Information: Soups

INGREDIENTS

INSTRUCTIONS

CHINESE SOUPS are extremely varied, ranging from light to heavy, from
simple to complex, and from sour-pungent to sweet. Light, delicate soups,
which are quickly cooked, usually accompany family dinners. Thick, hearty
soups call for slow simmering and often are more solid than liquid. (These,
along with rice and a vegetable dish, are sufficient for light lunches or
suppers.) Sour-pungent soups--also called hot-sour soups--set off sharp
flavors with bland ingredients in an unexpected way and are festive for
dinner parties. Sweet soups are closer in spirit to desserts and are eaten
as snacks and at formal dinners.
The simplest and lightest soup of all is the Celestial Soup or Soup for
the Gods. Designed to accompany rich, heavy foods, it's simply water that
has been freshly boiled, then poured over minced greens, and seasoned
lightly.  The most complex and magnificent soups are the famous bird's nest
and shark's fin dishes. These appear as prestige courses at formal
banquets.  Chinese soups are prepared by cooking meat, poultry or seafood
and vegetables in either stock or water. As a rule stock is preferred.
Although stock can be served as a soup by itself, more often it becomes the
base for other soups. (For details on its preparation, see "The Basics:
Stock".)
Thick, hearty soups are prepared like stock, with their solid and liquid
ingredients added to the pot at the same time, then cooked slowly until
they blend together. Dried ingredients are invariably included in such
soups for a more full-bodied flavor.)
By contrast, light soups are cooked quickly so that the color and texture
of their ingredients are retained: the stock is brought to a boil, then the
meat and vegetables added. Cooking time is generally determined by the type
of meat and the way it's cut. Vegetables are added to light soups near the
end of cooking so that they won't become overcooked or soggy. Tender green
vegetables are added at the last possible moment and cooked uncovered to
retain the fresh brightness of their color, while the tougher vegetables,
such as carrots, string beans, turnips, etc., are either parboiled or
shredded first to reduce their cooking time in the soup.
Light soups must always be clear. They shOuld never be cooked too long or
too violently: Overcooking injures flavor; boiling makes them dull and
muddy. When soup comes to a boil, the heat must be reduced immediately so
that the soup will simmer gently until done.
NOTE: Should the soup boil over, turn down the heat immediately, remove
the pot lid, and add a small amount of cold water. Under ordinary
circumstances, when more liquid is needed for soup, only boiling water or
stock should be added. (If cold liquids in any quantity are added during
cooking, they will damage the flavor of soup.)
ENRICHING SOUP: The flavor and aroma of soup can be enhanced by any of the
following: meats--a few thin slices of fresh lean pork or smoked ham,
seafood, a few dried shrimp or scallops (soaked first) or several fresh
shrimp, shelled, deveined and diced; vegetables--some slices of bamboo
shoot, a few thinly sliced mushrooms, a bit of minced scallion stalk, a few
sprigs of Chinese parsley; seasonings--a few drops of sesame oil or ginger
juice, a bit of minced garlic clove, a dash of vinegar, a tablespoon of
sherry or a small quantity of soy sauce.
NOTE: Soy sauce should be used discreetly in light soups. If possible, it
should be the light soy. (See "Glossary of Chinese Ingredients.) The dark
variety can destroy a soup's lightness and clarity; its strong taste can
overwhelm delicate flavors. There's nothing sadder than seeing diners in
Chinese restaurants dump quantities of dark soy sauce into their soup in
the misguided belief that they're improving its flavor.
THICKENING SOUP: Thickening a soup is a matter of taste and preference,
although some, like fish soups and hot-sour soups, usually are thickened.
This is done by adding cornstarch paste at the end of cooking, and stirring
it in over high heat until the soup becomes thick, smooth and velvety.
GARNISHING SOUP: Soups may be garnished with meat--strips of smoked ham or
roast pork; with vegetables--Chinese parsley, chopped scallions or blanched
snow peas; or with eggs. The egg garnishes may be: egg threads or cubes,
i.e., eggs fried as thin omelets, then cut into strips or cubes; egg
flowers, i.e., eggs that are beaten, then stirred into the soup at the last
minute, the heat being turned off immediately (as in egg drop soup); or
poached eggs, i.e., eggs poached to medium softness right in the soup or
separately poached and added just before the soup is served. (The poached
eggs are then pierced to let the yolk run out: this gives the soup a mild,
soothing quality.)
From <The Thousand Recipe Chinese Cookbook>, ISBN 0-517-65870-4. Downloaded
from Glen's MM Recipe Archive, http://www.erols.com/hosey.

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