Egg-Drop Soup

Fast and simple to make, this delicate, smooth soup can be superb or disastrous, depending on whether you carry out certain crucial points.

A beaten egg stirred into a rapidly boiling liquid forms stringy shreds and clusters of spongy mess. But when oil is added and the mixture is poured over the surface of thickened, still liquid, it congeals and floats into silky petals as soft as roses. Dissolved cornstarch dumped quickly into agitated liquid results in lumps. The heat, therefore