Ox-Tail Soup

Sherry and spices add distinctive flavor to ox-tail soup.

Cut the tails into joints, wash the pieces, and fry them in a small quantity of butter, next drain the pieces of tail and put them in a stewpan with a ham bone, two or three carrots and onions peeled and sliced, a head of celery, washed and cut in convenient sized pieces, a bunch of sweet herbs, a blade of mace and a few cloves and peppercorns. Cover the contents of the stewpan with water, place it over the fire, and boil and skin until the scum ceases to rise; then cover and boil slowly until the tail is quite tender. When ready, cut the meat into small pieces; strain and skim the soup, return it to the stewpan, thicken with flour, and add a wineglassful of sherry wine, and two tablespoonfuls of mushroom catsup. Put in the pieces of meat again and let the soup simmer at the side of the fire for a few minutes longer. Turn the soup into a soup tureen, and serve with sippets of toast, or croutons of fried bread.