Sizzling Rice Soup Recipe
Guōbā Tāng
Sizzling Rice Soup
Submitted By: Taz
Ingredients:
½ lb Boneless/Skinless Chicken Breast (Jīxiōng Ròu) - cut into thin strips
4 Dried Shiitake [AKA Black] Mushrooms (Xiānggū)
2-3 Baby Bok Choy (Báicài) - cut into bite sized pieces
1 Slice Fresh Ginger (Jiāng) - apx ¼ inch thick
1 Large Carrot (Hóng Luóbo) - peeled and sliced thin
5 Cups Vegetable Broth - can substitute chicken broth if desired
1 Cup Reserved Mushroom Soaking Liquid
½ Cup Bamboo Shoots (Zhú Sǔn) - sliced thin
¼ Cup Straw Mushrooms (Cǎo Gū) - can use fresh or canned (drained if using canned)
¼ Cup Shao Xing Rice Wine (Liàojiǔ) - divided; can substitute dry sherry if desired
1 Tbs Light Soy Sauce (Shēng Chōu)
1 tsp Corn Starch (Yùmǐ Diànfěn)
¼ tsp Ground White Pepper (Bái Hújiāo) or to taste
¼ tsp Toasted Sesame Oil (Zhīmayóu)
Kosher Salt (Yán) to taste
-OPTIONAL-
½ lb [apx 10] Large Shrimp or Prawns (Xiā) - deveined and shelled leaving tail
2 oz Chinese Ham (Jīnhuá Huǒtuǐ) OR Chinese Barbeque Pork (Char Siu) - diced
¼ Cup Water Chestnuts (Língjiǎo) - canned is fine (drained)
Crispy Rice (Guōbā):
1 Cup Short Grain White Rice (Báifàn)
2 Cups Vegetable Oil (Shíyòngyóu) for frying
Preparation:
- Preheat oven to 300 ºF
- Cook your rice according to package
- Once rice is cooked, spread into a very thin layer on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or lightly greased
- Bake the rice on the center rack for 15 minutes - Turn the rice and bake for another 15 minutes until dry, 'hard', and mostly translucent - Remove from oven, break apart, and set aside until needed
- While the rice is baking, cover the dried shiitake with 1 ½ cups hot water and allow to soak until soft (apx 30 minutes) - When soft, remove the mushrooms from the liquid and gently squeeze out any excess back into the bowl - Strain the liquid through a very fine mesh sieve and reserve 1 cup for soup - Remove the stems from the soaked mushrooms and slice the caps thin - Set aside until needed
- Place the sliced chicken in a small bowl and add 1 Tbs of the Shao Xing rice wine along with the cornstarch and mix to thoroughly coat - Set aside until needed (minimum 10 minutes)
- Place the stock, reserved mushroom soaking liquid, and ginger slice in a large (6-8 quart) pot and bring to a boil over high heat - As soon as a boil is achieved, add the carrot to the pot and allow to boil for 2 minutes
- Add the chicken and its marinade, the sliced shiitake mushrooms, the straw mushrooms, and the Chinese ham or barbecued pork (if using) - Reduce heat to a rapid simmer and allow to cook for 2 minutes
- Add the remaining 3 Tbs Shao Xing rice wine, soy sauce, and ground white pepper - Thoroughly combine - Add the bok choy, bamboo shoots, and water chestnuts (if using) - Return to a simmer - Add the shrimp (if using) - Cover, turn off the heat, and allow to sit for 3-5 minutes to cook the shrimp using the residual heat
- Add the toasted sesame oil and adjust seasoning as necessary - Transfer to serving dish (should be served family style in a large terrine, but can use individual serving bowls) and make the crispy rice
- Heat the vegetable oil in a wok or large skillet/pot over medium-high heat to 350ºF - Deep fry the cooked and dried rice in batches until lightly browned and puffed up (this takes just a few seconds so keep a close eye on it!)
- Add the hot, crisp rice to the hot soup at the table for the wonderful, 'show-stopping' sizzle
