The Shun Lee Cookbook - Michael Tong [29]
Steamed Egg Custard Soup with Clams
8 littleneck clams, shucked, shells discarded
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon rice wine or dry sherry
3 cups Chicken Stock (page 70) or canned chicken broth, cold or at cool room temperature (see Note)
1 tablespoon cornstarch
4 Chinese dried black mushrooms, soaked until softened, trimmed and diced
1 tablespoon thawed frozen baby green peas
1 small plum tomato, skinned, seeded, and chopped
2 teaspoons oyster sauce
1 teaspoon dark sesame oil
Pinch of ground white pepper
1. Place about 1 inch of water in the bottom of an Asian-style steamer, and bring it to a boil over high heat. Place the clams in a 9-inch-diameter, 3-inch-deep heatproof bowl.
2. Beat the eggs in a medium bowl until combined. Then beat in the rice wine. Beat in 2 cups of the stock, and pour over the clams. Place the heatproof bowl in the steamer, cover, and steam until the custard is set, 12 to 14 minutes. Turn off the heat, set the steamer lid ajar, and let stand to keep the custard warm.
3. Dissolve the cornstarch in 2 tablespoons water in a small bowl. Bring the remaining 1 cup stock to a boil in a medium saucepan. Stir in the cornstarch mixture, along with the mushrooms, peas, tomatoes, oyster sauce, sesame oil, and white pepper. Stir until heated through.
4. Remove the bowl of custard from the steamer. Run a dull knife around the inside edge of the bowl, and invert the bowl into a large serving bowl to unmold the custard. Pour the vegetable mixture around the custard, and serve immediately.
Note: The chicken stock must be cold or no warmer than room temperature. If at all warm, it could cook the eggs too soon and make an ugly, messy, clotted custard.
THIS WARMING SOUP is a famous dish from Hangzhou. This is how we make it at Shun Lee, with a base stock that uses a whole chicken (which is discarded, making it a particularly extravagant dish) and a small, young wild duck or a Moulard wild duck. If you can’t find a small wild duck, make the variation that uses the larger Muscovy ducks found in supermarkets. Makes 4 to 6 servings
West Lake Duck Soup
One 3-pound chicken, cut into 4 pieces
⅓ cup rice wine or dry sherry
1 scallion, white and green parts, trimmed
One 4-inch-long piece peeled fresh ginger, cut into 8 equal pieces, and smashed under a cleaver
½ cup (4 ounces) dried bamboo shoots
One 2 ½-pound wild duck
8 baby bok choy
4 ounces Smithfield ham, cut into pieces 2 inches long, 1 inch wide, and ¼ inch thick
Dipping sauce
½ cup Chinese black or balsamic vinegar
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1. Pour 3 quarts of water into a large pot that will hold both the chicken and the duck, and bring to a boil over high heat. Add the chicken, rice wine, scallion, and ginger. Bring back to a boil, reduce the heat to medium-low, and partially cover. Simmer for 1 hour.
2. Meanwhile, place the bamboo shoots in a bowl and add hot tap water to cover. Let stand until softened, about 15 minutes. Drain well. Cut the shoots into 74-inch-thick strips about 4 inches long. Set aside.
3. Bring another large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Add the duck and boil for 30 seconds to remove some of the surface fat. Drain the duck and rinse it under cold running water.
4. Add the duck to the stock, arranging the duck on the bottom and the chicken pieces on top. Return to a boil, and add the bamboo shoots. Partially cover the pot, allowing a small bit of air to escape. Lower the heat to medium-low and simmer until the duck is tender, about 2 hours. Be sure that the stock never goes beyond a steady simmer and that the pot is not tightly covered, or the fat will be difficult to remove later.
5. Remove the chicken from the stock, and discard or use for another purpose. Skim the surface of the stock of as much fat as possible. Add the bok choy, and place the ham on top of the duck. If the level of stock