A pot with French flair

Serves 6

• 45 ml (3 tbsp.) olive or avocado oil
• 250g diced bacon
• Salt and ground black pepper
• 125 ml (½ c) cake flour
• 1.4 kg oxtail, cut in segments
• 2 onions, chopped
• 500g pickle onions, peeled
• 2 carrots, peeled and cut into 3cm pieces
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 500 ml (2 c) red wine
• 250 ml (1 c) stock
• 15 ml (1 tbsp.) tomato paste
• handful thyme
• 2 bay leaves
• 500g button mushrooms
• Handful of parsley

1 Fry the bacon until crisp. Remove and set aside.

2 Season the flour to taste, roll oxtail in flour and fry until brown in hot oil in the same pot.

3 Add the onions, pickle onions, carrots and garlic and fry until brown. Season to taste.

4 Add the red wine, stock, tomato paste, thyme and bay leaves. Cover and simmer for about 3-4 hours until the meat is tender, but not falling off the bone.

5 Arrange the mushrooms and bacon on top and simmer for 15-30 minutes or until the mushrooms are cooked.

6 Mix the parsley through and serve with mashed potatoes.