Name: Hot and Sour Shad Soup (酸辣鰣魚湯)
Yield: Serves 6 as a first course.
Cuisine: Chinese
Ingredients: 4 cups seasoned chicken stock; 1 large whole scallion, cut into 3 pieces; 2 pounds boned shad; 3 quarter-sized slices peeled fresh ginger; 1 tablespoon dry sherry; 1 tablespoon minced fresh coriander, parsley, or scallion greens; 2 tablespoons Chenkong or red-wine vinegar; ¼ teaspoon black pepper; 2 teaspoons sesame oil; 1 tablespoon light soy sauce

Preparation info

Serves
6
as a first course.

Difficulty
Easy

Appears in

The Key to Chinese Cooking

By Irene Kuo

Published 1977

About

When shad is in season, be sure you try this marvelous specialty from eastern China. It is an “eating” soup—the shad is the star and the broth is the supporting feature.

Shad is a very rich fish, and its meat is extremely fine. The vinegar cuts the heaviness, making this a delicious spicy soup. Steaming the fillet first, instead of simmering it, gives it a concentrated richness.