Yan du xian (Shanghai fresh and cured pork soup)

Step 1: Soak 9 oz salted or cured pork belly (xian rou), or Jinhua-style dry-cured ham in cold water for 1 hour to draw out excess salt (it can soak while you prep), then drain.

Step 2: Put 9 oz salted or cured pork belly (xian rou), or Jinhua-style dry-cured ham and 1 ⅛ lb fresh pork belly or pork ribs in a large pot of cold water, bring to the boil and boil for 3 minutes, until grey scum rises. Drain and rinse the meat.

Step 3: Return the meat to the clean pot with 1 oz fresh ginger, 3 spring onions and 10 ½ cups water. Bring to the boil, then turn to low and simmer, partly covered, for 1 hour, until the broth looks milky.

Step 4: Meanwhile, blanch 14 oz bamboo shoots, fresh or vacuum-packed in boiling water for 5 minutes to remove any bitterness, and drain.

Step 5: Soak 5 ½ oz tofu knots (bai ye jie) in hot water with ¼ tsp bicarbonate of soda for 10 minutes, until they turn pale and soft, then rinse well.

Step 6: Lift out the salted pork, cut it into thick slices and return it to the pot with the bamboo shoots. Simmer gently for 25 minutes, until the fresh pork is tender enough to pull apart with chopsticks. Common mistake: letting it boil hard; the broth goes cloudy-grey and the meat tough.

Step 7: Add the tofu knots and simmer for 10 minutes more, until they have absorbed the broth. Taste before adding any ½ tsp salt, as the cured pork is salty, and finish with ¼ tsp ground white pepper. Remove the spring onion and serve in the pot.