As the child of a man raised in China, Asian food has always been one of my favorite cuisines. It's hard to believe that, while I was growing up, there was just one Chinese restaurant in town. But that was it, and we frequented it on a regular basis.
Now that there are Chinese restaurants on almost every corner in Chattanooga, it's not hard to get my fix whenever the craving hits. But interestingly enough, beyond stir fry, I've never really bothered to cook Chinese as much as I love it.
The reason could be that it's so readily available. Just pick up the phone, place an order and off you go. Your craving for egg rolls, soup and entree is ready and waiting for pickup.
But what I love above all else is hot and sour soup. And with Chinese New Year just around the corner, I figured I'd give it a try. My favorite is the soup at No. 1 Chinese in Soddy-Daisy. It has just the right amount of spice to make it stand out.
There are several key factors to making hot and sour soup, I've found. First, you must use dried mushrooms, not those found in a can. The best place to find them is in a store that specializes in Oriental foods, such as Asian Food and Gifts located at 3639 Hixson Pike.
Secondly, use homemade chicken stock. Boil a chicken in lightly salted water until it's pull-apart tender. You can use the chicken for other soups and casseroles or chicken salad, but save the broth for this soup. Skim the fat and you have a delicious base from which to start building.
Add canned bamboo shoots, thinly sliced tofu, fresh ginger, vinegar and seasonings and you're almost there. Finish by thickening the soup with a little cornstarch and a beaten egg stirred in at the last, and you're ready almost ready to begin your feast. Order some Chinese take-out for your entree and you'll have something to crow about - it's the Year of the Rooster. So let the celebration begin.
Hot and Sour Soup
1 package (about 1 ounce) dried Chinese mushrooms (shiitake and wood ears)
5 cups chicken stock
1-2 tablespoons fresh grated ginger
1/2-1 tablespoon chili garlic paste/sauce, or to taste
1/3 cup soy sauce
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1/3 cup rice vinegar
1 small can of bamboo shoots, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon ground white pepper
1 small package of firm tofu sliced into 1/2-inch strips
2-3 tablespoons cornstarch mixed with 1/3 cup water
1 egg, lightly beaten
In a large bowl, pour boiling water over the dried mushrooms. Let stand for 20 minutes. Drain water completely. Once mushrooms are drained, slice thinly.
In a large pot, combine chicken stock, ginger, chili/garlic paste, soy sauce and sesame oil. Stir well and bring to a boil. Add in the rice vinegar, mushrooms, bamboo shoots and white pepper. Reduce heat and simmer for about 10 minutes.
Add in the tofu slices and cook for another 1-2 minutes.
Mix the 2-3 tablespoons of cornstarch with water. Slowly add it to the soup while stirring. Once thickened, add a pinch of sugar, if desired. Lastly, begin to slowly stir soup in a clockwise direction. While continuing to stir, pour the beaten egg into the soup. Serve warm.
BEER DINNER
Main Street Meats will be the scene of a special dinner featuring craft beers from Wiseacre Brewing, one of Memphis' favorite brew pubs. The dinner, set for Sunday, Jan. 29, begins at 5:30 p.m. with cocktails followed by a four-course dinner prepared by chef Erik Niel, Jake Cornish and Jeremy Vasterling. Each course will be paired with select beers. Tickets are $65 each, which includes gratuity. For more information, log onto www.brownpapertickets.com, click on "Find an Event" and follow the links to "Wiseacre Beer Dinner at Main Street Meats."
Contact Anne Braly at abraly@timesfreepress.com.