The Everything Chinese Cookbook (18 page)

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 teaspoon Chinese rice wine or dry sherry

1 tablespoon cornstarch

½ cup ground pork

¾ cup spinach leaves

5 cups chicken stock or 4 cups canned broth mixed with 1 cup water

½ teaspoon sugar

¼ teaspoon salt

1. Add the soy sauce, rice wine, and cornstarch to the ground pork. Marinate the pork for 15 minutes.
   
2. Blanch the spinach in boiling water briefly, just until the leaves begin to wilt. Drain well.
   
3. Bring the chicken stock or broth to a boil. Add the marinated pork and simmer for about 10 minutes. Add the sugar, salt, and spinach. Heat through and serve hot.
   

15 leaves of spinach

1 boneless, skinless chicken breast

1 slice ginger

1 tablespoon oil for stir-frying

¼ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon sugar

4½ cups chicken stock or broth

1 teaspoon soy sauce

1 teaspoon Chinese rice wine or dry sherry

1. Wash the spinach leaves and cut off the ends. Blanch the leaves briefly in boiling water, just until the leaves begin to wilt. Remove and sprinkle with cold water.
   
2. Cut the chicken into thin slices. Blanch briefly in boiling water with the ginger until it turns white. Remove from the water and set aside.
   
3. Heat a wok or frying pan and add oil for stir-frying. When the oil is ready, stir-fry the spinach very briefly (under 1 minute), adding the salt and sugar.
   
4. Add the chicken broth to the spinach. Add the soy sauce and rice wine and bring to a boil.
   
5. Add the chicken and bring back to a boil. Serve hot.
   

Cilantro

Also called Chinese parsley, cilantro is the common name for the leaves of the coriander plant. Indispensable in Chinese cooking, cilantro leaves lend a pleasantly musky odor to soups, salads, and stir-fries. Just remember that, like garlic, a little goes a long way. Substitute parsley leaves if you find the flavor too overpowering.

10 squares Rice Crisps (page 82)

6 large dried black mushrooms

pound cooked shrimp

1 large chicken breast

6 cups chicken stock or 5 cups broth with 1 cup water

½ 8-ounce can water chestnuts, drained and sliced

½ cup frozen peas

1 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon Chinese rice wine or dry sherry

White pepper to taste (optional)

1 teaspoon sesame oil

4–6 cups oil for deep-frying

1. Two hours ahead of time, begin preparing the Rice Crisps.
   
2. Soak the mushrooms in hot water for 20 minutes to soften. Give a gentle squeeze to remove any excess liquid. Cut into thin slices. Rinse the shrimp in warm water and pat dry.
   
3. Bring a large pan of water to a boil and poach the chicken very briefly in the boiling water. Drain. Cut the chicken into thin slices.
   
4. Bring the chicken stock or broth and water mixture to a boil. Add the chicken, water chestnuts, mushrooms, shrimp, and peas. Bring the soup back to a boil.
   
5. While waiting for the soup to boil, begin heating oil for deep-frying the Rice Crisps.
   
6. Add the salt, rice wine, and white pepper to the soup, if desired. Drizzle with sesame oil. Pour the soup into a large tureen or serving bowl. Keep warm.
   
7. When the oil is hot, add the Rice Crisps. Deep-fry until the pieces puff up and turn brown. Remove from the wok and drain on paper towels.
   
8. At the table, slide the sizzling rice into the soup. The rice will make crackling sounds.
   

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 teaspoon Chinese rice wine or dry sherry

½ teaspoon salt, divided

1 tablespoon cornstarch

½ cup lean ground beef

5 cups chicken or beef broth

1 teaspoon sugar

1½ tablespoons cornstarch mixed with
cup water

2 egg whites, lightly beaten

¼ teaspoon sesame oil

1. Add the soy sauce, rice wine, ¼ teaspoon salt, and cornstarch to the ground beef, adding the cornstarch last. Marinate for 15 minutes.
   
2. Bring the chicken or beef broth to a boil. Stir in the marinated ground beef. Bring back to a boil and add the sugar and ¼ teaspoon salt.
   
3. Boil for 5 more minutes and add the cornstarch mixed with water, stirring to thicken. When the soup has thickened, turn off the heat.
   
4. Pour the egg whites into the soup in a steady stream, and quickly stir in a clockwise direction until they form thin shreds.
   
5. Drizzle with the sesame oil. Give the soup a final stir. Serve hot.
   

Thick or Thin?

In Chinese cooking, thin soups are soups in which the meat and vegetables are added to the heated broth during the final stages of cooking. With thick soups, the ingredients are all added together and the soup is slowly simmered, giving the flavors time to blend.