Sea Cucumber Soup

Soups and Congees

Sea Cucumber Soup
Ingredients:
½ pound soaked sea cucumber, cut in half-inch cubes
½ cup corn oil
3 ounces pork loin, cut in half-inch cubes
3 Tablespoons cubed canned bamboo shoots
4 dried Chinese black mushrooms, soaked, stems discarded, and cut in half-inch cubes
8 cups chicken stock
1 Tablespoon red rice wine lees
½ teaspoon granulated sugar
½ teaspoon coarse salt
½ teaspoon thin soy sauce
1/4 teaspoon chili oil
1/4 teaspoon sesame oil
1 chicken egg
1 Tablespoon cornstarch
½ teaspoon Chinese black rice vinegar
½ Tablespoon Chinese white rice vinegar
1 scallion, thinly sliced on an angle
5 hard-cooked pigeon eggs, peeled and cut in half, thin bottom piece removed so the stand upright

Preparation:
1. Simmer sea cucumber cubes in two cups water for one hour or until tender.
2. Heat wok or fry pan, add corn oil, and deep fry pork cubes for one minute, then drain them on paper towels, and remove all but one tablespoon of the oil.
3. Add sea cucumber cubes, pork, bamboo shoots, and mushrooms and fry them together for one minute, then add the stock, red wine lees, sugar, salt, soy sauce, and the chili and sesame oils and simmer uncovered for thirty minutes.
4. Beat chicken egg with the cornstarch and one tablespoon cold water, and stir into the soup in a thin stream; then add both vinegars and the scallion slivers.
5. Put one-half of each pigeon egg into each empty bowl, and gently pour soup one it; then serve. Reserve other pigeon eggs for seconds.

Flavor and Fortune is a magazine of: