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Hot and Sour Soup
serves 4 to 6
ˇ 1/4 pound boneless pork
ˇ 1 quart chicken stock, fresh or canned
ˇ 4 dried Shiitake mushrooms, 1 to 1 1/2 inches in diameter
ˇ 2 square, 3 inches each, fresh tofu, about 1/2 inch thick
ˇ 1/2 cup canned bamboo shoots
ˇ 1 egg, lightly beaten
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ˇ 1 tablespoon dark soy sauce
ˇ 2 tablespoons white vinegar
ˇ 1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper
ˇ 2 tablespoons cornstarch mixed with
3 tablespoons cold water
ˇ 1 teaspoon salt
ˇ 1 drop sesame-seed oil
ˇ 1 scallion, include the green top, finely chopped
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PREPARE AHEAD: 1. In a small bowl, cover the mushrooms with warm water and let them soak for 30 minutes. Discard the water. With a knife, cut away and discard the tough stems of the mushrooms, and shred the caps by placing them one at a time on a cutting board. Cut them horizontally into paper-then slices, and then into strips.
2. Drain the pieces of bamboo shoot and tofu, and rinse them in cold water. Shred bamboo as fine as the mushrooms. Then cut tofu into small rectangles about 1 1/2 inches in length.
3. With a sharp knife, cut all the fat off the pork. Then shred it, by slicing the meat as thin as possible and cutting the slices into narrow strips about 1 1/2 to 2 inches long.
4. Have the above ingredients, stock, salt, soy sauce, pepper, vinegar, cornstarch mixture, egg, sesame-seed oil and scallions within easy reach.
TO COOK: Combine in a heavy 3-quart saucepan the stock, salt, soy sauce, mushrooms, bamboo shoots and pork. Bring to a boil over high heat, then immediately reduce the heat to low, cover the pan and simmer for 3 minutes. Drop in the tofu, pepper and vinegar. Bring to a boil again. Give the cornstarch mixture a stir to recombine it and pour into the soup. Stir for a few minutes until soup thickens, then slowly pour in the beaten egg, stirring gently all the while. Remove the soup from heat and ladle it into a tureen or serving bowel. Stir in the sesame-seed oil and sprinkle the top with scallions. Serve at once. |
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