Fake Shark Fin Soup

Chinese: 碗仔翅 (Woon Zai Chi)

Anyone who had lived or visited Hong Kong, you will probably know what this is. This is little bowl of fake shark fin soup you can buy from many street hawkers and in some streetfood restaurants all over Hong Kong. The recipe is almost the same as the real McCoy and maybe more msg to pump up the flavour. It’s a cheapie bowl of hot soup so no expensive golden threads of shark fin but cheap and cheerful glass noodles as the substitute. It’s quite a yummy soup with bits of noodles like instant chicken soup with noodles, It's a cross between sweet corn soup and hot & sour soup, without the chilli heat and black vinegar is optional.

For a homemade soup I don’t add msg but real chicken or pork stock.

Recipe enough for 2 – 3

Ingredients:

80 - 90g pork or chicken (cut into matchstick size, you can also use mince or shredded cooked meat)

2 – 3 pieces of woodear 木耳, soaked and shredded very fine (about a small handful when soaked and cut)

2 – 3 pieces of shitake mushroom (about 50p size, soaked and shredded very fine), same amout as woodear

about 20 - 25g of glass or cellophane noodles (soaked and cut into short length)

1 beaten egg

About 800ml of chicken or pork stock or water

1 tsp of chicken stock powder/cube like Knorr (optional, if using water add another ½ tsp)

enough light soy sauce to taste (around 1 tbsp)

few drops of dark soy (for colour)

About 1 – 2 tbsp of black vinegar to taste (optional if you like the soup a bit tangy)

2 – 3 tbsp of cornflour mix with few tbsp of water

Pinch of pepper

1 tbsp of brandy or Chinese cooking wine (optional), I prefer the flavour of brandy more than cooking wine

About 1 – 2 tsp of sesame oil

about 2 stalks of spring onion, chopped

Method:

1. Heat the stock or water till boiling, add pork or chicken, woodear and mushroom. Boil for few minutes till boiling.
2. Add seasonings – stock powder or cube, light and dark soy.
3. Add noodles and thicken the soup to a consistency you like. Boil for about 1 minute or till noodles are softened.
   
4. Wait till the soup is boiling hot, drizzle in the beaten egg and stir at the same time to form egg ribbons.
   
5. Add pinch of ground pepper, black vinegar and brandy to taste then add some sesame oil and some chopped spring onion (leave some to sprinkle on top of serving bowls).