Hot & Sour Soup Recipe

Prepare Ahead: In a small bowl, cover the mushrooms with l/2 cup warm water and let soak for 30 minutes. Discard water. With knife cut away and discard tough stems of mushrooms, shred the caps by placing one at a time on a chopping board. Cut them horizontally into paper thin slices, then into thin strips. Drain the pieces of bambo shoot and bean curd, rinse them in cold water, shred as fine as the mushroom. With sharp knife trim the pork of all fat. Then shred by slicing the meat as thin as possible and cutting the slices in narrow strips about l l/2 - 2" long. Have the remaining ingredients ready within easy reach.

To Cook: Combine in heavy 3 quart saucpan the stock, salt, soy sauce, mushrooms, bamboo shoots and pork. Bring to boil over high heat, then immediately reduce heat to low, cover the pan and simmer for 3 mins, Drop the bean curd and the pepper and vinegar. Bring to boil again. Give the cornstarch mixture a stir to combine and pour into soup. Stir for a few seconds til soup thickens, then slowly pour in the beaten egg, stirring gently all the while. Remove the soup from heat and ladle into a tureen or serving bowl. Stir in the sesame seed oil and sprinkle the top with scallions. Serve at once