Ingredients
Prep: 20min
Cook: 3 hours
Serves 4
Another great winter dish that cooks itself while you sit by the fire — brilliant for lazy suppers when you’re not sure how many you need to feed.
2 carrots
2 parsnips
2 onions
3 celery stalks
Handful of parsley stalks
3 sprigs of thyme
2 bay leaves
1 ox tongue, rinsed
Salt and pepper
METHOD
Peel the carrots, parsnips and onions and thickly slice. Roughly chop the celery. Combine the fresh herbs and bay leaves and tie with string. Place the tongue, vegetables and herbs in a large pan, cover with cold water and bring to the boil. Season with salt and pepper, then simmer for two hours or until the meat is tender. Remove the tongue and cool. Make an incision on the rough side, then pull the skin away from the meat with your fingers. Gently reheat the tongue in the stock.
Carve into 1cm slices, arrange on warm platters and drizzle with salsa verde. Strain the stock and freeze for future use.
Salsa verde
Prep: 10min
Italy’s piquant “green sauce” is perfect with poached and roasted meats.
1 cup flat parsley leaves
1 cup basil or coriander leaves
1 garlic clove, crushed
1tbsp tiny salted capers, rinsed
2 anchovy fillets, rinsed
1tbsp red wine vinegar
4tbsp or more extra virgin olive oil
Sea salt and pepper
METHOD
Whiz the herbs, garlic, capers, anchovy fillets and vinegar in a food processor until fine. Gradually add the olive oil with the motor running. Taste for salt and pepper.
Add a ladelful of the poaching stock to lighten the sauce, and serve.