Chinese Corn Chowder

One of my earliest food memories is my mom shredding chicken on the kitchen table to make this soup. That was how I learnt to make this soup - by shredding chicken meat. We're a soup family. We have soup for dinner everyday.

This is a very quick soup to make and there is no chopping as long as you have the chicken stock ready. All you need is a can opener. It summer, make it with fresh sweet corn. It makes a very light soup but still filling.

The classic way to make this is usually to use cornflour as thickener and a little rice wine will be added. But I try dislike the taste of pasty cornflour in soups so that is omitted. And I think the addition of two eggs thickens the soup enough. The most delicious addition would be fresh crab meat but I don't have that in hand. Add a little Chinese black rice vinegar and some pickled green chillies and you'll be in for a treat.

The recipe

1l Chicken Stock

Make the chicken stock by combining 4 chicken thighs (or 10 pieces of chicken wings or a whole chicken) with one star anise, crushed ginger, lemon grass, one cinnamon, and 3 clove. Once the soup start boiling, add chopped celery, leek and carrot. Leave to simmer for about an hour. You make quite a lot from this so keep the rest for chicken noodle soup or as stock base.

shredded chicken meat from the chicken used to make stock.

200g of canned sweet corn - you can use cream or kernel.

2 eggs

a splash of rice wine - optional

salt and white pepper to taste

Method

1. Put a liter of chicken stock in a pot and leave it to simmer on the hob.

2. Blitz the corn in a food processor and add into the chicken stock.

3. Add the shredded chicken meat and a splash of rice wine and taste for seasoning. Leave to simmer for about 10 minutes.

4. Beat the egg lightly and add into the soup. Season, stir and serve.