Hot and sour soup

Ingredients

For 6 servings.

1 cup = 240 ml; 1 tablespoon = 15 ml; 1 teaspoon = 5 ml. Use metric quantities where stated. Times and servings are indicative.

• 115 g thinly sliced pork
• Marinade: 1 tbsp water, 2 tsp oil, 1 tsp cornflour and a pinch of salt
• 8 g dried lily buds, 8 g wood ears and 8 g dried shiitake
• 85 g spiced dried tofu and 115 g firm tofu
• 115 g bamboo shoots
• 1 egg and 1 spring onion
• 1.9 litres chicken stock
• 1/2 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp sugar and 1–2 tsp white pepper
• 2 tsp dark soy, 1 tbsp light soy and 1 tsp sesame oil
• 80–120 ml white vinegar
• 1/3 cup cornflour and 60 ml water

Step-by-step method

1. Soak lily buds and mushrooms separately in hot water for about 1 hour; trim tough parts and slice.
2. Mix pork with its marinade; cut tofu and bamboo into strips.
3. Boil stock, add pork and separate any clumps; skim foam.
4. Add seasonings, mushrooms, lily buds, bamboo and tofu; simmer until pork is cooked and add vinegar.
5. Mix cornflour with water and gradually stir in until thickened.
6. With soup simmering, drizzle in beaten egg; let it set and serve with spring onion.