Shark's Fin Soup

In those long ago days, environmentalists were almost non-existent. Hence eating of shark's fins was very popular. It was available and so it was eaten!

My apologies to all who are not in favour of eating shark's fin then. This posting is a personal history and the recipe is a record of how shark's fin was cooked in those by gone days.

Ingredients

l packet of shark's fin (250 gm or 300 gm) soaked overnight
2 Tbsp sesame oil
3 cm piece of fresh ginger
1 stalk of spring onion , finely chopped
8 pieces of good dried mushrooms, soaked, drained and sliced
4 Tbsp Foochow red wine
2 to 3 bowls chicken stock
1 Tbsp soy sauce
200 gm well shredded cooked boned chicken breast meat
2 Tbsp cornflour blended with 1 Tbsp chicken stock
2 tsp finely ground pepper
3 tsp black vinegar (optional)
200 gm crab meat (tinned)

Method

1. Heat the oil in a large pot, add the spring onion, ginger, mushrooms and fry for 3 minutes.
Add the wine.
2. Pour over half thechicken stock and add the shark's fin and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes.
3. Add the chicken, crab meat and soy sauce.
4. Pour in the remaining chicken stock and the cornflour mixture, and bring to the boil, sitrring constantly.
5. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for a further 10 minutes, sitrring occasionally. Serve at once in a deep bowl.

Note : Prepare 10 little Chinese soup bowls and ladle out skilfully the soup into each bowl.
Serves 10.

This dish seems difficult but with some practice it is quite simple really. But if you are avoiding shark's fins, then go for the Szechuan hot pot, which some people use as a substitute for Shark's Fins as an environmental friendly move.