Vegetarian Sharks Fin Soup

Soups and Congees

Vegetarian Sharks Fin Soup
Ingredients:
4 ounces fresh coriander
½ cup dried day lily buds, soaked until soft, drained, each cut in half, and dried with paper towels
1 cup vegetable oil
3 Tablespoons cornstarch, divided
2 Tablespoons Chinese rice wine
2 cups chicken broth, divided
3 large Chinese black mushrooms, soaked for one hour, stems discarded, each slivered
2 ounces canned bamboo shoots, slivered
1 small carrot, peeled, then shredded
3 Tablespoons canned wheat gluten, shredded

Preparation:
1. Knot half the soaked day lily pieces.
2. Heat oil and deep fry the knotted day lilies until crisp. Then remove them from the oil and discard them, but reserve the oil.
3. Mix half the cornstarch with one tablespoon cold water and toss with the unused day lilies.
4. Reheat the oil and deep fry the day lilies with cornstarch until crisp, then drain on paper towels, and with a scissor, cut into one-inch pieces.
5. Put drained day lilies in a bowl with wine and half the broth and steam for ten minutes over boiling water, then steam the mushrooms and bamboos shoots for fifteen minutes over the boiling water; then remove them from the stock.
6. Mix day lily pieces, mushrooms, bamboo shoots, shredded carrot pieces, and the wheat gluten, toss with the remaining cornstarch, and boil in half cup of the broth until somewhat thickened.
7. Serve each diner a small bowl of broth with two or three tablespoons of the vegetables on the side.

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