Ox-Tail Soup

Cut the tails into joints, wash the pieces, and fry them in a small quantity of
butter, next drain the pieces of tail and put them in a stewpan with a ham bone, two or
three carrots and onions peeled and sliced, a head of celery, washed and cut in convenient
sized pieces, a bunch of sweet herbs, a blade of mace and a few cloves and peppercorns.
Cover the contents of the stewpan with water, place it over the fire, and boil
and skim until the scum ceases to rise ; then cover and boil slowly until the tail is
quite tender. When ready, cut the meat into small pieces ; strain and skim the
soup, return it to the stewpan, thicken with flour, and add a wineglassful of sherry
wine, and two tablespoonfuls of mushroom catsup. Put in the pieces of meat
again and let the soup simmer at the side of the fire for a few minutes longer. Turn
the soup into a soup tureen, and serve with sippets of toast, or croutons of fried
bread.