The Chinese Cure-All

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Not unlike scores of Jewish mothers administering chicken soup to those with colds, Chinese cooks have long known of the healing properties of Hot and Sour Soup. 

Chicken stock is therapeutic, plain and simple.  Add to it mushrooms (a good form of fungus) and lily buds which are good for the circulation, vinegar which is an antiseptic, and white pepper which helps to break up mucous (I was going to say phlegm but that word really bothers some people), and you have an excellent cold remedy.

I got this recipe by way of Gourmet magazine and I’m pretty sure it hasn’t been tampered with too much.  Sometimes I have left out the pork or substituted a mushroom I could not find with one I could, but I don’t think I have messed with the integrity of the dish.

Be sure to use the two vinegars called for as using all rice vinegar makes for a soup not sour enough, and using all wine vinegar does quite the reverse.  I like Lee Kum Kee soy sauce which I think is fairly easy to find in most grocery stores; it has a more subtle flavor than some of the others I have tried (although I will admit when I tried them side by side it was poured over plain rice not in a dish with many other ingredients, so perhaps it’s only straight-up that the difference is obvious).

Here are photos of the mushrooms and lily buds to make shopping for them easier.

Tree Ear Mushrooms

Black Mushroom (a dried shitake, I think)

Lily Buds, before (left) and after soaking

Like many Chinese dishes, the prep takes a good half hour or so, but the cooking is done in a matter of minutes.

Hot and Sour Soup

5 oz boneless pork loin, cut into 1/4-inch-thick strips
2 teaspoons soy sauce
4 small Chinese dried black mushrooms
12 small dried tree ear mushrooms
1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
12 dried lily buds (some brands call them golden needles)
1/2 cup canned sliced bamboo shoots, drained and rinsed well, cut in 1/8-inch strips
2 tablespoons red-wine vinegar
2 tablespoons unseasoned rice vinegar
1 tablespoon light soy sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 tablespoons peanut or corn oil
4 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
4 oz firm tofu, rinsed and drained, cut into 1/4-inch-thick strips
1 or 2 large eggs (a matter of how many egg threads you like in the soup)
2 teaspoons Asian sesame oil
1 1/2 teaspoons white pepper, fresh ground if possible
Fresh whole cilantro leaves

Toss pork with 2 teaspoons soy sauce in a bowl until well coated; set aside.

Soak the lily buds in warm water to cover for 20 minutes. Drain and trim off the tough tip; slice in half crosswise and shred the buds into 2 or 3 pieces.

Soak both kinds of mushrooms in boiling water to cover for 30 minutes. Cut out and discard stems from black mushrooms; thinly slice caps. Trim any hard pieces from the tree ears, and cut into bite-sized pieces if necessary.

Stir together 1/4 cup mushroom-soaking liquid (discard the remaining) with cornstarch in a small bowl and set aside.

Stir together vinegars, tablespoon soy sauce, sugar, and salt in another small bowl.

Heat a wok or large, deep skillet over medium heat until you can feel the heat coming off it. Add the oil, give it a quick swirl and add the pork. Stir fry it for a minute, just until it takes on some color, then add black mushrooms, tree ears, lily buds, and bamboo shoots and stir-fry 1 minute. Add broth and bring to a boil, then add tofu. Return to a boil and add vinegar mixture. Stir cornstarch mixture, then add to broth and return to a boil, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to moderate and simmer 1 minute.

Beat the eggs, adding a bit of the sesame oil. Add eggs to soup in a thin stream, stirring slowly in one direction. Add the white pepper and remaining sesame oil. Toss some cilantro leaves over the finished soup and serve.

Serves 3 as a main course, or 8 as a first course

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