Red Wine Oxtail Stew

Nowadays, a matelote is a stew made with fish, but in the eighteenth century, a matelote could be any kind of stew, usually one made with red wine. I first encountered this dish in Paris, at Vivarois, where I did my first apprenticeship. At first it seemed like a prosaic sort of thing to be serving in such grand surroundings. We naturally made it ahead of time, since it takes almost 4 hours to cook, and then reheated it to order. Infinite care was taken in its