Hot and Sour Chicken Soup

Photo: flickr user jasonlam

Ingredients

2 lrg Egg whites

1 tablespoon Dry sherry

1 teaspoon Sesame oil

2 teaspoons Cornstarch

1 pound Boneless skinless chicken breast cut thin strips

1 teaspoon Coarse salt

1 teaspoon Freshly-ground black pepper

10 Dried Chinese mushrooms soaked in hot

Water for 20 minutes

1/2 cup Frozen organic peas

6 cups Chicken stock

2 tablespoons Dry sherry

2 tablespoons Soy sauce

3 tablespoons Rice vinegar

2 teaspoons Sesame oil

1 teaspoon Coarse salt

1 teaspoon Freshly-ground white pepper

1/2 teaspoon Cayenne pepper

2 tablespoons Freshly-grated ginger

1 tablespoon Cornstarch

1/4 cup Water

2 Eggs lightly beaten

4 Scallions, white and green parts thinly sliced

Preparation

In a bowl, combine the egg whites, sherry, sesame oil, and cornstarch, and whisk until thickened. Add the chicken, toss lightly to coat, cover, and refrigerate 3 to 4 hours, or overnight.

Drain the mushrooms, remove and discard the stems, and cut into strips. Set aside with the peas.

In a large pot, combine the soup base ingredients and heat until mixture boils. Add the chicken, mushrooms, and peas. Bring back to a boil and cook about 3 minutes, stirring to separate the chicken pieces, and skimming the surface to remove any impurities.

Meanwhile, dissolve the cornstarch in the water. Add to the soup, stirring constantly, and cook until soup thickens and turns glossy, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the heat, and taste for seasoning. Slowly add the beaten egg to the soup in a thin stream around the edge, stirring once or twice so that the cooked egg forms long threads. Serve warm in individual bowls, and garnish with scal

This recipe yields 4 to 6 servings.