Sour-hot Soup (suan La Tang)

---------- Recipe via Meal-Master (tm) v8.02

Title: SOUR-HOT SOUP (SUAN LA TANG)
Categories: Chinese, Soups, Pork
Yield: 6 servings

5 Dried black mushrooms
15 Pieces cloud ear fungus
30 Pieces dried lily flower
6 c Chicken stock
1 c Mushroom liquid
6 tb Clear rice vinegar
3 tb Thin soy
1 ts Freshly ground black pepper
1/4 lb Lean pork
1 ts Dry sherry or rice wine
1 ts Thin soy
1/2 ts Sugar
Cornstarch to coat
1/2 c Shredded bamboo
2 Cakes bean curd, shredded
2 tb Peanut oil
4 tb Cornstarch (mixed as paste
-with
5 tb Cold stock or water)
2 Eggs, beaten
4 Scallions, diced
1/4 c Sesame oil

Preparation: Soak mushrooms, cloud ear, and lily
flowers separately in hot water for 25 to 30 minutes
or until soft. Reserve mushroom liquid in amount
specified above. Next remove stems from mushrooms;
discard. Pick off tough ends of cloud ear; discard
ends; coarse chop cloud ear. Remove tough ends of lily
flowers; cut flowers in half. Set aside until ready
to begin cooking.

Slice pork thin, then cut into fine shreds. Place in
small bowl, to which also add wine, soy sauce and
sugar; mix well with fingers. Add cornstarch and mix
again to coat evenly. Slice bean curd in thirds, cut
each slice in half, then cut each half into shreds.

Mix up cornstarch paste with cornstarch and stock or
water; set aside.

Combine stock, mushroom liquid, vinegar, soy and black
pepper. Bring to simmer; add shredded bean curd; mix
with chopsticks to keep bean curd from sticking
together. Simmer for 2 minutes.

While stock is simmering, heat wok and add peanut oil.
Heat oil for 10 seconds; then add shredded pork; stir
vigorously with spatulas until pork loses its brown
color and turns white. At this point, add mushrooms,
cloud ear, lily flower and bamboo. Stir for 15
seconds over high heat; add to stock.

Bring stock back to simmer and slowly thicken with
cornstarch mixture, adding a little at a time until
desired thickness is reached. Remove from heat and
slowly add beaten egg, dripping and folding a little
at a time. Top soup with diced scallions and sesame
oil. Serve immediately.

Posted by Fred Peters.

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