Gori Gomtang (Oxtail Soup)

This one is a little special. It isn't really a recipe...more a technique or a skill (trust me..its got like three ingredients)

It is reputably good for stamina if you believe that kind of thing. It is a lovely heart warming broth which is delicious all year round, although I prefer it in the winter when it is freezing outside. It is particularly good comfort food if you have a cold.

Ingredients

5-6 oxtail sections (not tails...its easier to give the amounts in cut sections as this is typically how one would find them in the shops outside of Korea)
You can buy these in butchers shops or supermarkets

a load of spring onions (7 of the english sized ones...if you have access to the korean ones you don't need so many)

water

rice noodles (optional)


Directions

• Fill a very large saucepan with cold water. Add the oxtails and leave for 2 hours. A lot of blood will come out (mmm yummy). Once the time is up, take the oxtails out while you get rid of the dirty water and rinse the pan. Put the oxtails back in and then fill the pan so the water is about 4 times the height of the oxtails.

• Bring the water to the boil and boil on a high setting for 30 minutes, A lot of fat and oil and dirty looking scum will rise to the top. Spoon this out and get rid of it. Add a little more water to bring the level back up and simmer gently on a low heat for 12-16 hours.
  

• Keep checking the water now and again and keep spooning off the scummy stuff. You will also need to keep topping up the water. The amount of water you end up with determines the flavour of the soup to a certain extent. If there is very little water, the soup won't go very far and will be very greasy but too much water and the soup will lack flavour. You have to experiment to find a happy medium that you prefer.

• Add a generous amount of spring onions sliced horizontally so they are like little rings - USE the green bits! British people tend to only use the white section of the onion which is a waste and you don't get that lovely colour.

• Add salt and pepper to taste and serve with rice and kimchi. Very important that you eat it with Kimchi because the flavours compliment eachother so well. And kimchi rules. But you know that anyway right? In Korea you will often find this served with rice noodles in it...this is delicious and you can just boil them up very quickly.