Recipe: Hot and Sour Soup with Crab

HOT AND SOUR SOUP WITH CRAB

"With a fiery mix of chili paste and vinegar, hot-and-sour soup has become a popular starter at American Chinese restaurants. This soup is usually made with pork, but crab is an elegant substitute that plays well with the traditional flavors. Dungeness crab is a favorite of Asians, but lump blue crab works just as well. If you need a cure for a nasty head cold, ladle up a bowl of this elixir and enjoy your medicine."

3 dried Chinese black mushrooms
1 ounce dried shiitake mushrooms
6 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
3 tablespoons peeled fresh ginger cut into matchsticks
1 teaspoon chopped garlic
2 teaspoons Chinese chili paste with garlic
1/4 cup tamari or other low-sodium soy sauce
1 cup canned sliced bamboo shoots, drained
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
2 teaspoons sugar
Kosher salt to taste
1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons cold water
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1/4 cup unseasoned rice vinegar or 3 tablespoons cider vinegar*
1 cup crabmeat, picked over for shells and cartilage
1/4 cup chopped scallions (white and green parts)

Place the dried mushrooms in a small heatproof bowl and cover with boiling water. Let soak for 30 minutes. Drain, rinse, and pat dry, then cut into thin slices. Set aside.

In a 3-quart saucepan, bring the chicken broth to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Add the ginger, garlic, chili paste, tamari, sliced mushrooms, and bamboo shoots and simmer for 10 minutes. Stir in the lime juice and sugar. Season with salt.

Make a slurry by mixing together the cornstarch and water. Add the slurry to the soup, slowly bring to a boil, and cook for a few minutes at a boil until the soup thickens.

Slowly pour the beaten egg into the soup, stirring gently a few times with a spoon or chopsticks. You are trying to get the egg to form shreds. Don't stir too fast, or the effect will be lost. The egg will cook almost instantly. Remove the soup from the heat and stir in the vinegar.

To serve, divide the crabmeat among 4 bowls. Ladle the hot soup over the crabmeat, garnish with the scallions, and serve immediately.

*Note: If vinegar is not your favorite taste, add it with the ingredients when cooking the chicken broth instead of with the egg. You will still get a sour component, but with the other it will be much milder.

Makes 4 servings
Source: Crazy for Crab by Fred Thompson