souper

Ok so I decided to try my hand at hot and sour soup.

This recipe is a bit of a composite but I found it yummy.

3 dried shiitake

4sq inches kombu

2 stock cubes

6 toasted szechuan peppercorns. Ground fresh.

2.5 pints boiling water 

Simmer 30 mins.

I used chicken stock gel but really should be pork or veal bone stock

Fish the kombu out.

You can choose to slice it thinly but the texture is an acquired taste. 

To stock add

100 ml rice vinegar

3tsp sambal oelek

I desert spoon clear honey

I thin sliced red chilli 

I large clove garlic smooshed

2 inches ginger julienned 

Juice and zest of lemon

That is the stock done. You need to balance the heat sour and sweet yourself of course. I tend to like food that fights back. At this point you thicken the stock with cornflour and water and add the thread eggs. To make these beat an egg thoroughly then stir the very hot soup slowly and add the egg by dribbling it.

To the stock you then add....well whatever you have. Fresh crunchy vegetables. Tofu. Cooked pork. Left over duck. Beansprouts. Noodles or dumplings if you want more of a meal. So you see this is a soup that helps you clean out the fridge.

Anyway give it a go.