Free Chinese Recipes

Ingredients

• 45-60 ml (3-4 tablespoons) wood ears or Chinese tree fungus
• 75-100 g (3-4 oz) Chinese dried black mushrooms
• 100 g (1/4 lb) fresh mushrooms
• 100 g (1/4 lb) button mushrooms
• 1 breast of chicken
• 5 ml (1 teaspoon) salt
• 10 ml (2 teaspoons) corn flour
• 1 egg white
• 750 ml (1 1/2 pints) chicken stock
• salt and pepper to taste
• 30 ml (2tablespoons) soy sauce
• 7 ml (1/2 tablespoon) sesame oil

Serve 4

** Free Chinese Recipes **

Method:

1. Clean and soak the wood ears in water for 30 minutes, then dose and drain away the water. Soak the dried mushrooms in 250 ml (1/2 pint) warm water. Retain the water, remove the stalks from the mushrooms, and cut the larger in half.

2. Clean the fresh Mushrooms thoroughly. Remove and retain the stalks, and cut the larger mushrooms into halves or quarters. Cut the chicken meat into small slices. Rub with salt and corn flour, and wet with egg-white.

3. Place the dried mushrooms in a saucepan with the, mushroom water. Bring to the boil and simmer gently for 10 minutes. Add the chicken stock, wood ears and all the fresh mushrooms. Bring this to the boil and simmer gently for 15 minutes. Adjust seasoning.

4. Add the sliced chicken pieces, spreading them evenly into the soup. Simmer for a further 5 minutes. Sprinkle the top of the soup with soy sauce and sesame oil. Stir and serve.

Note: This dish is eaten throughout the meal. The chicken slices should appear very white against the blackness of the liquid, which should taste very mushroomy. (If Chinese or wild grass mushrooms are not easily available use 2-3 types of fresh or tinned mushrooms.)