China · Home-style
Thickened Mushroom Broth
A clear, light broth built from shiitake mushrooms, thickened with a cornstarch slurry so the slices of mushroom sit suspended in it.
The trick to a clear soup that tastes deep is the mushroom itself, and soaking does most of the work: salt water draws out the savoury compounds and the soaking liquid is what gives the finished broth its flavour. Blanching or frying the slices first is optional but stops them sinking to the bottom of the bowl. The slurry goes in at the very end, off the boil, or it turns cloudy.
Ingredients
- small scallion0.5 pieces
- chicken bouillon3 g
- cooking oil10 ml
- salt3 g
- boiling water350 ml
- starch10 g
Directions
- 1
Slice the mushrooms, each piece 0.5 to 1 cm thick, thicker pieces having more chew, and put them in a large bowl with 2 g of salt. Leave to soak for fifteen minutes.
- 2
Put the starch in a small bowl, add 50 ml of water and stir until it has dissolved completely with no lumps left, making a slurry.
- 3
Pour off the salt water and squeeze out some of the moisture from the mushrooms so they fry better. [Optional]
- 4
Over low heat add the oil and, once it starts to bubble faintly (thirty seconds at low, depending on your hob), add the mushrooms and fry for ten seconds on each side. [Optional]
- 5
Pour in 300 ml of boiling water, turn to medium heat and cook for another three to five minutes.
- 6
Pour in the slurry, stir the soup a little, add 3 g of salt and 3 g of chicken bouillon, and finish with chopped scallion.
Source: HowToCook · WorldBite adaptation · Unlicense source text; bilingual recipe adapted by WorldBite.