Hot and Sour Soup

Ingredients (serves 4 people)

• 2 tablespoons of cornflour (cornstarch)
• 4 tablespoons of water
• 2 tablespoons of light soy sauce
• 3 tablespoons of rice wine vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon of ground black pepper
• 1 small, finely chopped, fresh red chilli
• 1 egg
• 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil
• 1 chopped onion
• 850 ml/ 1 1/2 pints/ 3 3/4 cups chicken or beef consomme
• 1 open-cap sliced mushroom
• 50 g/ 1 3/4 oz skinless chicken breast (cut into very thin strips)
• 1 teaspoon of sesame oil

Method

1. Blend the cornflour (cornstarch) with the water to form a smooth paste. Then, add the soy sauce, rice win vinegar, pepper, and chilli. Mix this together.
2. Break the egg into a separate bowl and beat it well.
3. Heat the oil in a preheated wok and fry the onion for 1-2 minutes.
4. Stir in the consomme, mushroom, and chicken and bring it to a boil. Cook this for about 15 minutes.
5. Pour the cornflour (cornstarch) mixture into the soup and cook this, stirring, until it gets thick.
6. As you are stirring, slowly drizzle the egg into the soup, to make threads of egg.
7. Sprinkle some sesame oil onto the soup and serve while it's hot. Enjoy!