Cantonese braised beef in clear soup with ho fun noodles

Soak the brisket and bones in water in the fridge overnight to draw out the myoglobin; without it the broth comes out darker.

Blanch the beef and bones in a big pot of water, lid partially open, brought to a boil, then turn the heat off and remove them.

Preheat a clay pot over medium for a couple of minutes, add a drizzle of oil, five slices of ginger, four cloves of garlic and two big scallions and stir until the scallions wilt.

Add 2.5 litres of water and bring to a boil.

Put half a cinnamon stick, one star anise, two bay leaves, two cloves, half a black cardamom, a piece of dried tangerine peel and two slices of gan chao in a spice bag.

Add the spice bag, the brisket and the bones, and turn the heat to the lowest so only small bubbles rise -- xia yan shui, bubbles the size of shrimp eyes.

Simmer about 3 hours until the beef is tender, checking that it never boils or the broth goes cloudy.

Rinse a quarter cup of minced garlic under running water and shake off the excess, leaving a little moisture.

Add it to a sauce pot with a quarter cup of oil and stir constantly over low heat for 8 to 10 minutes until lightly golden, then take it off and strain it out.

Double peel the daikon, discard both ends and roll cut it into chunks; soak it in water if it was cut early.

Add the radish 30 minutes before the beef is ready, skim the fat off the broth and season with fish sauce.

Lid on and simmer on low for another 30 minutes.

Soak the ho fun in water for 5 to 8 minutes until soft.

Take the beef out to cool, discard the aromatics, spice bag and bones, and sieve out the fat and impurities.

Slice the beef into thick slabs, bring the broth to a simmer and cook the noodles in it -- rice noodles release little starch.

Put the noodles in a big serving bowl, top with daikon and slices of beef, sprinkle diced scallions and add 1 tbsp of garlic oil.