Chinese Hot and Sour Soup

It's spring time and I managed to catch a cold.... saaaaaaaad!!!
I need a natural remedy: what can be better than a hot chicken soup? But Hot and Sour Chicken soup is even better.
This soup is typical of the Chinese restaurants and has both many variations of ingredients and many different names: Pekinese Soup, Sichuan Soup, Hot and Sour Soup..... This soup has a thick texture and hot and sour taste (you could get it from the name, right?) - really good for the flu....

INGREDIENTS:
Servings: 3

600-700 ml chicken broth 
2 chicken breast slices
3 Chinese black mushrooms
1/2 bamboo shoot
2-3cm tofu slice
1 egg
2tbs sesame oil
2tbs vegetable oil  
4tbs rice vinegar / white wine vinegar
5tbs corn starch
3-4 tbs soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 garlic clove
chilli 
black pepper
salt
green onion

 First we need to prepare the Chinese chicken broth:
1. Wash the chicken breast and some other parts of chicken that you want to use for the broth. You may use the chicken breast for the soup later.
2. Put the chicken into cold water with the ginger root 5-6 cm long that you previousely peeled and cut into 3-4 parts.
3. Bring the water to boiling and remove the foam that is produced on the broth surface.
4. Add one tablespoon of rice wine and some pepper grains and boil for one hour or a bit more.  
This is the Chinese version of the broth, you may find other chicken broth recipe HERE.  
You may combine two recipes if you like it... You usual chicken broth will become very aromatic with some extra ginger root!

5. Soak dry Chinese mushrooms in a glass of warm water for 30 minutes.
6. After 30 minutes squeeze the mushrooms and slice them finely. Keep the water.
  

7. Slice bamboo shoots finely and boil them for 2-3 minutes to remove their bitterness, then drain them well.

8. Slice the boiled chicken and tofu cheese. 

9. Pour sesame oil into a frying pan, add sliced mushrooms and some water from soaking. Cook the mushrooms for 5 minute over medium heat.

10. When the water is evaporated add some vegetable oil, sliced chicken and sliced bamboo shoots and cook over medium heat for 5 more minutes or till the mix is browned a bit.

11. Now prepare the thickening sauce: in a bowl mix squeezed garlic clove, chilli, sugar, rice vinegar, soy sauce and corn starch. 

12. Add the chicken and vegetables as well and continue stirring.
13. In a small bowl beat an egg with a fork in order to have it smooth, pour the egg into the soup constantly stirring.
14. Add the sauce to the boiling broth and stir well.
Note: After combining all the ingredients together, there's no need of cooking for long, the soup is ready when it's thickened.  
15. Serve hot seasoned with some salt if needed and some freshly milled black pepper. You may also add some chives or other fresh herbs, like coriander or parsley.

 

   慢慢吃！ (mànmàn chī!)