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Hot and Sour Soup |
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Soak in warm water for a couple of hours or overnight:
| 3/4 | cup | dried moo-er (a.k.a. cloud ear or wood ear) |
| 3/4 | cup | dried golden needle vegetable (lily flowers) |
| 3/4 | cup | dried Chinese black mushrooms (6 to 10 pieces) |
| 3/4 | cup | canned bamboo shoots |
| 3 to 4 | quarts | (Chinese) chicken stock |
| 2 | pieces | bean curd (a.k.a. tofu or dofu) |
| 2 | bunches | scallions, chopped finely |
| 1/2 | pound | pork, preferably picnic |
| 1 to 3 | Tbsp | black pepper |
| 2 to 4 | Tbsp | rice vinegar or distilled vinegar |
| 3 | Tbsp | corn starch dissolved in 3 Tbsp warm water |
| 1 | tsp | sesame oil |
| 1 | lightly beaten egg (optional) | |
| salt |
| Soak dried vegetables in warm water for a couple of hours or overnight. |
| After they are soft, pick off any hard, woody bases on the moo-er, |
| pinch hard bases off lilies and pull each one apart lengthwise, |
| and cut bases off mushrooms and slice into 3/8" wide strips. |
| Cut the bean curd into domino-shaped piecies or into large |
| french fry-shaped pieces 1/2" wide. |
| Slice bamboo shoots into 3/8" strips. |
| Slice pork into 3/8" strips about 1 to 2 inches long. |
| Bring 3 to 4 quarts Chinese chicken stock to a boil.* |
| Add pork, moo-er, lilies, mushrooms, bamboo shoots, bean curd. |
| Return to boil, then simmer 45 minutes. |
| Salt to taste. |
| Add black pepper to taste (when tasting, allow enough time for the |
| full hotness to develop). |
| Add vinegar until sourness balances hotness. |
| Stir corn starch mixture until dissolved, then stir into boiling soup. |
| For egg drop effect, slowly pour in one lightly beaten egg while |
| slowly stirring the boiling soup. |
| Garnish with 1 tsp sesame oil and chopped scallions. |