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(recipe page 59)

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(recipe page 58)

Braised Oxtail with Chorizo, Figs and Red Wine

Oxtail pairs beautifully with chorizo, smoked paprika and orange and, of course, a glass of red wine. Serve with mash, baked potatoes with sour cream or couscous and a green veg.

1 cup plain flour
sea salt and ground pepper
2 kilograms oxtail pieces (see Cook’s note)
olive oil for cooking
1 large onion, sliced
1 large carrot, peeled, diced
250 grams portobello mushrooms, quartered
2 bay leaves
2 cured chorizo sausages, thickly sliced
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 tablespoons each tomato paste and Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon smoked paprika
zest and juice 1 orange
1 cup red wine
2 cups good beef stock
10 whole dried figs

Preheat the oven to 150°C.

Season the flour with salt and pepper then add the oxtail and toss to coat.

Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large saute pan and, in batches, brown the meat on all sides, adding more oil to the pan as necessary. Transfer to a large plate as they brown.

Drain off all the oil in the pan, leaving any sticky bits on the bottom. Add another 2 tablespoons of oil, the onion, carrot, mushrooms, bay leaves and chorizo. Season and cook for 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic, tomato paste, mustard, paprika, orange zest and juice then add the wine and let it bubble up for a couple of minutes. Add the stock, return the oxtail to the pan with any