Braised oxtail with crispy autumn leaves

• Transfer the nitrite salt into a pan and add the cold water. Mix it to dissolve the salt. Now submerge the oxtail and let this brine for 24 hours in your fridge.
• The next day you can take them out of the brine and let them dry for at least 10 minutes.
• Then heat up a big pot, add a splash of oil and panfry all the oxtail on all sides till golden. Really take your time with this, it makes a big difference in the final flavor.
• While you’re doing that cut the shallots in half and clean them. Now chop them.
• Once all the oxtail is golden remove them from the pan and panfry the shallots till golden. Now also add the thyme and the garlic, that’s cut in half.
• Then deglaze the pot with the beef stock and submerge the oxtail once more. When necessary, add some more beef stock. Then bring it to a boil and when it’s boiling put a lid on the pot and cook it in an oven at 85 °C for 12 hours.
• After that remove the oxtail from the broth and keep the broth for later. Then remove any big pieces of fat, bones and other membranes. Now mix it for a minute or so.
• Then lay two layers of plastic wrap on your worktop and transfer the oxtail on top. Use the wrap to shape a nice tight roll.
• Now roll the sides to make the roll even tighter and makes a knot on both sides. Then tidy up the sides and let the oxtail roll set in your fridge.
• Meanwhile pass the broth through a fine sieve and use a small ladle to remove the fat that floats on top.
• Once most of it is removed, start reducing it for 50% and continue removing the fat till you have a nice clear broth.

• Start by peeling the big potato. Then cut it in thin julienne on a mandolin. You can also cut it by hand, but this is just faster. Be careful of your fingers though.
• Then cut it in small cubes, also known as brunoise. After that transfer it into a bowl and rinse the potato with cold water to remove the starch. If you don’t do this the potato will color to much before becoming crispy.
• Now let it dry for 15 minutes.
• Once dry heat up some frying oil till it’s 170 °C and add the potato brunoise. Directly start mixing and continue doing so till golden brown.
• Then pass the oil through a fine sieve and spread the crisps on a kitchen paper. Directly season with salt and keep them dry and covered for later. 

The base

• First peel the potato. Then cut the potato in even chucks and transfer them into a pan filled with cold water. Now boil them for around 15 minutes till cooked.
• Meanwhile cut the big onions in half and clean them. Then chop them.
• Once the potato is cooked let them airdry for at least 15 minutes.
• Now add a drizzle of oil to a new pan and caramelize the onions on a medium heat.
• Once caramelized weight three times 50 grams.

The turmeric leaves

• Transfer the caramelized onions into a blender and also add the milk, the isomalt sugar, the salt and the turmeric powder. Blend this till smooth and then add the boiled potatoes.
• Blend it once more till it has no more lumbs. Then directly stop mixing to prevent it from becoming to gluey.

The paprika leaves

• Transfer the caramelized onions into a blender and also add the milk, the isomalt sugar, the salt and the paprika powder. Blend this till smooth and then add the boiled potatoes.
• Blend it once more till it has no more lumbs. Then directly stop mixing to prevent it from becoming to gluey.

The lovage leaves

• Transfer the caramelized onions into a blender and also add the milk, the isomalt sugar, the salt and the lovage leaves. Blend this till smooth and then add the boiled potatoes.
• Blend it once more till it has no more lumbs. Then directly stop mixing to prevent it from becoming to gluey. 

How to finish the leaves

• Once all three the batches are done transfer a couple thick lines on a silicon sheet. Just get creative. Then spread it out with a pallet knife till it’s an even layer. Don’t overspread it otherwise the colors will mix to much and all your hard work will be for nothing.
• When that’s done bake it at 140 °C for 10 minutes.
• After that gently remove the dough from the sheet and cut it to the desired size with some scissors or cut it with a knife. Then cut it with a leaf puncher.
• After fry them at 160 °C for around 10 to 15 seconds till the color starts to change.
• Then shape them when still hot and keep them dry and covered for later. 

• First clean enough onions for 400 grams. Now chop them. After, heat up a big pan, add the butter and glaze the chopped onion with the salt.
• Then add the white wine and the white wine vinegar. Let this reduce completely.
• Once that’s done add the cream and the thyme. Reduce this as well.
• Then remove the sprigs of thyme. Now transfer it into a blender and blend it till smooth.
• Once it’s smooth weigh the mixture. For every 500 grams of mixture you’ll need to add 10 grams of a pro espema hot.
• Then mix it for another minute and pour it into a syphon. Don’t forget to pass it through a fine sieve. Using a ladle will make this a lot easier. After that charge it with two charges. 

• First portion the oxtail in pieces of around 50 grams. Don’t forget to remove the foil.
• Now heat up a frying pan, add a splash of oil and panfry the oxtail on both sides. Then glaze the top with the reduced broth and heat them for 5 more minutes at 160 °C.
• Once that’s done pipe a nice dot of the onion foam in the middle of a plate and place the oxtail in the middle. Glaze it once more and sprinkle some potato crisps on top.
• Then cover the dish completely with the crispy leaves and it’s ready to be served!