Chicken Superior Stock Base

[larry_stewart]

So, in my quest for finding a Vegetarian Hot and Sour soup recipe that resembles the taste and flavors that got me addicted to it, I have tried dozens of recipes, got loads of advice, and accumulated just about every Asian condiment available (due to all the recipes Ive tried). Although all have tasted like hot and sour soup, none have come close to the ones that Ive had in restaurants in the past ( both vegetarian and vegan restaurants, so I know its possible to get the taste without a meat based stock).

In my latest attempt to find the secret in the soup base ( which is really what im interested, as I know all the hard ingredients ), I reached out to MOFAD ( The Museum Of Food And Drink) in Brooklyn, that currently has an exhibit called "CHOW, the birth and evolution of Chinese American restaurants".

https://www.mofad.org

After a few back and forth email exchanges, a few suggested recipes and a few suggested restaurants to try, they ultimately hooked me up with one of the chefs at the museum .

Here is his reply:

Hot and Sour Soup is usually made with a chicken superior stock base, however you would substitute a vegetable stock. My recipe:
step1:Sweat
2lbs. Onion, dice
2lbs. Leeks, dice
Step 2 Add and sweat the following
2lbs. carrots,dice
1lbs. celery,dice
1lb. daikon,dice
water to cover the vegetables by 1/2 inch and bring to a boil. when boiling, turn down to a simmer.
Step 3: Add
1lb. tomato, dice
1/2 Cup Dried Shitake mushroom
1/4 lb. Ginger
1 head garlic
2 bay leaves
Simmer for 1 hour and half. strain.



Hot and Sour Soup
½ cup cornstarch, plus 1 teaspoon
½ cup water
4 dried red chili peppers
6 oz. pork shoulder or loin or bacon
1 teaspoon oil
1/2 cup soaked dried lily flower
1/2 cup soaked wood ears
1 cup soaked dried shiitake mushrooms
1 small block of spiced tofu (1/2 cup)
1/2 cup packaged firm tofu
½ cup winter bamboo shoots fresh is better
4 eggs
2-3 scallion
1 Gallon Vegetable or Chicken stock
1 ½ teaspoon fresh ground white pepper
4 teaspoon dark soy or mushroom soy sauce
2 tablespoon light or seasoned soy sauce
2 teaspoon sesame oil
3 tablespoons white vinegar
3 tablespoons black Vinegar or Chinkiang Vinegar
3 tablespoons Red Vinegar
2 pinch of sugar
Salt to taste.
Yeast to taste

This is my personal recipe, Please enjoy it.
Thanks for the question and interest in MOFAD.Please visit us in Harlem in the Africa Center in February!
All the best,
Eric
CHef @ MOFAD

Im not sure how close or not this will be to what im looking for, but ive never heard of "Chicken Superior Stock Base"

 

[dragnlaw]

First thing I came up with when googled:

chinese superior stock base

from saveur - sure is a lot of meat though!

 

[larry_stewart]

First thing I came up with when googled:

chinese superior stock base

from saveur - sure is a lot of meat though!

Yeah, I checked out a few sources just out of curiosity, since I never heard of it before. I knew it was something I wouldn't try, but always one to want to learn something new each day and build up my culinary knowledge.

 

[Andy M.]

Interesting that a recipe for Chinese Superior stock base would include Spanish ham.

 

[Chief Longwind Of The North]

For your Superior stock, if you can find it, add Hen of the Woods mushrooms with a little light soy sauce. This mushroom is said by many to have a similar taste to chicken
For the ham, use TVP and a litlle liquid smoke, mesquite flavor. That shoul get ypu closer to your target flavor
Good luck in you quest to make hot & sour soup.

Seeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North