bart@ucbvax.ARPA (Bart Miller) (10/08/84)
I have a reasonable large (100-200) tested Chinese recipes. They vary from many different provinces. Over the next few fews (months?), I'll start putting them on the net. These are all recipes that I've tried at one time for another. Some are mine, some from books or friends. Most have been modified to suit myself. If I can remember where something came from, I'll include proper credits. OK. End of disclaimer. Recipe #1: *****HOT AND SOUR SOUP***** (see end for a vegie variation) =========================== 1/4 lb. shredded chicken 3-4 dried chinese mushrooms 1 cake firm tofu 1/4 cup bamboo shoots 2 tbsp finely chopped green onions 1 tsp finely chopped fresh ginger 2 tbsp cornstarch mixed with 4 tbsp water 1 1/2 tbsp vinegar 1 1/2 tbsp water 1/2 tsp black or white pepper 1 egg 1 tsp salt 1 tbsp ketchup 1 tbsp soy sauce 1 tbsp sesame oil [This is optional] 6 cups chicken stock 2-3 whole red peppers TO PREPARE: 1. Shred chicken. 2. Soak dried mushrooms in warm water until softened [20 minutes], rinse thoroughly and cut off tough stems. Shred into thin strips. 3. Carefully cut the tofu into thin strips. 4. Shred the bamboo. Chop the green onion and ginger. 5. Mix the cornstarch with water in a cup. Mix the vinegar and water and pepper in another cup. Beat the eg slightly in a bowl. Set these aside. TO COOK: 1. Heat the stock in a pot. Add all shredded and chopped ingredients, except the green onion. 2. Bring to a boil and add the salt, ketchup, and soy sauce. Give the cornstarch mixture a stir, and add that. 3. Reduce the flame somewhat and stir in the lightly beaten egg. When the egg has coalesced into many fine threads, add the red peppers. 4. Add the vinegar-water-pepper mixture, a little at a time to taste. [I put all of it in. Taste too bland without] 5. Cook soup over medium-low heat. Soup will become hotter, from red peppers, the long it cooks (up to about 45 minutes). 6. Add sesame oil, sprinkle with green onion, and serve. To make this vegie, you want to start with a vegetable stock. A simple way is to take a tablespoon or two of vegetable bullion concentrate add to the boiling water. Then take the water that you soaked the dried mushrooms in and add that. You may want to add more ingrediants such as thin sliced water chestnuts, bean sprouts, etc. to make up for the chicken.
rcd@opus.UUCP (Dick Dunn) (10/12/84)
The recipe in the parent article omits one essential and one common item
from the hot/sour soup recipe.
Golden needles (aka tiger lily buds) are really part of the
character of this soup. They need to be soaked a little before
cooking and cooked at the same time as the main part of the soup.
Fresh cilantro (careful--it can be strong) is often added. Chop
just a little and add it at the end, with the green onion.
Hot/sour soup doesn't always have red peppers--it can derive all of its heat
from ground WHITE pepper (black won't do if you try this variation).
Another technique substitutes chile oil for the red peppers, but it's tough
to get the oil to stay mixed in right.
--
Dick Dunn {hao,ucbvax,allegra}!nbires!rcd (303)444-5710 x3086
...Relax...don't worry...have a homebrew.adm@cbneb.UUCP (10/23/84)
I adapted the Hot and Sour Soup recipe for a backpacking trip last weekend and it got rave reviews. I used canned chicken and chicken bouillon cubes to make the stock and just plain omitted the tofu because I was afraid of spoilage. I am anxious to try it for real at home. Bill Brown AT&T Bell Laboratories Columbus ihnp4!cbneb!cwb