Please do not be put off by the truffles in the photo. It’s high season in France, and it would be rude not to shave a little Tuber Melanosporum wherever one can. In Ireland, try to find some good quality truffle oil, or leave it out all together, the rich, gently spiced flavour of the oxtail base is already wonderful. This is perfect comfort food for hunkering down over the weekend.

For 4
25 minutes preparation
5 hours cooking

1.5kg oxtail, cut into chunks
2 tablespoons flour for dusting
3-4 tablespoons oil
1 small onion, peeled, finely chopped
1 stalk celery or about 15cm, finely chopped
3 medium carrots, peeled, finely chopped
300ml red wine
2 garlic cloves, peeled, finely chopped
2 tablespoons dark muscovado sugar
1 teaspoon mixed spice
1 bay leaf
1 star anise
1 litre beef stock
3 – 4 kg floury potatoes
50g butter
Dash of milk
Salt and pepper

Season the pieces of oxtail with salt and pepper, then roll them in flour until all sides are covered.

Heat some oil in a heavy based pan and brown the meat on all sides. Remove the meat and reserve. Add the carrots, celery and onion to the pan and cook over a medium heat to soften, for 4 to 5 minutes. Add the sugar, garlic and spices and stir well, making sure the meat is covered. Cook for a couple more minutes until pouring in the wine and stirring well to deglaze. Scrape any bits stuck on the bottom of the pan to make sure you have all the goodness!

Bring to a boil and leave to simmer for a few minutes before adding the stock. Stir well, season lightly and leave to cook gently on the hob or in the oven at 150C for four to five hours, until the meat is very tender.

Strain the contents of the pan. With a fork, remove the meat from the oxtail pieces, discarding any gristle or larger pieces of fat. Reserve. Reduce the cooking juices to make a rich sauce.

Peel and cook the potatoes until they are soft, then season and mash them while hot with butter and milk.

Spread the meat in a pie or gratin dish, add some of the sauce and truffle or truffle oil if you are using, and top with the mashed potato. Make a criss cross pattern on top with a fork.

At this stage, you can chill the pie and reheat later, but if you are serving right away, heat the oven or the grill and let the pie heat through while the top becomes golden and crisp.

Serve piping hot with greens and the remaining sauce on the side.