Oxtail and Mushroom Soup
Ever since we have lived in this house there has always been a patch in our front garden where these beautiful field mushrooms grow in the lawn.  At first I had them examined by everyone and anyone who knew anything about mushrooms, fearful that I would die a slow and painful death from eating poisonous mushrooms, for you can never be too sure!
As it turned out they were fine and have been fine ever since.  I am pretty blessed that I have so much growing around my garden to eat. And being winter and cold as it is there is nothing more satisfying than a bowl of soup.
So here I am passing on another recipe I created today.  If you haven’t got field mushrooms or have and are not sure if you should eat them, then don’t!  Just buy some flat mushrooms. Better to be safe than sorry! But you must try this oxtail and mushroom soup.

OXTAIL AND  MUSHROOM SOUP

900 grams Oxtail
2 Bay Leaves
2 litres Water
1- 2 tablespoons Beef fat or coconut oil for frying
1 medium Brown Onion, peeled and diced
1 Yellow Capsicum (red or green will work) seeds and stem discarded and flesh diced
1 leek, lighter part only, cut in half lengthwise then sliced thinly
300-500 grams Field Mushrooms or large Flat Mushrooms, sliced
500 grams purple skinned Sweet Potato, peeled and sliced thinly
2-3 sticks Celery, with leaves, sliced thinly
1 tablespoon dried Thyme
1 teaspoon Black Pepper
Sea Salt, to taste

METHOD

Put oxtail into large saucepan and dry fry for 1-2 minutes to brown off a little.

Add bay leaves and water and bring to the boil, put lid on, reduce heat to low and simmer for approximately 4 hours or until the meat pulls off easily from the bones.

Pull out bones from the water and take meat off the bones. Discard the bones. Put meat back into saucepan.

Put aside to cool down then put in refrigerator for 2-3  hours so fat can solidify.  Remove fat and discard.

In a frying pan add fat or coconut oil and melt over a medium heat on stove.

Add onion, leek and capsicum and  cook for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Pour onion mixture into saucepan, add mushrooms, sweet potato, celery, thyme and pepper. Turn heat to medium-high and bring to the boil.

Once boiling, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer till all the vegetables are cooked.  Add salt, to taste and serve.

Serves 4