Lanzhou Beef Noodle Soup

Where This Goes Wrong

Blanch and discard the first water.

A bare simmer, never a boil — clarity is the point.

Radish in for the last forty minutes only.

How to Make Lanzhou Beef Noodle Soup

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1. Cover the beef and bones with cold water, bring to the boil, boil 5 minutes, then drain and rinse everything including the pan.

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2. Tie the star anise, cinnamon, fennel, cumin, cloves, bay and Sichuan peppercorns in a muslin bag.

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3. Return the meat and bones to the clean pan with the 3 litres of cold water, the ginger, halved spring onions and spice bag.

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4. Bring to a bare simmer and hold it there for 90 minutes. Never let it boil.

   Mark done Start 90 min timer

5. Skim whatever rises in the first 15 minutes.

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6. Add the radish and the salt and simmer 40 minutes more.

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7. Lift the beef out, cool slightly and slice it thinly across the grain.

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8. Strain the broth through a fine sieve without pressing the solids.

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9. Boil the noodles as the packet directs and divide between bowls.

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10. Ladle the clear broth over, add the sliced beef and radish, and top with chilli oil, coriander and spring onion.

    Mark done

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Why It Works

Lanzhou beef noodles are judged on five things and the first is that the broth is clear — the Chinese rule is "one clear, two white, three green, four red, five yellow". Blanch the bones and throw the water away, then never let the pot boil. The white radish is not a garnish either: it goes in for the last forty minutes and sweetens and clarifies the broth.

Leftovers, Reheating and Keeping

The broth keeps 4 days refrigerated and freezes 3 months.

Common Substitutions & Variations

• Out of spring onions? A small regular onion, finely sliced, or a few chives stirred in at the end both cover the job.
• Dried chilli flakes can stand in for the chilli. Heat varies a great deal between chillies and between jars, so start with a small pinch and add more to taste.
• If you only have ground ginger, a quarter-teaspoon for each tablespoon of fresh is the ratio usually given; it tastes warmer and less bright than the fresh root.

What to Serve Alongside

• Chilli oil
• Pickled garlic
• Cold Chinese tea

Sides from the same cuisine on this site: Di San Xian, Green Bean Stir Fry, One Pot Fried Rice.

Nutrition per Serving

No nutrition figures are given for this recipe: they cannot be worked out reliably from its ingredient list (some ingredient lines cannot be read). Why some recipes have none.

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