[Sca-cooks] oxtail soup

Terry Decker t.d.decker at att.net
Tue Jan 25 17:18:18 PST 2011


I would say your assumption is in error as available evidence suggests a 
later origin for oxtail soup.  In any event it is an unproven (and probably 
unprovable) contention and should not be treated as historical fact.  I 
would expect, that if ox tails were used at all, they would have been added 
to general stockpot and not not used to produce any specific bruet.  I would 
also point out that ox would be a rare food for peasants, most likely from 
the death of a draft animal or from contract service (of which there would 
be a record even if it no longer exists).

I think pheasants might be more interested in suet than ox tails.

Bear


> yes, i'm assuming it was period as pheasants would use lesser pieces of 
> the
> animals.... :)
>
> ***************
> Are you assuming that oxtail soup is period, or do you have evidence of 
> the
> fact?  The earliest English reference I can locate is from 1460 and does 
> not
> appear to have any relation to soup.
>
> The Standard (23 August 1882) provides, "It was the Royalist refugees who 
> taught
> us to prepare soup of the ox tails, which until then were tossed to the 
> dogs."
> This appears to be the source of Larousse's opinion that oxtail soup came 
> to
> England during the French Revolution.
>
> Bear
>
>
>> Good Gentles,
>> I'm having a little trouble in my search for a period (14th century) 
>> oxtail
>> soup...
>>
>> Can anyone give me a little help? please...
>> thank you,
>> Lady Marie





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