HOT & SOUR OXTAIL

SERVES 4, OR 6–8 AS PART OF A SHARED ASIAN BANQUET

There are lots of ingredients here but they are simple to put together. Coriander is a nice addition at the end. I like to serve this with boiled yam, potatoes or pumpkin.

10 French shallots

10 garlic cloves

8 dried long red chillies, seeded and roughly chopped (see notes)

2 tablespoons ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground turmeric

2 lemongrass stems, pale part only, tough outer stem removed, roughly chopped

4 cm (1½ inch) piece fresh galangal, roughly chopped

2 kg (4 lb 8 oz) oxtail (see notes)

5 kaffir lime leaves, crushed

400 ml (14 fl oz) tamarind water

3 tablespoons grated palm sugar (jaggery)

3 tablespoons tomato paste (concentrated purée)

sea salt and freshly ground pepper

steamed rice, to serve

In a blender, place the shallots, garlic, chillies, cumin, turmeric, lemongrass and galangal and process to a smooth paste, adding a little water if necessary to keep the blades turning. Combine the paste and the oxtail and set aside to marinate for 2 hours.

Bring 3 litres (105 fl oz/12 cups) water to the boil in a large saucepan. Add the marinated oxtail and all the remaining ingredients. Return to the boil, uncovered, and simmer over low heat for 2–3 hours or until the oxtail is tender and the sauce has thickened. Skim all the fat off the top and check the seasoning.

Place the oxtail and sauce in a bowl and serve with steamed rice.

NOTES: A quick way of removing seeds from long dried chillies is to snip the ends with scissors and poke a long skewer down the middle to release them, then simply upturn and empty the seeds from the chilli. The oxtail can be replaced with beef chuck steak or lamb shoulder. You could even try skinless chicken thigh fillets instead – boil the broth for an hour until it thickens then add the chicken and cook till tender.