Main Ingredients:

See below ingredients and instructions of the recipe

Cooking Preparation of the Recipe:

1 Pickled ox tongue (4-5 lbs.)
2 Onions
2 Carrots
2 Celery stalks
Bay leaves
Parsley
Rosemary
12 Black peppercorns

----------------ALSO, IF SERVING TONGUE COLD---------------------
A little Madeira
Gelatine powder

Rinse the tongue and then soak it in plenty of cold water for at
least 12 hours. Change the water once or more during this time. Next
day choose a heavy-based saucepan or flameproof casserole that will
hold the tongue snugly. Put the tongue into it, cover with cold
water, bring to the boil and skim. Taste the water; if it is very
salty, tip it away, add fresh water and bring to the boil again. Add
the chopped vegetables, peppercorns and a bouquet of bay, parsley and
rosemary. Cover tightly and cook very gently on top of the stove or
in an oven heated to 300 F (150 C) gas mark 2 for about 4 hours until
the tongue is so tender that a skewer will go through the root end
like butter. Lower the temperature as necessary; the meat will be
best if barely a bubble breaks the surface of the liquid as it cooks.
Skin the cooked tongue while it is still hot. Then cut away the fat
and gristle from the end and remove all small bones if the butcher
has not already done this. Skim off all the fat from the cooking
liquor and save it for the sauce and for soups.

IF THE TONGUE IS TO BE SERVED HOT, carve it in thin slices while it is
still hot and arrange it prettily, overlapping slices like tiles, on a
large warmed serving dish. Pour some good hot sauce over it, cover
the dish with foil and place in the oven for about 10 minutes to heat
through. The spiced Kumquat Sauce recipe is one of my favourites and
I like to serve extra in a sauce boat.

IF THE TONGUE IS TO BE SERVED COLD, mould and glaze it while still
warm. Curl the tongue to make it fit a small round container with
straight sides. Traditional tongue-presses usually measure about 5-6
inches in diameter; a cake tin or souffle dish of similar size will
do just as well.

To glaze, melt 2 teaspoons gelatine powder in 1 tablespoon water, then
blend in a scant 1/2 pint tongue cooking liquor (seasoned and reduced
as necessary for good flavour), and give it a little oomph with 1-2
tablespoons Madeira. Pour over the tongue as much of the liquid
jelly as is needed to fill gaps. Press the tongue down with a saucer
or plate which fits just inside the tin, weight it down heavily and
leave overnight in a cold larder until meat and jelly are set. Chill
any left-over jelly separately so that it can be diced and used to
garnish the tongue when it is served.

Unmould the tongue on to a flat dish for serving. Decorate it and
accompany it with a fine sauce such as a classic Cumberland sauce or
Piquant Parsley and Caper Sauce.

Source: Philippa Davenport in "Country Living" (British), December
1988. Typed for you by Karen Mintzias

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