Braised oxtail with juniper and creamy mash matched with Whitehaven Marlborough Pinot Noir 2012

Ingredients - serves two

• 1 kg Oxtail, bone in
• 200ml red wine or enough to cover oxtail
• 1 carrot, chopped
• 1 stick celery, chopped
• 1 onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic
• Handful thyme
• 10 juniper berries
• 1 Bay leaves
• 1.5 litre beef stock or enough to cover

Mash:

• 300g Agria potatoes
• 100ml Cream
• 100g Butter 

Master tip:

You can either serve the meat on the bone as we have done here or you could pull it off the bone while it is warm or serve it like that. Add a splash of red wine vinegar to the sauce to sharpen it up at the end as well, which will help cut through the rich fattiness of the oxtail.

1. Place the oxtail into a bowl and cover with red wine. Leave in the fridge overnight.
2. Next day remove the oxtail from the wine and pat dry, strain the wine and reserve on the side.
3. In a large pan fry the oxtail colouring on all sides.
4. In a separate large pot brown the carrot, celery and onion and garlic.
   
5. Then add the wine and reduce by half then add the ox tongue, thyme, bayleaf and juniper berries, cover with beef stock and bring to a boil.
   
6. Turn down and simmer slowly for 2 ½ hours or until tender.
7. Peel and then place the potatoes in a pot of cold water, season with salt and bring to a boil, cook until tender.
8. Cool to room temperature, remove the meat and vegetables, put the liquid back on the heat and reduce to a nice sauce consistency, normally about by half, then add the meat and vegetables back in.
9. Strain and mash the potatoes.
10. Heat the cream and butter and pour over the mash and stir in with a wooden spoon.
11.  Season to taste and serve with the ox tail.