Title: CHINESE HOT & SOUR SOUP
Categories: Soups/stews, Chinese, Poultry
Yield: 4 servings
6 c Chicken stock
2 Chicken breast halves
1 sl 1" fresh ginger root
1 Onion, sliced
6 Shiitake mushrooms,
-soaked 20 mins in hot water
For 20 minutes
2 ts Low-sodium soy sauce
2 tb Rice wine (or dry vermouth)
3 tb Rice vinegar
1 tb Sichuan hot bean paste
1/2 ts Ground white pepper
1/2 c Canned bamboo shoots;
-cut into julienne strips
1 c Tofu; 1/2-in dice
3 lg Eggs, beaten
1/2 c Spring onions; thinly sliced
In this hot soup, the chilies' fire is hidden in the Sichuan hot bean
paste.
Heat the chicken stock to a boil. Add the chicken breasts, ginger
root and onion and simmer for 35 minutes, covered. Remove the
chicken, reserving the stock, and let cool, remove skin and bones and
shred meat. Set aside.
Strain the chicken stock into a 4-quart pan and bring again to a boil.
Drain the soaking mushrooms, discard the stems, and thinly slice the
caps. Add them to the stock with the soy sauce, rice wine, rice
vinegar, hot bean paste and white pepper, reduce the heat and simmer
for 10 minutes. Add the shredded chicken, bamboo shoots and bean curd
and simmer for another 2 minutes, then bring to a full boil. Beat
the eggs well and, as you gently stir the soup, slowly add the eggs
in a thin stream. Adjust the seasoning for salt, hot bean paste and
tartness.
