michelle picker cooks

This Szechuan soup makes a wonderfully satisfying meal.

Take a small packet of bean thread noodles and soak them in cold water. Now take some pieces of black fungus or wood-ear fungus (available in Asian grocery stores) and cook them until tender. Meanwhile bring 1½ litres (50 fl oz) of stock to boil. Remove the  fungus from the cooking water, discard the water and cut the fungus into strips, adding them to the stock. Cut 2-3 bamboo shoots (also available from Asian grocery stores either fresh, frozen or canned) and 1 medium sized turnip into strips and add to the pot, allowing it to cook for a few minutes. Add fresh tofu, also cut into strips and the bean thread noodles. When the noodles are soft, thicken the soup with 1 tablespoon of cornflour mixed in a little cold water. Lightly whisk 1 egg and while stirring the soup pour the egg into it in a thin stream. Make a mixture of 2 tablespoons of tomato ketchup, 1 tablespoon of soy sauce, 1 tablespoon of white or rice vinegar, 2 teaspoons of sesame oil and lots of freshly ground pepper and add it to the soup. Lastly, garnish with 2 sliced spring onions.