Lanzhou beef noodle soup

Start the Lanzhou beef noodle soup with a clean, clear broth base, since the whole dish stands or falls on it. Cover the bones and shank with cold water and bring them to a boil. After a few minutes drain the water, then rinse the meat and bones thoroughly under running water until every trace of the coagulated gray scum has washed away.

Return the cleaned meat and bones to the pot and cover them with 4 liters of fresh cold water. Bring the pot slowly up to a boil and keep skimming the foam off the surface with a ladle as it rises, patiently, until the liquid finally runs completely clear.

Add the ginger slices, the crushed garlic and all of the aromatic spices: star anise, cinnamon, fennel seeds, Sichuan pepper, cloves and the bay leaf. Season with salt. Let everything simmer very gently over low heat for about 3 hours, so the surface barely trembles the whole time and the flavours draw out slowly.

Once the shank is fork tender, lift it out carefully and set it aside to cool. Strain the broth through a fine sieve into a clean pot, discard the spent spices and return the clear liquid to the stove so it stays piping hot until serving.

Mix the flour with the salt and gradually pour in the lukewarm water. Knead everything into a smooth, elastic dough. Cover the dough and let it rest for at least 40 minutes, so the gluten relaxes and later pulls out well between your hands.

Divide the rested dough into even strips. Stretch each strip between your palms and tap it gently against the counter until long, thin noodles begin to form. Cook them in salted boiling water for 2 to 3 minutes, then drain them right away so they stay springy.

Slice the cooled shank thinly across the grain into neat, even pieces. Cut the daikon into thin slices or grate it, then blanch it briefly in the hot broth so it turns tender and translucent.

Place a portion of the cooked noodles in each bowl and pour in the hot broth just below the rim. Arrange the slices of beef and the blanched daikon neatly over the top of the noodles.

Finish each bowl with a spoonful of chili oil, a handful of chopped cilantro and rings of fresh spring onion. Serve right away, while the soup is boiling hot and the noodles still have real bite.