Lotus Root Pork Rib Soup

Place the pork ribs in a pot of cold water. Bring to a full boil over high heat and blanch for 3–4 minutes. Drain and rinse each piece under cold running water, removing any grey foam or bone fragments. The rinsed ribs should look clean and pale, with no residual scum.

Transfer the blanched ribs to a clean heavy pot. Add the lotus root rounds, and the dried lotus seeds and peanuts if using. Pour over 2 litres of cold water. Bring to a vigorous boil over high heat, then reduce to a low, steady simmer. The surface should carry only a gentle, slow bubble — not a rolling boil.

Simmer uncovered or partially covered for 2 to 3 hours. This is where the dish lives or dies: the long, unhurried simmer is the sole mechanism by which the lotus root starch dissolves into the broth, the pork fat is absorbed, and the characteristically silky, sweet-savoury depth of ou tang is built. At the end of this period the lotus root should yield completely to gentle pressure, the broth should carry a natural, milky opacity, and the kitchen should smell of clean pork and sweet starch.

Season with fine salt only. Stir, taste, and adjust — the broth must remain clean and pure, carrying sweetness from the lotus root and depth from the pork, with nothing sharp or heavy. Serve directly from the pot into deep bowls.