Braised Oxtail with Basil Dumplings

Ingredients

Contains: egg, milk, wheat (auto-detected from the ingredients and method; we can miss things, so check labels)

• 2 tbsp plain flour
• 2 oxtail, jointed and cut into pieces
• 4 tbsp sunflower oil, for frying
• 2 onions, chopped
• 3 carrots, cut into small chunks
• 2 celery sticks, cut into small chunks
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• 2 tbsp tomato purée
• bay leaves and thyme sprigs, tied together
• 1 bottle full-bodied red wine
• 300g self-raising flour
• bunch basil leaves, removed
• 75g butter
• 3 egg whites
• olive oil, for drizzling

Directions

Method written by CompKitchen from the ingredient list. Not the original author's method, not kitchen-tested.

1. Heat the oven to 325°F (160°C). Toss the oxtail pieces in the plain flour. Heat 2 tbsp of the sunflower oil in a large casserole and brown the oxtail in batches until deeply coloured, then set aside.

2. Add the remaining sunflower oil to the casserole. Fry the onions, carrots, celery and garlic over medium heat for about 8 minutes until softened, then stir in the tomato purée for 1 minute.

3. Return the oxtail to the pot with the tied bay leaves and thyme. Pour in the red wine, bring to a simmer, add enough water to just cover the meat, then cover tightly.

4. Braise in the oven for about 3 hours, until the meat is very tender and pulling from the bone. Oxtail must reach at least 145°F (63°C) internally. Skim off any fat from the surface.

5. Near the end of the braise, rub the butter into the self-raising flour until it resembles breadcrumbs. Finely chop the basil leaves and stir them into the flour.

6. Lightly beat the egg whites, then mix them into the flour with a splash of cold water to form a soft dough. Shape into 12 dumplings without overworking.

7. Lift the dumplings onto the simmering braise, cover, and cook gently for 15 minutes until risen and cooked through, with the egg white set firm in the centre.

8. Remove the herb bundle. Serve the oxtail and sauce with the dumplings, drizzling each portion lightly with olive oil.