dsi1 wrote:
>
> On 1/20/2010 3:07 PM, Arri London wrote:
> >
> >
> > dsi1 wrote:
> >>
> >> On 1/19/2010 6:16 AM, James Silverton wrote:
> >>> Hello All!
> >>>
> >>> I note a recipe for Hot and Sour Soup by Jean B in r.f.recipes. It looks
> >>> authentic using white pepper for heat. I wonder if any others are as
> >>> horrible as me and prefer a hotter version using Sriracha sauce?
> >>>
> >>
> >> The whole point of hot and sour soup is it's total reliance on
> >> black/white pepper and vinegar as it's main flavor components - that's
> >> rather unique. I don't add any Srichacha myself. OTOH, I can see how the
> >> taste of the soup might get kind of boring after a while.
> >
> >
> > None of my Chinese friends used anything but ground white or black
> > pepper, black vinegar and a bit of soy sauce to season their hot and
> > sour soup. It was a way to clean the bits and pieces out of the fridge.
> > It couldn't ever be boring cos the ingredients change each time it was
> > made.
>
> I never found it boring but why else would anyone add Srichacha sauce?

No idea. That particular flavour just doesn't belong in there.

> I've made it a few times and it's just chicken stock with some pork bits
> and bamboo shoots and some tofu and whatever else you'd want to add and
> some thickener and of course pepper and vinegar and soy sauce.


They didn't ever thicken the soup. But none of them were from Sichuan
anyway.


>I don't
> usually have that Chinese ear fungus mushrooms but shitakes work ok. I
> do think it important to keep the whatever you put in there in the
> correct form - fine strips. Some folks will want to add some beaten eggs
> but I don't go there myself. :-) I'd like to add some scallops but have
> no idea on how to go about breaking scallops down into fine strips.

Slice them from the top (meaning the flat side) down into thin sheets.
Stack the sheets and slice again, with the grain, into fine strips.