This is an homage to my former chef, Tony Astle of Antoines, who, more than 15 years ago, taught me the value of offal. Tony used a lot of offal in his kitchen — from tripe to brains, liver and everything in between. But my favourite dish was braised ox
tongue with green peppercorn sauce.
I still remember peeling the warm tongues over a pot of boiling tripe. In the cooler months I tend to include ox tongue in my menu development at Merediths. Here’s a simple recipe to try at home.
Ox tongue
| 1 tsp | Black peppercorns |
| 1 | Brined ox tongue (Main) |
| 1 tsp | Cloves |
| 1 Tbsp | Mustard seeds |
| 1 medium | Onion |
| 1 serving | Fresh mixed herbs, eg. parsley, sage, thyme, bay leaf |
Cauliflower and couscous
| 70 ml | Olive oil |
| 150 g | Israeli couscous |
| 1 small | Cauliflower, cut into large pieces, with stem attached (Main) |
| 40 g | Butter, coarsely chopped |
| 2 Tbsp | Za'atar |
| 100 g | Toasted almonds |
| 1 | Lemon, zested |
| 1 handful | Chopped parsley |
Mustard mascarpone
| 200 g | Mascarpone |
| 1 Tbsp | Wholegrain mustard |
| 1 sprinkle | Chopped chives |
Directions
Ox tongue
- Place all the ingredients in a large saucepan with enough water to cover everything. Bring the water to the boil then turn to a low heat and simmer for 2½ hours.
- While the tongue is still warm, remove the skin (it's easier to peel when warm). Once peeled you can slice the tongue into 1 inch steaks before char-grilling it.
Cauliflower and couscous
- Heat 1 Tbsp of the oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat, add couscous and stir to toast the beads. Add 500ml water and bring to the boil, reduce heat to medium, cover and simmer until tender (8-10 minutes). Drain off any excess liquid and set aside.
- Meanwhile, heat remaining oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat, add cauliflower and cook, turning occasionally, until golden brown. Add butter and za'atar, and cook, basting cauliflower with it. Add almonds and couscous, toss to combine, season to taste, add lemon and parsley and serve.
Mascarpone
Mix all ingredients and set to one side.
To serve
Heat chargrill, brush ox tongues with oil, season with salt then place on the grill about a minute each side and place on the plate. Place the cauliflower and couscous on top. Scoop a spoon of mustard mascarpone on the side.
