Hot and sour soup

Photo: Red House Spice

Forget the takeout version. Wei's has shiitake, wood ear, lily buds and black vinegar, and the egg goes in in ribbons. Sour first, then the white pepper hits you.

From Wei Guo at Red House Spice · @red.house.spice

Sichuan-style hot and sour soup with shiitake, wood ear, lily buds, pork, bamboo and tofu, black vinegar and white pepper, with egg ribbons.

You need

• 5 dried shiitake mushrooms
• 5 g dried wood ear mushrooms
• 20 dried lily buds
• 3 oz (80 g) lean pork, in thin strips
• 1/2 tsp cornstarch plus 1 tsp water (for the pork)
• 1/2 tsp neutral oil
• 1.5 oz (40 g) carrot, julienned
• 2 oz (50 g) bamboo shoots, julienned
• 3.5 oz (100 g) soft tofu, julienned
• 1 egg, beaten
• 4 1/4 cups unsalted chicken or vegetable stock, or water
• 4 tbsp cornstarch mixed with 4 tbsp water
• 3 tbsp Chinese black (Chinkiang) vinegar
• 1 tbsp light soy sauce
• 1/2 tsp ground white pepper
• 1/2 tsp sesame oil
• Chopped cilantro or scallions

How to make it

1. Soak the shiitake, wood ear and lily buds in separate bowls of warm water for 1 hour. Slice the shiitake and wood ear thinly, knot or halve the lily buds.
2. Toss the pork with the cornstarch-water and oil.
3. Bring the stock to a boil. Add the mushrooms, lily buds, carrot and bamboo and simmer 3 minutes. Add the pork, stirring so the strips separate, then the tofu.
4. Season with soy sauce. Stir the cornstarch slurry and pour it in slowly while stirring, until the soup thickens enough to coat a spoon.
5. Turn the heat down. Pour the beaten egg in a thin stream while stirring gently in one direction so it forms ribbons.
6. Off the heat, stir in the black vinegar, white pepper and sesame oil. Taste: add more vinegar for sour, pepper for heat. Top with cilantro or scallions.

Written in our own words from Wei Guo's recipe, with their quantities. The original: Hot and sour soup, Red House Spice.

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