Egg Drop Soup

6 dried shiitake mushrooms

6 cups chicken stock or vegetable stock (homemade preferred)

1 teaspoon Chinese rice wine or dry sherry

½ teaspoon grated fresh ginger

1 teaspoon sugar

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon ground white pepper

1 tablespoon cornstarch, dissolved in

3 tablespoons water

1 large egg

1 scallion, green part only, thinly sliced

Soak the shiitake mushrooms in warm water for 15-20 minutes. Drain and squeeze out the excess water, discard the stems, and thinly slice the mushroom caps.

Combine the mushrooms, chicken stock, rice wine, and ginger in a medium pot and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and stir in the sugar, salt, and white pepper.

Add the cornstarch mixture to the simmering soup and stir until the soup has slightly thickened — enough to coat the back of a spoon.

In a small bowl, whisk the egg lightly with a fork. Slowly pour the egg into the soup in a steady stream while continuously stirring with a long spoon or chopstick. The egg should cook immediately and look like long yellowish-white strands. Turn off the heat after you see the white strands to prevent the egg from overcooking. Ladle the soup into individual bowls, sprinkle the scallions on top, and serve.

Serves four.

“The Chinese Takeout Cookbook” by Diana Kuan (Ballantine Books, 2013)