Oxtail cappuccino with madeira

The soup of all soups has to be classic oxtail soup. Simple, pure and intensely flavoured. A true vintage soup. As a savoury cappuccino with a dollop of whipped cream and a splash of real madeira, it’s perfect as a starter. Especially with a nice glass alongside it.

Oxtail soup and madeira. A golden duo. Add a simple splash of madeira to the soup and they bring out the best in each other. At least if you use a good bottle. And not some mini bottle of mediocre cooking wine.

Stewed wine
Madeira is fortified wine from the Portuguese island of the same name. It smells and tastes fresh, smoky and nutty. Because it is produced at bizarrely high temperatures: a so-called oxidative ageing process. Such a stewed wine may take some getting used to, but it is more delicious than you might think. And in no way comparable to a bottle of cooking madeira. That is seasoned, made from mediocre wine and intended at most as a flavouring. Real madeira is much tastier. Also when you cook with it.

Autumn soup
Its powerful, intense flavour makes oxtail soup the perfect autumn dish. After hours of simmering, the gelatin from the bones gives it a satisfyingly rich mouthfeel. An oxtail may not provide much meat, but picking it off is more than worth the effort. Those pieces give the soup just that extra bite.

How to cappuccino
For the tastiest oxtail cappuccino, make a beautiful oxtail stock yourself. Briefly warm the picked oxtail meat with some butter in a pan. Then divide it among small – preheated – glasses. Pour the clear stock over it. For the real cappuccino effect, top it with a creamy dollop of madeira cream. Simply whipped cream with a splash of madeira, salt and a pinch of cayenne pepper added. Carefully spoon it onto the soup and garnish with a sprig of parsley.

360 degrees of pure madeira enjoyment
The combination of soup and wine is tricky, but I think this little dish is truly successful with a glass alongside it. Filled with the same madeira as in the spiced cream. Dry Sercial (dry) or lightly sweet Verdelho (medium dry) works best with a stock like this. A food-and-wine pairing to lick your fingers over.