Taiwanese oyster vermicelli

Step 1: If you use pork intestine, put 10 ½ oz pork large intestine in a pan of cold water, bring it to the boil and boil for 3 minutes, then drain and rinse. This removes any remaining smell. Pork belly can skip this step.

Step 2: Return the pork to the pan with 3 tbsp soy sauce, 2 tsp sugar, 1 star anise, 3 slices fresh ginger and 2 cups water. Simmer gently, half covered, until a chopstick slides in easily and the liquid has reduced to a glaze. Cut the intestine into 2 cm pieces.

Step 3: Meanwhile, bring 5 ¾ cups pork or chicken stock to the boil in a large pot with the shiitake soaking water. Turn off the heat, add ½ oz bonito flakes and leave it to steep for 5 minutes, then strain out the flakes and return the broth to the pot.

Step 4: Add 4 dried shiitake mushrooms, 1 tbsp light soy sauce and ½ tsp ground white pepper to the broth and simmer over a medium heat for 5 minutes, until the mushrooms are soft.

Step 5: Add 7 oz red (brown) wheat vermicelli and simmer for 4–5 minutes, stirring now and then, until the strands are soft but still in short pieces. Don't cook it longer: it breaks down quickly.

Step 6: Stir the slurry of 4 tbsp potato starch again and pour it into the gently bubbling broth in a thin stream, stirring all the time. Keep stirring for 1 minute, until the broth turns glossy and thick enough to coat a spoon. Taste and add ½ tsp salt if needed.

Step 7: Check the oysters: if any came in the shell, discard any with cracked shells or that stay open when tapped before cooking, and any that do not open after cooking. Rinse 9 oz fresh shucked oysters gently in cold water with 1 tsp salt, pick off any bits of shell and drain well.

Step 8: Pat the oysters dry and toss them in 3 tbsp sweet potato starch until each one has a thin, even coat.

Step 9: Turn the broth down to a bare simmer. Drop in the oysters one by one and cook for 2 minutes, without stirring hard, until they are plump and firm and the edges have curled.

Step 10: Stir the braised pork and a spoonful of its glaze into the pot and heat through for 1 minute.

Step 11: Ladle into bowls and top each with 4 tsp black vinegar, a little 4 cloves garlic, 1 handful fresh coriander and 1 tsp chilli sauce. Eat at once, while it is piping hot.