Guiyang Clay Pot Rice Noodles

Guiyang Clay Pot Rice Noodles

　　Clay pot rice noodles are a popular small-pot dish found across Guizhou, available in various flavors. Common varieties include spicy chicken noodles, pork chop noodles, crispy pork noodles, three-delicacy noodles, pickled mustard pork strips noodles, sour soup minced meat noodles, and red-braised pork noodles. They are especially beloved in winter because the dish is served in the hot clay pot itself, which is placed directly on the table. When served, the chicken broth inside the pot is still bubbling and sizzling, steaming hot, creating an experience akin to dining beside a hotpot. Even after finishing the noodles, the clay pot remains too hot to touch. It has the effect of warming the body and soothing the stomach—especially comforting on cold days. Those suffering from a cold often find themselves breaking into a sweat and feeling thoroughly refreshed after eating.

　　 Ingredients and Basic Seasonings:

　　 Rice noodles, egg whites, lard, vegetable oil, chili powder, star anise, cinnamon, fennel, cooking wine, Sichuan peppercorn powder, shredded ginger, chopped scallions, salt, soy sauce, MSG, chicken broth, lotus cabbage, mung bean sprouts, soaked kelp strips, soaked wood ear mushroom strips.

　　 Filling Ingredients: Ham sausage, spicy chicken, minced pork, shredded pork, soaked bamboo shoot slices, soaked shiitake mushrooms, pork meatballs, pork chops, pickled mustard strips.

　　 Detailed Preparation Method:

　　 1. Heat vegetable oil in a small clay pot until 60% hot. Add shredded ginger, chili powder, and Sichuan peppercorn powder, and stir-fry until fragrant with chopsticks. Then add lotus cabbage, mung bean sprouts, soaked kelp strips, rice noodles, and chicken broth, and bring to a boil for 5 minutes. Add lard, salt, soy sauce, and MSG to season, then add the filling and chopped scallions. Remove from heat. Place the clay pot on a small ceramic plate before serving. When eating, have chopsticks and a small soup spoon ready to sip the broth while enjoying the noodles—the soup and noodles will stay warm for quite a while.

　　 2. Preparing the Fillings:

　　 Ham Sausage Noodles: Use diagonally sliced ham sausage paired with soaked wood ear mushrooms as the filling.

　　 Spicy Chicken Noodles: First prepare the spicy chicken (the method for making spicy chicken has been introduced elsewhere).

　　 Crispy Pork Noodles: For making crispy pork, refer to the method used in the preparation of Ran Noodles (燃面).

　　 Sour Soup Minced Meat Noodles: Stir-fry the minced meat with lard until cooked, then set aside. Chop the pickled vegetables into small pieces and simmer them in sour soup; set aside. When cooking the noodles, replace the chicken broth with sour soup and add the minced meat.

　　 Pickled Mustard Pork Strips Noodles: Shred lean pork and pickled mustard, then heat lard in the pan until 70% hot. Stir-fry shredded ginger until fragrant, then add the shredded pork and pickled mustard, and cook until done. Add salt, soy sauce, and MSG to taste, stir well, then remove from heat and set aside.

　　 Red-Braised Pork Noodles: Cut skin-on pork belly into 1.5 cm cubes (scorch the skin, wash clean). Heat a bit of oil in the pan, add sugar, and melt over low heat until caramelized. Add the pork cubes and coat them in the caramelized sugar. Once evenly coated, add soy sauce, star anise, cinnamon, and fennel, stir-fry vigorously until aromatic, then add water to cover the pork. Change to low heat and braise until the sauce is reduced.

　　 Pork Chop Noodles: Cut the pork chops into 1 cm thick slices, boil in water to remove blood foam, then drain. Heat oil in the pan until 70% hot, stir-fry shredded ginger and Sichuan peppercorns until fragrant. Add the pork chops, star anise, cinnamon, fennel, salt, soy sauce, cooking wine, and MSG, stir evenly. Add water and simmer over low heat until the meat is tender and falling off the bone.

　　 Three-Delicacy Noodles: Shred soaked shiitake mushrooms, thinly slice soaked bamboo shoots, and boil quail eggs until cooked then peel. Mince lean and fatty pork, mix with egg whites, and shape into 1.5 cm meatballs by hand. Boil in water until just cooked, then remove.

　　 Flavor Profile: Spicy, hot, fresh, and fragrant—warming and soothing to the stomach.

　　 Preparation Tips:

　　 The spicy chicken cubes should be cut smaller than those used in regular cooking. The ham sausage slices, soaked wood ear mushrooms, and the soaked shiitake mushrooms, bamboo shoots, and minced pork used in the three-delicacy noodles all require longer cooking time—otherwise, their full flavor won’t come through.