Zunyi Lamb Rice Noodles

Ingredients

• 1 kg lamb shoulder on the bone
• 500 g lamb bones
• 40 g ginger, sliced
• 3 spring onions, halved
• 1 tbsp Sichuan peppercorns
• 2 star anise
• 1 piece cassia bark
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tsp fennel seeds
• 2 tbsp rice wine
• 800 g fresh thick round rice noodles
• 100 g lamb fat, finely diced
• 4 tbsp ground dried chilli
• 100 g pickled mustard greens, chopped
• 2 tsp salt
• 0.5 tsp ground white pepper
• 20 g coriander, chopped
• 3 spring onions, finely sliced, to serve

Before you cook

• Soak the lamb shoulder and bones in cold water for 30 minutes, changing the water twice, to draw out the blood.
• Tie the Sichuan peppercorns, star anise, cassia, bay leaves and fennel seeds into a piece of muslin.
• Chop the pickled mustard greens and squeeze them dry.
• Dice the lamb fat finely.
• Loosen the rice noodles under warm water and drain them.

Steps

1. Put the lamb and bones in a stockpot, cover with cold water and bring to the boil.
2. Boil for 5 minutes, skimming off all the grey foam, then drain and rinse everything.
3. Return the meat and bones to the clean pot with 3 litres of fresh water, the ginger, halved spring onions, rice wine and the muslin spice bag.
4. Bring to the boil, then drop to the barest simmer and cook uncovered for 2 hours.
5. Lift out the lamb shoulder after 90 minutes, once a skewer slides through easily, and set it aside to cool.
6. Strain the finished broth, discard the bones and aromatics, and season it with the salt and white pepper.
7. Put the diced lamb fat in a cold pan over low heat and render it for 12 minutes, until you have clear liquid fat and crisp scraps.
8. Take the pan off the heat, wait 30 seconds, then stir in the ground dried chilli to make a fragrant red lamb-fat chilli oil.
9. Slice the cooled lamb shoulder as thinly as you can across the grain.
10. Bring the strained broth back to a hard simmer.
11. Dip the rice noodles into the hot broth in a wire basket for 40 seconds, then divide them between four deep bowls.
12. Lay the sliced lamb over the noodles and ladle the boiling broth on top.
13. Spoon over the lamb-fat chilli oil, then add the pickled greens, coriander and spring onion.
14. Serve immediately, while the fat is still floating in bright rings on the surface.