Hot and Sour Soup Recipe

Ingredients: Serves 4

½ cup tree ears

25g dried lily buds

4 Chinese dried black mushrooms

50g boneless, skinless chicken breast,

cut into 1-inch-long strips

¼ cup canned bamboo shoots, rinsed, drained and

cut into 1-inch-long julienne

½ cake firm bean curd, cut in half horizontally, and

then crosswise into thin 1-inch-long strips

1 large egg

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

4 cups chicken stock or canned chicken broth

¼ cup soy sauce

1½ teaspoons ground white pepper, or more to taste

¼ cup cornstarch

¼ cup distilled white vinegar

1 tablespoon dark sesame oil

1 scallion, green part only, trimmed and minced

Method:

Place the tree ears, lily buds, and dried mushrooms in three separate bowls. Add hot water to cover to each bowl, and let stand until the vegetables have softened, about 30 minutes. Drain, and cut each vegetable into thin 1-inch long strips. Set aside. Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil over high heat. Add the chicken, bamboo shoots, bean curd, tree ears, lilies, and mushrooms and cook until the chicken turns opaque, about 30 seconds. Drain in a colander. Clean the saucepan. Beat the egg in a small bowl until frothy. Heat the oil in an 8-inch nonstick skillet over medium-low heat. Drizzle in the beaten egg to make a thin, lacy crepe, and cook until set, about 1 minute. Slide the crepe gently out of the skillet onto a cutting board, and slice it into ¼-inch thick shreds about 2 inches long. Bring the stock, soy sauce and white pepper to a boil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the drained chicken mixture and return to a boil. Dissolve the cornstarch in ½ cup cold water in a small bowl. Add to the saucepan, and stir gently until the soup thickens, about 30 seconds. Taste the soup, and add more white pepper if you wish. The soup should be spicy, but season it gradually or you may go too far. Transfer the soup to a large serving bowl, and stir in the vinegar and sesame oil. Garnish with the egg strips and scallion, and serve immediately.