Rich and hearty – perfect for cold winter days.

• 60ml sunflower oil
• 1kg oxtail
• 2 onions, chopped
• 45ml cake flour
• 2 litres beef stock
• 6 bay leaves
• 10ml dried thyme
• 3 cloves garlic, crushed
• 10ml sugar
• 500ml red wine
• 50ml tomato paste
• 4 large carrots, peeled and cut into chunks
• 6 sticks celery, chopped
• 16 baby potatoes, peeled and halved
• 60ml freshly chopped parsley, plus extra to garnish
• 5ml grated lemon zest

1 Heat some of the oil and brown the oxtail in batches over a high heat.

2 Reduce the heat and heat some more oil. Sauté the onions until golden. Add the flour and stir until the mixture starts to brown. Stir in the beef stock, then return the meat to the pan and add the bay leaves, thyme, garlic, sugar, red wine, tomato paste and half each of the carrots and celery. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat, cover and simmer for four hours. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool, then refrigerate overnight.

3 The next day, scrape off the fat that has settled on the surface of the soup and discard. Heat the soup and add the remaining carrots and celery, and the potatoes. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and cook for another hour until the meat is very tender. Add the parsley and lemon zest. Season to taste.

4 Remove the oxtail pieces from the soup with a slotted spoon. Pull the meat off the bones, then return it to the soup and discard the bones. Serve garnished with some fresh parsley.