Hot And Sour Soup II

Hot And Sour Soup II

4 dried Chinese fungi (about 1 oz.), such as wood ears or cloud ears
2 T. canola oil
1" piece fresh ginger, peeled, and grated
1 T. red chile paste, such as sambal oelek
1/2 c. canned bamboo shoots, sliced
1/4 lb. barbecued pork, shredded
1/4 c. soy sauce
1/4 c. rice vinegar
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. ground white pepper
pinch sugar
2 qts. Chinese Chicken Stock, recipe below
1 square firm tofu, drained, and sliced in 1/4" strips
3 T. cornstarch mixed with 1/4 c. water
1 lg. egg, lightly beaten
chopped green onions and cilantro leaves, for garnish

Put the wood ears in a small bowl, and cover with
boiling water. Let stand for 30 mins. to reconstitute.

Drain and rinse the wood ears. Discard any hard
clusters in the centers.

Heat the oil in a wok or lg. pot over med-high flame.

Add the ginger, chili paste, wood ears, bamboo shoots,
and pork. Cook and stir for 1 min to infuse the flavor.

Combine the soy sauce, vinegar, salt, pepper, and sugar
in a small bowl, pour it into the wok and toss everything
together. It should smell really fragrant.

Pour in the Chinese Chicken Stock, bring the soup to a
boil, and simmer for 10 mins.

Add the tofu, and cook for 3 mins.

Dissolve the cornstarch in the water, and stir until
smooth.

Mix the slurry into the soup, and continue to simmer
until the soup thickens. Remove the soup from the heat,
and stir in 1 direction to get a current going, then
stop stirring.

Slowly pour in the beaten eggs in a steady stream,
and watch it spin around and feather in the broth
(it should be cooked almost immediately.)

Garnish the hot and sour soup with chopped green
onions and cilantro before serving.


Chinese Chicken Stock

1 4 lb. whole chicken
1 bunch green onions, halved
4 garlic cloves, smashed
3" piece fresh ginger, whacked open with the
flat side of a knife
1 onion, halved
1 tsp. whole white peppercorns
about 3 qts. cold water

Put the chicken in a lg. stockpot, and place over
med. heat.

Toss in the green onions, garlic, ginger, onion,
and peppercorns.

Pour about 3 qts. of cold water into the pot to
cover the chicken by 1".

Simmer gently for 1 hour, uncovered, skimming
off the foam on the surface periodically.
Carefully remove the chicken from the pot, and
pass the stock through a strainer lined with
cheesecloth to remove the solids and excess
fat.

Cool the chicken stock to room temperature before
storing in the refrigerator, or chill it down
over ice first.

Makes about 2 qts.