aside the pieces of oxtail, rub the vegetables through a sieve or you can use a blender, skim off any fat from the stock, and add the vegetable puree to it. Put in a saucepan; if the soup seems a little thin remove some of the soup let cool slightly and whisk in a tablespoon of flour whisk this into the simmering soup and let simmer until the flour has cooked in and thickened the soup, serve hot.

   

 

The Glens Tags: Soups, Broths, Chowders, Consommés, Meat Soups, Oxtail, Lodge Hill, Lord Hanson, Lady Hanson

Scotch Broth

Traditionally Scotch broth is a bit of everything thrown into the pot and is quite a substantial soup. In bygone days, Scots would eat this as a main meal in modern times; many Scottish households still serve Scotch broth as a main meal of the day rather than a first course. Ingredients can be exchanged depending on your personal liking, it's best made the day before to let the complete flavour to marinate through.

My granny Glen sometimes used to call it barley broth and always had a pan of broth on the go, I can even see in my mind the big black cast iron soup pan.

Even though a classic Scottish soup I think every household had their own recipe, this recipe is a blend of granny Glen’s and my mother’s.

I can remember being sent to the greengrocer for a fresh broth or soup mix this consisted of all the vegetable ingredients and a bunch of fresh thyme it changed almost weekly depending on what veg was available. This was in the days when the greengrocer and maybe his wife did some vegetable preparation and even boiled beetroots. Moreover, this was before convenience foods and supermarkets became popular.

Nowadays in the winter months, we make enough to last for a whole weeks worth of lunches and along with homemade wholemeal or crusty granary bread, it really sticks to your ribs, which is just what you want on a winter’s day. Oh, the barley we use isn’t pearl barley we think pot barley (see note) it is so much better with more flavour a creamier texture and very traditional in Scotland.

Serves/Makes:          10 to 12 servings

Prep-Time:                 10 to 12 minutes

Cook-Time:                90 minutes or there about

You Will Need;

2 pounds of neck of mutton or lamb

4 ounces pot barley or if you must pearl barley, soaked overnight

3 ounces split green peas, (soaked overnight) or you can use fresh or frozen peas added near the end of cooking

2 tablespoons of cooking oil or to be more authentic beef dripping or lard

1 large onion, peeled and chopped

1 large leek, chopped

4 turnips, peeled and chopped

1 small Swede, peeled and chopped

3 carrots, peeled and chopped

1 small bunch of fresh thyme, strip the leaves from the stalks we only want the leaves

2 tablespoon, chopped parsley

1 small cabbage, this is optional, but we like to use a small January king

6 pints of water, you might need more to let the finished broth down if you think it is too thick

Method:

Heat over a medium flame heat the lard or cooking oil and add the chopped onion and leek, once softened not browned add the water and the lamb bring to a boil, and skim off any fat from the top. After boiling for about 30 minutes add the soaked barley and peas bring back to a boil reduce the heat and simmer for another 30 minutes add the remaining vegetables and thyme leaves and season to taste and cook a further 20 minutes or until the vegetables are tender. If used, remove the bone, strip off the meat, and return to the pan discard the bone, add the parsley as a garnish before serving.

Pot barley is different from pearl barley this is the whole grain is a good source of protein, fibre and niacin (vitamin B3), as well as the trace minerals calcium, magnesium, phosphorus and potassium. It wants soaking overnight or for at least eight hours, just cover with boiling water, and leave to soak drain the following day. The soaking makes the barley more eatable and cuts down the cooking time.

The Glens Tags: Soups, Broths, Chowders, Consommés, Meat & Vegetable, Barley, Pot Barley, Traditional, Granny Glen, Homemade, Winter Warmer, Classic, Scottish Recipes

Quote of the Day:
Commerce is the great civilizer. We exchange ideas when we exchange fabrics.
--Robert Green Ingersoll

15 Bean Soup Mix

This recipe is excellent to make up as a gift; indeed, Lady Hanson had me make pounds of the mix for her to place into the Christmas gift parcels for the local church in Palm Springs.

Serves: 12
Time: 15
Categories: Soups, Soup Mixes, Gifts

You Will Need:

• 1 lb, dried black beans
• 1 lb, dried red beans
• 1 lb, dried kidney beans
• 1 lb, dried navy beans
• 1 lb, dried great northern beans
• 1 lb, dried baby lima beans
• 1 lb, dried large lima beans
• 1 lb, dried pinto beans
• 1 lb, dried green split peas
• 1 lb, dried yellow split peas
• 1 lb, dried black-eyed peas
• 1 lb, dried red lentils
• 1 lb, dried green lentils
• 1 lb, dried brown lentils
• 1 lb, dried cranberry beans (AKA Borlotti Beans)

Method:
Combine the beans in a very large bowl; pour 2 cups into a large wide mouth jar.
In addition, if using for a gift hand write or type an attractive instruction card and then attach this to the Jar title it: If you really want to be thoughtful, you may include the spices in a separate bag included with the jar.
Bean and Ham Soup
To make a delicious bean and ham soup you will need;

2 cups, 15 bean soup mix1, smoked ham hock (Unsmoked is fine)
2 cans, 14.5 ounces stewed tomatoes
1 medium onion, chopped
2 ribs celery, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1, bay leaf
6 cups, water
1/4 cup, chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon, red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons, salt
1 teaspoon, ground black pepper
1 teaspoon, chili powder
1 teaspoon, ground cumin

Method:
Cover the bean mix with water and soak overnight.
Drain the beans and place in a large soup-pan/stockpot, add the ham hock, tomatoes, onion, celery, garlic, bay leaf, and 6 cups of water. Bring to a boil over a medium high heat; reduce to a medium low heat, cover and simmer for 1 hour. Add the remaining ingredients; continue to simmer for 1 hour or until the beans and ham are tender. Take out the ham hock remove the meat from the bone cut into small bit-size pieces and return to the soup, remove the bay leaf before serving.
Serve hot with nice crusty bread.

Five Bean Soup Mix

This is another good recipe that you can make up all the dry ingredients and put together as a gift. When made the soup is absolutely delicious and we serve it with some tasty homemade crusty bread.

(Serving size: 1 ½ cups).

You Will Need

DRIED BEAN MIX

• 1 lb dried kidney beans


• 1 lb dried yellow lentils


• 1 lb green split peas


• 1 lb dried black beans


• 1 lb dried black-eyed peas

SPICE MIX

• 5 tsp salt


• 5 tsp dried basil


• 5 tsp dried rosemary


• 5 tsp dried marjoram


• 2 1/2 tsp black pepper


• 1 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper


• 5 x bay leaves

ADDITIONAL SOUP INGREDIENTS

• 8 cups of water


• One x smoked or green ham hock (about ½ pound)


• 1 cup chopped onion


• One can chopped tomatoes un-drained (14.5-ounce)

1. To prepare dried-bean mix, combine first five ingredients in a large bowl.


2. Divide the bean mixture into 5 equal portions (about 2 ½ cups each), and place in airtight containers.


3. To prepare the spice mix, combine the salt and the next 6 ingredients (salt through bay leaves) in a bowl, divide the spice mix into 5 equal portions, and place in small airtight containers.


4. To prepare the soup, sort and wash 1 portion of the dried-bean mix, and place in a large Soup pan or Dutch oven. Cover with water to 2 inches above beans; cover and let stand 8 hours, drain.


5. Combine the drained bean mixture, 8 cups water, and the ham hock in a large Soup pan or Dutch oven; bring to a boil. Add 1 packet of spice mix, onions, and tomatoes, cover, reduce the heat, and simmer for 2 hours. Uncover; cook 1 hour, discard the bay leaf, remove the ham hock from the soup. Then remove the meat from the bone; shred the meat with 2 forks, return the meat to the soup and serve

http://www.grouprecipes.com/96783/five-bean-soup-mix.html