Hot and Sour Soup & Chinese Chicken Stock

So, if you think being in an Asian country makes it easy to find Asian you are sadly mistaken... Since we've been in Korea we've yet to find a good Chinese restaurant or good sushi.. :( So, when in need improvise! I, or I should say WE because it was defiantly a group craving which inspired this hunt for Chinese recipes, have found the most awesom-est Hot and Sour Soup recipe! So I thought I would share :)

I'm going to start with the Chicken Stock so if you are using bullion cubes or broth you can skip this step and move on to just making the soup. :)

Chinese Chicken Stock

This recipe should yield you 2 quarts of chicken stock which is just what you need for the Hot and Sour Soup

What you will need

1 (4lbs) whole chicken

1 bunch green onions halved

4 garlic cloves, smashed

3 in piece of fresh ginger, whacked open with the flat side of a knife

1 onion, halved

1 tsp whole white peppercorns

about 3 quarts cold water

What you will do

Put the chicken along with all the other ingredients in a big stock pot and simmer for about an hour uncovered. Your going to need to skim off the foam periodically. When it's done take out the chicken and then strain the rest of the juice so that all of the big particles are taken out of it.

Hot and Sour Soup

What you will need:

1 oz of Chinese fungi (this could be Black fungus, cloud ears, wood fungus, wood ear fungus, ear fungus, Chinese fungus) usually looks something like this...

 

Comes in a package like this....

2 tablespoons canola oil

1 in piece of ginger, peeled and grated

1 tbsp red chile paste (this is what gives the soup the "hot" kick so if you wanna tone it down use less)

1/2 c canned bamboo shoots, sliced

1/4 lbs pork, shredded

1/4 c soy sauce

1/4 c rice vinegar

1 tsp salt

1 tsp white pepper

pinch of sugar

and 2 quarts of Chinese Chicken Stock (or regular chicken stock will also work)

1 square of firm tofu, drained and sliced in 1/4in strips

3 tablespoons cornstarch mixed in 1/4 c water

1 large egg, beaten

chopped green onions or cilantro if desired for garnish

What you will do

Your going to want to first rehydrate the fungi so place it in a bowl with super hot water and let it sit for 30 min to reconstitute. Then drain and rinse them off. Heat the oil in a wok, of if you don't have a wok big enough for all of the ingredients (or even at all) a regular soup pot will work. Add the ginger, chili paste, fungi, bamboo shoots, and the pork; cook and stir for 1 min to infuse the flavor. Combine the soy sauce, vinegar, salt, pepper, and sugar in a small bowl  then pour it into the wok and mix everything together - You will REALLY smell the soup right now! Then pour in the chicken stock and bring it to a boil letting it simmer for 10 minutes. Add the tofu and cook 3 more minutes. Dissolve the cornstarch in the water and stir it until smooth then mix the slurry into the soup and continue to simmer until the soup thickens. Lastly remove the soup from the heat and stir it in 1 direction so that you get a current going, stop stirring and slowly pour the beaten egg in a steady stream. It should cook immediately and rise in like a feathering effect. Garnish if you want with the onions or cilantro and Voila! Awesome Hot and Sour Soup!