Velvet Corn Soup

Name: Velvet Corn Soup (玉米湯)
Yield: With the ham, serves 2–3 as a substantial bowlful, 4–5 as a rice bowl-size portion. With the crab, serves 3–4 as a larger bowlful, 6–8 in a rice bowl.
Cuisine: Chinese
Ingredients: 1 tablespoon cornstarch dissolved in 2 tablespoons cold chicken stock; 1½ teaspoons finely minced “young” ginger, or 1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger; 2 tablespoons Chinese rice wine or quality, dry sherry; a bit of freshly chopped coriander or scallion for each bowl; 2 tablespoons corn or peanut oil; 2–3 tablespoons chopped green and white scallion; 6 tablespoons coarsely chopped ham, honey- or sugar-cured or lightly smoked, or ½ pound picked-over crab meat, preferably fresh (to garner a safe ½ pound, meat begin with a 1½-2 pound crab); about 1 teaspoon coarse kosher salt, to taste; 17 ounces, quality cream-style corn; 4 cups rich, unsalted chicken stock (for making your own); 2 large egg whites

玉米湯

Preparation info

With the ham, serves
2–3
as a substantial bowlful .

Difficulty
Easy

Appears in

The Modern Art of Chinese Cooking

By Barbara Tropp

Published 1982

About

Creamed corn is not one of my favorites—far from it!—but I am mad about this soup. It is luxuriant, simple, and classically Chinese, and is an especially good partner to chicken and duck.

The only caution is to be sure to buy an excellent brand of creamed com, one that tastes good and sweet and falls nicely (not paste-like) from the spoon. (The Del Monte people make the best in my experience, but your experience may find a better one still.) Of course, you can

Ingredients

Asia
China
Soup

Ingredients

Method