Oxtail stew with celeriac & potato gratin

The best recipes take time to make and this one needs a full three hours to make sure the stew is packed full of flavour

• Preparation: 15 mins
• Cooking: 180 mins
• Serves: 6

What you need:

• 1.3kg/3lb lean oxtail pieces
• 30ml/2tbsp plain flour mixed with 10ml/2tsp Jerk seasoning (available from all good supermarkets
• Salt and freshly milled black pepper
• 45ml/3tbsp sunflower oil
• 1 large onion, peeled and sliced
• 600ml/1pint stout or brown ale
• 300ml/½pint good, hot beef stock
• 25g/1oz good, dark plain chocolate (at least 70% cocoa solids)
• 2 fresh bay leaves
• 1 bouquet garni
• 1 small butternut squash or pumpkin (about 450g/1lb), peeled and roughly cubed
• 100g baby spinach leaves, rinsed

For the celeriac and potato gratin:

• 450g/1lb celeriac, peeled, thinly sliced and par-boiled for 5 minutes
• 450g/1lb potatoes, peeled, thinly sliced and par-boiled for 5 minutes
• 1 large garlic clove, peeled and finely chopped
• 600ml/1pint hot double cream
• 25g/1oz grated cheese

What you do:

1. Preheat the oven to Gas mark 3, 170°C, 325°F.
2. Mix the flour and seasonings in a large plastic food bag. Toss the oxtail pieces in the seasoned flour.
3. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large pan and cook the oxtail for 4-5 minutes until brown. Transfer to a large ovenproof casserole dish.
4. In the same frying pan, cook the onion for 2-3 minutes until soft then transfer to the casserole dish. Add the remaining ingredients except the squash or pumpkin and spinach.
5. Bring to the boil, cover and cook in the oven for 3-3½ hours.
6. To prepare the gratin, grease a large ovenproof gratin dish. Arrange a layer of celeriac and potato slices with the garlic into the dish. Repeat until all the celeriac and potatoes are used up. Pour over the cream, sprinkle over the cheese and bake for 40-45 minutes.
7. Forty minutes before the end of cooking add the squash or pumpkin. Return to the oven for the remainder of the cooking time. Remove the casserole and add the spinach,
8. Serve the stew with the gratin.

Handy cook's tip:

Any remaining stew tastes even better the following day. Remove from the fridge and heat slowly at the same oven temperature for about 1 hour until piping hot.

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