Chicken-Soup-with-Ginger-and-Shiitake-Mushrooms

[CharlieD]

Originally Posted by Savory

... But I still say, from my very own experience of cooking chicken soup in the Chinese way for many many years, the soup does not need soy sauce to boost its flavour...

Seems to me that you are substituting your own taste for your own expirience.

By the same token i have to say that from my own expirience cooking soup with soy sauce is the best way to make soup.

But then of course one should not argue about taste. Taste is a very personal thing.

[Timothy]

Originally Posted by CharlieD

I love soy sauce in asian stule soups, love it. It works really well, it add an amazing flavor, of course you have to make sure to use a good soy sauce. Try Lee Kum Kee brand, they have many differen flavor varieties of soy sauce. it is by far one of the best redily available soy sauces on the market.
Thank for this recipe.

You're very welcome, Charlie. I put soy sauce in almost everything I make. There must be 200 brands of it. My favorite Asian Market has an entire shelf full of brands.

[Savory]

Charlie, sure, everyone has his/her own preference, and there is no right or wrong. I was talking about my own experience and preference, which, I think, contributes to the discussion just equally well as someone who might hold an opposite view.

[CharlieD]

Sorry, my English is not that great, plus i am very straight forward. So when somebody says my experience to me it seems that person describes "how it should be", if you will. If somebody say "my taste" than i know person talks about his/her own preferences, sorry.

[Chief Longwind Of The North]

Using the soy sauce and cornstarch as a marinade for chicken, or other meats, then poaching either in water, or low temperature oil (325 F.) is a method called velvetizing, and is extensively in Asian Cooking, especially Chinese. It results in extremely tender, and lightly seasoned meat. Sometimes a weak acidic ingredient is added to the marinade as well. Hot & Sour soup aslo benefits from the addition of ginger. It is a wonderful spice for making flavors brighter.

As for the soy sauce, it is a seasoning. just as with salt, or any ohter flavor, too much will overpower a dish. But if you use it sparingly, it can enhance a recipe dramatically. Though I don't think I'd put it into my pancake recipe. Hahahahah.

Seeeeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North

[Timothy]

Originally Posted by Chief Longwind Of The North

Using the soy sauce and cornstarch as a marinade for chicken, or other meats, then poaching either in water, or low temperature oil (325 F.) is a method called velvetizing, and is extensively in Asian Cooking, especially Chinese. It results in extremely tender, and lightly seasoned meat. Sometimes a weak acidic ingredient is added to the marinade as well. Hot & Sour soup aslo benefits from the addition of ginger. It is a wonderful spice for making flavors brighter.

As for the soy sauce, it is a seasoning. just as with salt, or any ohter flavor, too much will overpower a dish. But if you use it sparingly, it can enhance a recipe dramatically. Though I don't think I'd put it into my pancake recipe. Hahahahah.

Well said! Thank you!

[Savory]

I should apologize if I have sounded arbitrary. I did not mean to, though. Maybe my English is not perfect. Sorry.

I definitely agree soy sauce is used very common in many types of dish in Asian especially Chinese cooking. And as long as it's used in a correct way, it is lovely.

In fact, I very often use soy sauce and corn starch to marinade chicken and other meat before cooking them. The longer you marinade the meat, the more tender and flavourful it is.

I do have a recipe that I would like to share, where chicken is cooked with shitake mushroom and Chinese ham, and chicken is marinated with soy sauce and corn starch in advance. I will start a new post.