Recipe for Hot and Sour Soup

Ingredients for Hot and Sour Soup:
6
ounces pork tenderloin, julienned
Marinade:
2 teaspoons soy sauce
1
teaspoon sesame seed oil
1 teaspoon tapioca starch (or
cornstarch)
Other:
1/2 cup bamboo shoots
2 Tbsp black fungus (Wood
Ear)
(or 3 - 4 Chinese dried black mushrooms or fresh mushrooms)
small
handful dry lily buds)
6 cups water (or 6 cups water and 1 cup
Campbell's chicken broth)*
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon granulated
sugar
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons red rice vinegar, white
rice vinegar, or red wine vinegar
1 Tbsp cornstarch dissolved in 1/4 cup
water
1 egg, beaten
2 green onions, finely chopped
white pepper to
taste (no more than 1 tablespoon)
hot chili oil, to taste, optional
1
teaspoon sesame oil

Hot and Sour Soup preparation instruction:
Cut the pork into very thin strips. Mix marinade
ingredients and marinate pork for 20 minutes.

Cut bamboo shoots into
thin strips. To reconstitute the wood ears, soak in warm water for 20
minutes. Rinse, and cut into thin pieces. (If substituting Chinese dried
mushrooms, soak, then cut off the stems and cut into thin strips. If using
fresh mushrooms, wipe clean with a damp cloth and slice.)

Bring the
water to a boil. When it is boiling, add the pork and the vegetables. Stir
in the salt, sugar, soy sauce and vinegar.

Test the broth and adjust
the taste if desired. (If using chicken broth, you may want to add a bit
more rice vinegar).

Mix the cornstarch and water. Slowly pour the
cornstarch mixture into the soup, stirring while it is being added. Let the
broth come back to a boil. As soon as it is boiling, remove the broth from
the stove.

Slowly drop in the beaten egg, stirring in one direction
at the same time. Add the green onion and white pepper to taste. Drizzle
with chili oil if desired. Remove from the heat and stir in the sesame oil.
Serve hot.

(This dish can be prepared ahead of time and frozen. When
ready to serve, thaw, add the tofu and bring to boiling. When the soup is
boiling, add the egg.)

*Adjust the ratio of water to chicken stock as
desired