Luosifen

A broth simmered from snails and bones for hours, where the smell everyone mentions comes from the bamboo rather than the snails.

Pork, Shellfish, Tofu. Not vegetarian — contains pork, shellfish.

Ingredients

For the broth

• 1 kg river snails, or 500 g clams as the nearest substitute
• 1 kg pork bones
• 3 litres water
• 40 g ginger, sliced
• 6 cloves garlic
• 3 star anise
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tablespoon Sichuan peppercorns
• 2 tablespoons chilli bean paste
• 60 ml light soy sauce
• 2 teaspoons salt

To serve

• 400 g dried thick rice noodles
• 200 g fermented bamboo shoots, rinsed and shredded
• 100 g pickled long beans, chopped
• 100 g peanuts, fried crisp
• 100 g dried tofu skin, fried
• chilli oil, to taste
• coriander

Method

1. THE SMELL IS THE FERMENTED BAMBOO AND NOT THE SNAILS, which is worth knowing before anyone opens a window and blames the shellfish. The bamboo is the thing that divides people; the broth itself is savoury and clean. Anyone cooking this for the first time should try the bamboo on its own first and decide how much goes in.
2. THE SNAILS ARE PURGED BEFORE THEY ARE COOKED, two days in clean water changed twice a day with a few drops of oil on the surface. They are filter feeders out of river mud and the grit does not come out in the cooking. If that is not practical, clams are the nearest thing and need only an hour in salted water.
3. Purged snails scrubbed, and the pointed tip of each shell snipped off with pliers so the broth can get in and the meat can be sucked out.
4. Pork bones blanched from cold water 10 minutes, drained and rinsed clean of scum.
5. Bones into fresh water with the ginger, garlic and whole spices. Simmered 2 hours.
6. Snails added and simmered a further 1 hour. THEY ARE THERE FOR THE BROTH AND NOT TO BE EATEN FROM IT -- most are strained out and thrown away, and their job is done by then.
7. Chilli bean paste, soy and salt stirred in and simmered 20 minutes more. Strained.
8. Rice noodles soaked in cold water 2 hours, then boiled 5 to 8 minutes until just tender. Cooked in the broth they would cloud it, so they are cooked in plain water and drained.
9. Bamboo shoots rinsed and squeezed, then warmed through in a little oil.
10. Noodles into bowls, broth ladled over, and the bamboo, beans, peanuts and tofu skin arranged on top rather than stirred in.
11. Chilli oil and coriander at the table. The peanuts and tofu skin soften in the broth within a few minutes, so it is carried to the table the moment it is built.

Our own recipe. This one was written for this site rather than taken from anywhere, so there is no source to point you at. The quantities and the order of the steps are choices, not the only way to do it.

Filed under China · All recipes