Visit any noodle shop in Hong Kong or Guangzhou and you will find ow larm fun on their menu. They have earned their status as a classic by offering meltingly tender beef brisket in a pool of dark velvety sauce, all on soft rice noodles.

Sichuan pepper is rarely used in Cantonese cooking but here it adds a background hum to the sauce. The sauce is also excellent for rice and we encourage you to double the recipe for freezing.

This is also the first recipe we’ve filmed that uses the “Add an Exotic” feature from our book. “Add and Exotic” is all about introducing Chinese ingredients that you might be less familiar with, but we think totally deserve to be included if you can find them. They’re optional in the recipes and if used, they can really elevate a dish by adding a new texture or subtly altering the flavour. In this video, Julie describes ji jook and its preparation. Have a go and let us know what you think!