Ingredients
- 1 pickled ox tongue
- 1 1/2 large brown onions
- 2 carrots
- 2 sticks celery
- 3 bay leaves
- a few peppercorns
- a few sprigs parsley
- 1 clove garlic
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- salt and pepper
- 2 tsp paprika
- 1x 440g tin Italian tomatoes, chopped
- 1 1/2 cups chicken stock or water
- 1/2 cup fino (dry) sherry
Method
Place tongue in a large pot and cover with cold water. Add half an onion, one roughly chopped carrot, one stick of celery, a bay leaf, some peppercorns and parsley stalks if you have some. Bring to the boil, then reduce heat and simmer gently for 2-2 1/2 hours or until the tongue is quite soft when pierced with a knife. Remove the tongue and discard the stock. When the tongue is cool enough to handle, peel off the skin. This is easily done using your fingers and I find it best to do this while the tongue is still warm. Trim away any fat from the underneath and set aside.
Meanwhile, in a large casserole, gently saute the rest of the onion - finely sliced - and the garlic in the olive oil until soft and pale gold. Slice the remaining celery and carrot into long thin slivers and add to the onions. Season with salt and pepper and add the paprika. Once the vegetables have softened and are lightly coloured, add the tomatoes, chicken stock or water and sherry. Cover and simmer gently for 20 minutes.Slice the tongue into thick slices and lay in the casserole pot. Add a couple of fresh bay leaves, cover with a lid and gently simmer for 15 minutes.
To serve
Serve with mashed potatoes, wet polenta or simply crusty white bread to mop up the delicious juices.
