Bird’s Nest Soup
www.melroseflowers.com
Ingredients:
• 1 cup looselly packed dried bird’s nest
• 1 whole chicken breast, about ¾ lb.
• ¼ cup cold water
• 1 tsp. salt
• 2 egg whites
• 1 quart chicken stock
• a pinch ground white pepper
• 2 Tbs. cornstarch dissolved in 3 Tbs. cold water
• ¼” thick cooked ham, minced
Instructions:
• Soak the nest in warm water for 3 hours. Then carefully remove any protruding feathers. Wash it under running water. Place the nest in a small saucepan, cover it with cold water and bring to a boil over high heat. Boil it uncovered for 5 minutes, then drain and discard the water.
• Fillet the chicken and remove the white tendon in each fillet. Chop the fillet coarsely into small bits.
• Place the minced chicken in a bowl, sprinkle it with the cornstarch and salt and stir.
• In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites until they are frothy, then pour them into the chicken mixture and mix thoroughly. The chicken should be light and fluffy.
• In a saucepan, bring the stock to a boil over high heat. Drop in the bird’s nest, bring to a boil again, then reduce the heat to low and simmer covered for 5 minutes. Add 1 tsp. salt and pepper. Give the cornstarch mixture a quick stir to recombine it and add it to the pan, stirring constantly. Add the chicken, stir and remove the pan from heat.
Add comment August 1st, 2008