David Rubel's

What's For Dinner?

2/01/06 

Hot and Sour Soup

I like using plenty of tofu to make this soup hearty enough to serve as a main course. Its heat, both in temperature and spice, makes it a particularly satisfying winter meal.

• 1 large square tofu
• 2 boneless center-cut pork chops
• 4 Tbs soy sauce
• 2 Tbs toasted sesame oil
• 1 Tbs rice wine (or dry sherry)
• 4 Tbs plus 1/2 tsp cornstarch
• 5 Tbs Chinese black vinegar
• 2 tsp chile oil
• 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1 large egg
• 1/4 lb fresh shiitake mushrooms
• 1 5-oz can sliced bamboo shoots
• 6 c chicken stock
• scallions, sliced thinly (for a garnish)

1. Place the tofu in a pie dish and cover it with a small plate. Then balance some heavy books or cans on top of the plate to press the tofu and squeeze out its excess moisture.

2. Trim the pork chop of all fat and place it in the freezer for 10-15 minutes. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, whisk together 1 tablespoon of the soy sauce, 1 tablespoon of the sesame oil, the rice wine, and 1 tablespoon of the cornstarch. Once the pork has firmed up, slice it into matchsticks and toss it with the marinade.

3. In a small bowl, whisk together the black vinegar, the chile oil, the black pepper, and 3 more tablespoons of soy sauce.

4. In a second small bowl, whisk together 3 more tablespoons of cornstarch with 3 tablespoons of water and 1 more tablespoon of sesame oil. (This forms a slurry that will thicken the soup.)

5. In a third small bowl, whisk together the egg with the last half-teaspoon of cornstarch and one teaspoon of water.

6. Remove the stems from the shiitake mushrooms, then slice the caps. Drain the bamboo shoots.

7. Bring the chicken stock to a boil in a large stockpot. Reducing the heat to medium-low, add the shiitakes and bamboo shoots. Simmer for about 5 minutes, until the mushrooms become tender. Meanwhile, dice the tofu.

8. Add the tofu and the pork (with its marinade) to the stock. Stir to separate the pork matchsticks. Continue simmering for 1-2 minutes as the pork cooks.

9. Remix the cornstarch slurry (which will have separated), and add it to the soup. Raise the heat to medium-high, and stir occasionally as the soup thickens and turns slightly opaque, about 1-2 minutes. Add the vinegar mixture, stir, and turn off the heat.

10. Drizzle the egg mixture into the soup through the tines of a fork, using a circular motion to create thin strands. Let these strands set for a minute, then stir gently to distribute them.

11. Serve topped with the sliced scallions.

Tips

*Although Chinese black vinegar isn’t something you’re likely to find in your local supermarket, and even though I don’t like to insist on obscure ingredients, you just can’t make decent hot and sour soup without it. Any decent Asian grocery will carry it, as well as most gourmet food stores, and the good news is that it stays in your pantry forever.

* An authentic Chinese chef would prefer to divide the vinegar mixture among the various serving bowls and then ladle the hot soup over it, rather than mixing it in as I lazily do.

* You can easily make this soup vegetarian by leaving out the pork.

Listener Feedback
Louise Sikelianos reports that she adapted this soup for dinner guests who were vegetarians by leaving out the pork and the egg and substituting vegetable stock for the chicken stock. “It was a big hit,” she writes.

If you have tried one of these recipes and have an improvement or tip or variation to suggest, please e-mail David at dinner@wamc.org. Also feel free to send along your own family cuisine recipes. You can even request dishes that you'd like David to present in the future.

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David Rubel is president of Agincourt Press, a book production company in Chatham, New York. He spends his days writing American history, then heads home after work to cook for his wife and two young children. His most recent book is The Story of America (DK, 2002).