Sop buntut

Season the oxtails generously with salt and pepper. Heat half of the oil in a heavy based pot. Sear the oxtail, in batches, till browned all over. Set aside.

Discard any excess oil and add the roughly chopped, onion, carrot, celery, cinnamon stick, nutmeg, bayleaf and about 1-1½ litres of water to the pot. Bring to the boil and reduce to a gentle simmer, add the oxtail and continue to simmer for 3-4 hours or until the meat is tender and pulling away from the bone. During this time be sure to skim any nasties that come to the surface.

Once the meat is done remove from the pot and set aside. Strain out the stock into a clean bowl or container (discarding the aromatics and vegetables) and place the stock into the fridge to cool right down. Any fat within the stock will rise to the surface and solidify making it really easy to remove.

When the oxtail is cool enough to handle remove the meat using your hands and set aside, the bones can be discarded.

In a large soup pot heat the remaining oil, add the all the soup ingredients, except for the barley and parsley, and gently sauté while stirring for about 20 minutes or until the vegetables have softened, at which time, you can add the oxtail stock and bring to a gentle simmer.

Add the barley and the shredded oxtail and simmer gently for 30 minutes or until the barley is tender. If at any stage the soup is becoming too thick you can stir in a little water to retain the desired consistency.

Season generously with salt and pepper and serve with crispy flash fried parsley.