

Mushrooms: Add an extra touch of umami flavor to the soup.Vegetables: Bean sprouts, okra, tomatoes.Carp: You can also choose other kinds of fish, either freshwater or saltwater, that you like.Ladle: Use this tool to spoon the hot soup out.Īs mentioned above, this soup typically contains 1 or 2 kinds of meat or fish, and the rest are vegetables and herbs.Tongs: For easy handling of the ingredients.Chopping boards: Likewise, don’t use the same chopping board for the fish and veggies.

Knives: Use 2 knives, one for the vegetables and one for the fish.Pot: You’ll only need 1 pot for the whole cooking process.The only thing to take note of is that you should prepare 2 knives and 2 chopping boards. You only need 5 main tools for today’s recipe. In addition, the colorful vegetables add to the presentation of the dish. These seemingly contrasting flavors complement each other surprisingly well to create a pleasing mouthfeel. In general, the dish usually contains seafood or pork and a collection of aromatic herbs and veggies.Īs the name implies, sweet and sour are the two main flavors of this delicacy. It originated from the Mekong Delta in Southern Vietnam, with many variations across the country. Some Canh, such as the one in today’s recipe, is also filling enough to be the main course.Ĭanh chua, literally “sour soup”, is one of the most adored soups in Vietnam. Unlike the soup in Western culinary culture, which usually plays the role of an appetizer, Canh is typically served after the main dishes. Garnish with a drizzle of School of Wok’s homemade chilli oil (recipe here!) and a sprinkling of sliced spring onion and fresh coriander.“Canh” (soup) is a unique aspect of Vietnamese cuisine. Enjoy with a splash more black vinegar on the side!ġ0. Garnish with a drizzle of School of Wok’s homemade chilli oil (recipe here!) and a sprinkling of sliced spring onion and fresh coriander. Gradually pour in your beaten egg in a thin stream, slowly folding the soup as you do so as to get wisps of yummy egg throughout the soup (the egg will cook in just a minute).ġ0. Final step: egg time! Turn your heat right down to get a very slow boil. Slowly add your thickening paste until you achieve your desired soup consistency - we look for a thin, syrup-like texture.ĩ. Crank up the heat once more, bringing the soup back to the boil. In one beat two eggs, and in the other mix 2 tbsp of potato starch with approximately 110ml water to make a thickening paste.Ĩ. Turn down the heat and leave your soup to simmer. Follow by adding the sugar, salt, ground white pepper, sesame oil, as well as 1 tsp each of light and dark soy sauce, and 3-4 tbsp of Chinkiang black vinegar.ħ. Start by adding the hot broad bean paste to your soup mixture (we use approximately 1 tbsp, but moderate this to your personal spice preference!). Stir in your vegetables: the sliced carrot, bamboo shoots, mushrooms, Chinese black fungus, tofu and 1 tbsp of the salty Szechuan preserved vegetable.Ħ. Now add approximately 1 litre of stock to your wok, and bring it to the boil. Add your chicken, and stir fry over a medium heat until it just changes colour.ĥ. Stir fry your meat! Heat 1 tbsp of oil in your wok - this can be standard vegetable oil, or if you really want to add some flavour then use School of Wok’s homemade Garlic Oil (check out the quick recipe here!). If preferred, you can cube the tofu for a denser texture - it’s up to you!Ĥ. Trim off any hard nubs from the black fungus and set both aside.įinally, get chopping! Finely slice all of your chicken, tofu, vegetables and fungi to roughly the same size, about ¼-inch thick strips. Remove both from their respective bowls of water before cutting out and discarding the stems from Chinese black mushrooms, as well as squeezing any excess liquid from the mushroom caps. Once they have been fully soaked, return to your mushrooms and fungus. Drain the contents of the wok and set the blanched bamboo to the side.ģ. Add the bamboo shoot slices and keep them at a boil for approximately 3-4 minutes (this blanches the bamboo and therefore removes the ‘tinny’ smell that canned shoots often retain). Fill an empty wok almost a third of the way up with water, and bring it to a boil over a high heat. Leave them to one side to soak overnight - or at least 2 hours for the mushrooms and 20 minutes for the fungus - until they have softened and the fungus has expanded significantly.Ģ. Place your dried fungus and black mushrooms in two separate bowls and cover with warm water.
