Eight treasures soup
This popular Chinese soup is made here with mushrooms, chicken wings, dried scallops and crab.
Ingredients
For the soup
- 15g/½oz Korean sweet potato glass noodles
- 1½ tbsp dried wood-ear mushrooms or dehydrated black fungus
- 3 dried shiitake mushrooms
- 200g/7oz chicken wings
- 4 dried scallops or 3 tbsp dried shrimps
- 80g/2¾oz white crab meat
- 1 free-range egg, beaten
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- salt, to taste
For the seasoning
- 2 tbsp cornflour, blended with 2 tbsp water
- 2 tsp dark soy sauce
- 1 tbsp Shaoxing rice wine (optional)
- ½ tsp ground white pepper
- 2 tbsp Chinkiang black rice vinegar
To serve
- 2 spring onions, finely sliced, to garnish
- 1 red chilli, chopped, to garnish
- Chinkiang black rice vinegar
Method
To make the soup, soak the glass noodles and wood-ear mushrooms or black fungus in a large bowl of hot water for at least 30 minutes to rehydrate. Pour 100ml/3½fl oz hot water into another bowl and soak the shiitake mushrooms for at least 30 minutes.
Put the chicken wings, dried scallops or shrimp and 2 litres/3½ pints water in a large saucepan, bring to the boil, then simmer, covered, for 1 hour.
While the stock is cooking, squeeze out the shiitake mushrooms, reserving the soaking liquid, and finely slice the mushroom tops. Drain the glass noodles and wood-ear mushrooms or black fungus. Finely slice the wood-ear mushrooms (the rehydrated black fungus can be left as is). Cut the noodles into roughly 5cm/2in lengths.
Take the stock off the heat and remove the wings and scallops from the stock (if using dried shrimps, leave them in the stock).
Once slightly cooled, shred the scallops and chicken meat, discarding the chicken skin and bones. Return the shredded scallops and chicken meat to the stock.
Pour the shiitake mushroom soaking liquid slowly into the stock, being careful not to pour in any bits of dirt left at the bottom of the bowl.
Add the crab meat, wood-ear mushrooms, shiitake mushrooms and glass noodles to the stock. Mix all of the ingredients for the seasoning in a bowl and pour into the stock.
Bring to the boil over a medium heat and simmer for 5 minutes to allow the soup to thicken. Turn off the heat and pour in the egg. Stir to create an egg-drop effect. Season with salt to taste and add the sesame oil.
Serve the soup in warmed bowls and garnish with the spring onion and red chilli. Serve small bowls of Chinkiang black rice vinegar alongside for people to add to taste.