Name: Sichuan hot and sour soup
Yield: Feeds six
Ingredients: 2 tsp cornflour; 1 green (spring) onion; 2 tbsp Sichuan preserved vegetables; 1 slice ginger; 2 tbsp bamboo shoots; 1 tbsp coriander, finely chopped; 4 Chinese mushrooms, soaked; 1 tsp sesame oil; 100 g (3½ oz) pork fillet; 1 tsp salt; 1 tbsp cornflour, mixed with 2 tbsp cold water; 2 eggs; 1 litre (1¾ pints) chicken broth; 2 tbsp wood-ear fungus, soaked; 2 tbsp vinegar; 1 tbsp soy sauce; 1 beancurd cake; ½ tsp salt; 1 tsp Sichuan peppercorns, ground

Preparation info

Feeds
six

Difficulty
Easy

Appears in

Old Food

By Jill Dupleix

Published 1998

About

If you have ever been in Sichuan in winter, you will understand the need for this soup. With its lusty vinegar sharpness and warm peppery heat, it’s like lighting a blazing fire from within. Sichuan peppercorns (fagara), the tiny berries of the prickly ash tree, and Sichuan preserved vegetables can be found at Asian food stores.

Ingredients

100 g (3½ oz) pork fillet
½ tsp salt
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Method

Cut pork into thin matchstick shreds and mix with salt and cornflour. Cut mushrooms, bamboo shoots, beancurd, green onion, ginger, vegetables and fungus into the same size matchstick strips.

Bring broth to the boil. Add pork and all sliced ingredients. Cook for 2 minutes. Add soy sauce, vinegar, salt and cornflour mixture. Keep the broth at a gentle bubble, and stir well.

Beat t