Oxtail Soup

For somebody who enjoys eating (within reasonable limits, I suppose), oxtail soup has long been one of my favourites. I remember my grandma used to make a really delicious oxtail soup, very rich and filling. One bowl and you'll be hooked. My grandma passed on years ago, but even now I could still recall the taste of her cooking (that's just how good she was..)

The second person who makes the best oxtail soup? my mom, of course. Hers isn't as rich as my grandma's used to be (she used first quality rombutter - Dutch's term for butter), but still very delicious nonetheless. I think I can replicate her version, but these days I choose to tone down on the flavours a little. Too tasty sometimes isn't that good for your body (it desensitize your taste buds, for one)

So here goes my take on oxtail soup. Make sure to choose fresh oxtail as it affects the melt-in-the mouth factor. I like to choose the smallest pieces, plus they take less time to cook! They say slow cooking is the new trend. Let's embrace it!! ^_^

Oxtail soup

Oxtail Soup - serves 3

Ingredients

500 g oxtail (1 sml tray- approx 8-10 small & medium pcs)
1 large stalk of celery, cut into 3 parts
1 large carrot, peeled & chop thickly
2 medium potatoes (royal blue is best), peeled, chop thickly
6 candle nuts
1/2 tsp nutmeg powder
1/2 tsp white pepper
1 medium brown onion, slice 1/2 cm thick
approx 3 L water
1 heaped tsp unsalted butter * optional
salt to taste

Method

Prepare the oxtail:

1. Wash the oxtail thoroughly, place in deep pan & cover with cold water. Boil on high heat for 10-15 minutes until scum surfaces. Throw away the water and rinse the oxtail. 
2. Cover the rinsed oxtail with fresh cold water, and boil on small heat. Throw in the candle nuts as well. - simmer for 1 hour.

1. Wash & cut all the veggies, soak the potato in cold water.
2. *optional: sautee the onion pieces with butter until tender & fragrant. Set aside. Otherwise, leave the onion raw.
3. After an hour, sprinkle a generous pinch of nutmeg & white pepper. Toss in the sauteed/raw onion & celery. Simmer for another hour. Water may be added as needed.
4. Once the meat is tender (takes approx 2-2.5 hours with small/medium oxtail pcs), add the carrot, then potato in the last 20 minutes of cooking.
5. Season to taste with salt. Scoop the soup into a bowl and sprinkle with fried shallots & chopped up celery leaves. 

If you like richer soup, do sautee the onion and add more candle nuts. They act as meat tenderizer, and will make the soup creamier. I used to put the potatoes in with the onions & celery so by the time the soup is ready, most of the potato have dissolved into the soup. Royal blue potato is superior than Nadine, I feel, it is not starchy and leaves a smooth, clean feeling when you savour them.

This is another winter staple at our house. My husband, A, loves it and he always leaves perfectly clean oxtail bones (he loves munching on the tendons), so if I slow-cook this for about 3 hours, the meat will be about to fall off-the bone, tender and has melt-in-the mouth texture - which is why it is so yummy!

Something soupy - Daikon Soup

I had a great, undisturbed night sleep last night and woke up smiling this morning. Definitely a good start for the day! that pulled my mood up to make a hearty breakfast for a rather cool morning.. 

Pork soup bones would make a good base for the kind of broth I had I mind, coupled with a medium sized daikon (radish) that I've got available in the fridge. So I set out to boil the pork soup base first while peeling the daikon, humming a cheery tune all the way. It's so nice to be up & feeling fresh in the morning!! 

Daikon Soup with Egg fried rice (serves 2)

Ingredients:

1 small daikon, peeled & slice into 1/2 cm thick rounds

3-4 pcs pork bones (with plenty of meat left on to nibble) for stock

7 pcs fried 'topok' tofu, cut into 3 pcs *

1 cm thick fresh ginger

1 1/2 L water for stock

1 tbsp fried garlic

1 tbsp light soy sauce

salt & pepper to taste

2 eggs, whisk lightly, season with salt & pepper

2 small bowls of rice, enough for 2 portions

2 stalks spring onion, slice thinly

1 1/2 tsp light soy sauce

1/2 tsp sesame oil 

approx 1/3 small bowl of chicken stock (prepared the night before)

Note: * topok deep fried tofu can be found in Oriental shop, it's fried but soft because it's hollow in the inside. It can be substituted with deep fried hard tofu / yong tofu too.

1. Wash the pork bones, boil with 1 1/2L water & ginger on a small heat, covered (15-20 minutes)
2. Peel & slice the radish, add onto the stock once it boils & the stock 'scum' has been removed.
3. Add soy sauce, garlic & pepper, simmer until the pork meat on the bone & the radish is tender but not too soft. Add tofu pieces last; turn off the heat once it boils.
4. Meanwhile, prepare the egg fried rice. On a frying pan, pour 11/2 tbsp oil, add the spring onion. Once fragrant, pour in the whisked egg, followed by the prepared rice.
5. Stir fry the mixture as you season it with soy sauce & sesame oil; adding a little stock at a time until the rice is a little 'wet'. Season with salt & pepper to taste. 
6. Immediately pour the rice on 2 moulds and turn onto a serving dish.
7. Scoop out the radish, tofu & pork bones onto the side of the dish, and pour the soup.
8. Garnish with extra spring onion & enjoy it while hot.

This soup is quite light, yet filling enough for breakfast. It kept me going for hours, way past mid-day, and that's great news for me! For those who are trying to lose weight, follow this tip:  apparently soupy dishes (as long as you don't opt for the creamy versions), will keep you fuller & satisfied for longer, so you can avoid those tempting 10 o'clock snacks :)