Shark's Fin And Crab Meat Soup
Serves 6.
Ingredients
prepared shark's fin
250 g/8 oz fresh or frozen crab meat
1 leek, shredded
8 slices fresh root ginger
1 litre/2 pints/4 cups chicken stock
2-3 tablespoons light soy sauce
60 ml/2 fl oz/1/4 cup Chinese wine
2 teaspoons sugar
salt to taste
2 1/2 tablespoons cornflour (cornstarch)
3 tablespoons finely shredded Yunnan ham
or double smoked ham
Directions
Cover prepared shark's fin with cold water. Add ginger slices and scatter with shredded leek. Bring to the boil, then simmer for 30 minutes. Drain shark's fin and rinse in cold water. Flake crab, removing any bony tissue. Heat stock and, when boiling, add shark's fin and flaked crab. Cook for another 30 minutes. Add soy sauce, wine, sugar and salt. Blend cornflour with 2 tablespoons cold water. Add to soup, stirring constantly, until it boils and thickens. Transfer to a soup dish, mounding ham in centre.
Recipe excerpted from Encyclopedia of Asian Food by Charmaine Solomon (Periplus Editions, 1998)