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West Lake Fish Soup

Quite similar to the beef soup recipe on page 145, except at the outset, when shallots are browned to give the soup a little extra color and complexity.

Recipe information

  • Yield

    makes 4 servings

Ingredients

2 tablespoons peanut or neutral oil like corn or grapeseed
1/2 cup chopped shallot or onion
6 cups chicken or other stock, preferably homemade (pages 160–163)
3 tablespoons soy sauce, or to taste
1 teaspoon black pepper, or more to taste
1 cup fresh or thawed frozen peas
3/4 to 1 pound skinless white fish fillets, like flounder, roughly chopped
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 egg whites, lightly beaten
1 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
Salt to taste

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Put the oil in a saucepan large enough to contain all the ingredients and turn the heat to medium. A minute later, add the shallot and cook, stirring occasionally, adjusting the heat to prevent burning, until golden brown, about 10 minutes.

    Step 2

    Add all but 1/4 cup of the stock and turn the heat to medium-high. When it begins to steam, add the soy sauce, pepper, peas, and fish and cook at a gentle simmer (adjust the heat as necessary), stirring occasionally, until the peas are tender and the fish falling apart, 5 to 10 minutes. Mix the remaining 1/4 cup stock with the cornstarch in a small bowl.

    Step 3

    Drizzle in the egg whites, stirring constantly with a whisk or chopsticks. Stir in the cornstarch mixture. When the soup thickens, stir in the cilantro. Taste and add more pepper or soy sauce if you like and salt if necessary. Serve immediately.

The Best Recipes in the World by Mark Bittman. © 2005 by Mark Bittman. Published by Broadway Books. All Rights Reserved. MARK BITTMAN is the author of the blockbuster The Best Recipes in the World (Broadway, 2005) and the classic bestseller How to Cook Everything, which has sold more than one million copies. He is also the coauthor, with Jean-Georges Vongerichten, of Simple to Spectacular and Jean-Georges: Cooking at Home with a Four-Star Chef. Mr. Bittman is a prolific writer, makes frequent appearances on radio and television, and is the host of The Best Recipes in the World, a 13-part series on public television. He lives in New York and Connecticut.
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