Sichuan lamb noodle soup

TIME2.5 hours MAKES6 servings PORTION
0.5x 1x 2x 3x

A deliciously rich, fatty, and numbing cumin lamb noodle soup from central China, adapted from Tim Chin from Serious Eats.

INGREDIENTS

Broth

  • 1.5 to 1.8kg (approximately 4) lamb shanks or lamb neck slices
  • 2 tbsp (18g) kosher salt
  • 2 tbsp (30ml) vegetable oil (divided)
  • 2 tbsp (30ml) Shaoxing wine
  • 2L chicken stock
  • 500ml water
  • 2 spring onions (trimmed and halved)
  • 2 medium cloves garlic (smashed)
  • 2-inch cinnamon stick
  • 1-inch ginger (smashed)
  • 4 star anise

Lamb

  • 3/4 cup (180ml) canola oil
  • 4 medium cloves garlic (finely minced)
  • 8-12 dried chilies (coarsely ground)
  • 2 tbsp cumin seeds (toasted and coarsely ground)
  • 1 tbsp Sichuan peppercorns (coarsely ground)
  • 1/4 tsp white pepper
  • 1/3 cup (80ml) dark soy sauce
  • 2 tsp (8g) sugar

To serve

  • Hand-pulled noodles (lamian) or ramen noodles
  • 4 spring onions (sliced thinly)
  • 8 fresh coriander sprigs (cut into 1-inch pieces)

STEPS

Broth

  1. Sprinkle lamb evenly on all sides with salt and place on wire rack set in rimmed baking sheet. Let stand at room temperature for at least 30 minutes and up to 2 hours.

  2. In a pressure cooker set to sauté mode, or a dutch oven over medium-high heat, heat 1 tablespoon (15ml) oil until smoking. Working in batches, brown lamb on all sides, about 8 minutes; transfer to a heatproof bowl. Pour off fat in pressure cooker into a heatproof bowl and reserve.

  3. Return cooker to heat (or sauté mode), stir in the Shaoxing wine, and cook, scraping up any browned bits with wooden spoon, until alcohol has cooked off, about 30 seconds. Stir in chicken stock and water. Return lamb to pot along with any accumulated juices.

    • Pressure cook: Lock pressure-cooker lid in place and bring to high pressure over high heat. Once cooker has reached high pressure, cook for 40 minutes. When done, depressurize the cooker, and carefully remove the lid, allowing steam to escape away from you.

    • Slow cook: Bring the dutch oven to a boil, and then turn it down to a simmer. Put the lid on (with a small gap for excess steam to escape), and cook for a minimum of 2-3 hours, until lamb is fork tender, and broth is rich and fatty.

  4. Strain broth through fine-mesh strainer into clean heatproof container, pressing on solids to extract as much liquid as possible; transfer lamb to work surface. When lamb is cool enough to handle, separate meat from bones, discarding bones.

  5. Heat remaining 1 tablespoon (15ml) oil in now-empty pressure cooker/dutch oven over medium heat (or using an electric cooker’s sauté mode) until shimmering. Add spring onions, garlic, ginger, and star anise and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in strained broth, bring to boil, and simmer until fragrant, 10 to 15 minutes. Season with salt.

Lamb

  1. Meanwhile, add oil, reserved lamb fat, and minced garlic to medium saucepan set over medium-high heat and cook until garlic is fragrant and just beginning to brown, 3 to 5 minutes.

  2. Remove from heat and stir in chilies, cumin, Sichuan peppercorn, and white pepper. Let mixture cool slightly, about 5 minutes. Whisk in dark soy sauce and sugar. Gently stir in reserved lamb meat until lightly shredded and incorporated. Season with salt.

To serve

  1. Using a slotted spoon, remove and discard spring onions, garlic, ginger, and star anise pods from broth.

  2. Bring large pot of unsalted water to boil over high heat. If making your own hand-pulled noodles, prepare them now; otherwise, proceed with cooking store-bought noodles. Place in pot of boiling water, stirring gently with chopsticks or tongs to prevent sticking. Add about 360ml hot broth to serving bowls.

  3. When noodles are cooked, drain thoroughly with fine-mesh strainer or noodle basket, shaking off as much excess water as possible, then place noodles in each bowl of hot broth. Stir noodles with chopsticks or tongs, then lift and fold noodles over. Spoon 1/2 cup shredded lamb mixture with some of its sauce over noodles. Sprinkle with sliced spring onions and coriander. Serve immediately.

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