Wu Xiang Fen

Wu Xiang Fen (Hunan Five-Spice Rice Noodles)

Hunan street-stall rice noodles served over a clear, spice-scented pork broth and tossed with the same five-spice oil, pickles, peanuts and chili. The noodles are cooked separately so the wok toss stays snappy and the broth stays clean.

Prep

20 min

Cook

130 min

Total

150 min

Serves

4

Difficulty

Medium

Recipe ingredients

• •1500 g (3¼ lb) pork or chicken bones, neck bones, trotters or a mix of backs and feet for a rich, gelatinous stock
• •2000 ml (8½ cups) cold water
• •15 g (½ oz) ginger, smashed
• •30 g (1 oz) scallion, white parts only, smashed
• •30 ml (2 tbsp) Shaoxing wine
• •8 g (0.3 oz) cinnamon bark, cassia or true cinnamon, a 5 cm piece
• •3 whole star anise
• •1 tsp Sichuan peppercorns, toasted briefly before use
• •3 whole cloves
• •1 tsp fennel seed
• •40 g (1½ oz) pickled mustard greens (yong cai), rinsed of excess brine, finely chopped
• •40 g (1½ oz) sour bamboo shoots, rinsed, sliced into thin matchsticks; sub: sour radish
• •60 g (¼ cup) raw peanuts, skinned, dry-toasted, lightly crushed
• •30 g (2 tbsp) rendered lard
• •30 ml (2 tbsp) neutral oil
• •20 ml (4 tsp) dark soy sauce
• •10 ml (2 tsp) light soy sauce
• •10 ml (2 tsp) Chinkiang black vinegar, optional, for a sharper finish
• •15 ml (1 tbsp) toasted sesame oil
• •15 ml (1 tbsp) chili oil with sediment, Hunan-style, with flakes
• •600 g (21 oz) fresh wide rice noodles, ho fun / he fen; dried rice sticks work if soaked
• •1 tsp fine salt, plus more for the noodle blanch
• •2 whole scallions, green part, thinly sliced, to serve
• •10 g (0.35 oz) fresh cilantro, optional, to serve

Steps

1. 1 Rinse the bones under cold running water, then place in a pot, cover with cold water and bring to a vigorous boil. Boil 3 minutes, drain and rinse the bones and the pot to remove scum; this keeps the final stock clear.
2. 2 Return the blanched bones to the cleaned pot with 2000 ml (8½ cups) cold water, smashed ginger, smashed scallion whites and Shaoxing wine. Bring slowly to a bare simmer, skimming any foam that rises. Hold at a low simmer, partially covered, for 2 hours. The stock should taste clearly of pork and reduce to about 1500 ml (6¼ cups).
3. 3 While the stock simmers, make the five-spice sachet: place the cinnamon, star anise, Sichuan peppercorns, cloves and fennel in a small dry pan over low heat and toast 45–60 seconds, until fragrant. Tip into a spice bag or a small piece of cheesecloth tied with kitchen twine.
4. 4 About 30 minutes before the stock is done, drop the spice sachet into the pot and season the stock with 1 tsp salt. It should taste seasoned but not salty, since soy and pickles will add salt at the bowl.
5. 5 Prepare the pickles and aromatics: chop the pickled mustard greens and sour bamboo shoots, toast the peanuts in a dry pan over medium heat 3–4 minutes until golden and just fragrant, then crush lightly with the side of a knife. Slice the scallion greens.
6. 6 Make the spice oil: combine the lard and neutral oil in a small wok or skillet over medium heat. When the lard melts, add the chopped pickled mustard greens and sour bamboo shoots and stir-fry 2 minutes to drive off raw pickle tang. Add 1 star anise, 1 small piece of cinnamon bark, 2 cloves and ½ tsp fennel seed and fry 1 more minute until the oil smells strongly aromatic. Do not let the spices burn; lower the heat if they darken quickly.
7. 7 Cook the noodles: bring a wide pot of water to a rolling boil with 1 tbsp salt. If using fresh rice noodles, separate the sheets gently and slide them in; if using dried sticks, soak in cool water 30 minutes first. Boil fresh noodles 1–2 minutes, dried 4–6 minutes, until just tender with no chalky core. Drain immediately and rinse under hot water to remove surface starch.
8. 8 Heat a wok over high heat until smoking. Add 1 tbsp of the strained spice oil from step 6, then add the drained noodles and toss 30 seconds. Splash in the dark soy and light soy and toss for another 30 seconds so every strand is glossy and lightly caramelized. Keep the heat high; you want a seared, oily surface, not steamed noodles.
9. 9 Taste the broth and adjust salt. Strain out the spice sachet and aromatics. Ladle about 350 ml (1½ cups) hot broth into each wide, deep bowl.
10. 10 Mound the wok-tossed noodles in the center of each bowl, then top with a spoonful of the fried pickles from the spice oil, a scatter of crushed peanuts, sliced scallion greens and cilantro if using. Drizzle 1 tsp toasted sesame oil and 1 tsp (or more) chili oil with its sediment over the top.
11. 11 Serve immediately, with extra chili oil, pickles and a small dish of black vinegar at the table. The broth should be sipped hot while the noodles are still chewy; leftovers reheat best as separate components.