Sour and Peppery Shiitake Tofu Soup with Egg Ribbons

Ingredients

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• 6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 8 oz fresh shiitake mushroom caps, stems removed, thinly sliced
• 1 cup carrot matchsticks
• 1 cup canned bamboo shoots, drained and rinsed
• 8 oz extra-firm tofu, cut in ½-inch cubes
• 2 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
• 1 tbsp grated fresh ginger
• ½ tsp garlic powder
• ¼ tsp ground cayenne pepper
• ⅛ tsp salt
• 3 tbsp cornstarch
• ½ cup water, to stir with the cornstarch
• 2 large eggs, beaten
• 5 tbsp distilled white vinegar
• 1 tsp ground white pepper
• 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
• 4 tbsp chopped scallion, to finish

All set! Everything is out. Time to bake.

Method

1. 1Slice the shiitake caps ⅛ inch thick. Cut the carrots into matchsticks. Tip the bamboo shoots into a strainer and rinse them under cold running water for 30 seconds, then drain. Cut the tofu into ½-inch cubes. Beat the eggs in a cup with a spout or a pouring edge.
2. 2In a 4-quart pot, bring the broth, ginger, soy sauce, garlic powder, cayenne, salt and the sliced shiitake to a boil, then turn it to a gentle simmer. Cover and cook 15 minutes, until the mushrooms are soft and silky. Water boils at about 203 °F at this altitude (Colorado State University Extension), and the house gives the mushrooms a few minutes more than sea level would (our kitchen practice: the extra time is ours, not a held figure).
3. 3Add the carrots, bamboo shoots and tofu. Simmer 5 minutes, until the carrot bends without snapping.
4. 4Stir the cornstarch into the ½ cup cold water until no streaks are left; it settles fast, so stir it again just before it goes in. Stir the soup in a steady circle with a ladle and pour the slurry in a slow stream. Keep stirring until it bubbles again and the soup coats the back of a spoon, about 1 minute.
5. 5Keep the soup at a gentle bubble. Stir it slowly in one direction and pour the beaten egg from a height in a thin stream. Count to 20 before you stir again so the ribbons set. The egg is done when it is opaque and firm, with no clear raw egg left; the soup is well above 160 °F, the USDA mark for egg dishes.
6. 6Take the pot off the heat. Stir in the vinegar, white pepper and sesame oil. They go in last on purpose, so the sourness and the pepper smell stay sharp (our kitchen practice). Taste: it should be sour first, then peppery, with a slow burn.
7. 7Ladle about 2½ cups into each of 4 bowls and scatter 1 tbsp of scallion over each. Serve hot.