Dried Scallop & Chicken Soup

Method7 steps · about 45 min

1. 1

   Step 1: Break dried scallops (1 1/2 oz) into small pieces with a clean food-preparation tool. Rinse in separate water, drain, then cover with separate hot soaking water in a microwave-safe bowl. Cover with a vented microwave-safe lid and microwave about 1 minute as a guide, until softened. Set aside at least 10 minutes, continuing until soft enough to shred. Keep all soaking liquid for the soup.

   At least 10-minute scallop softening after microwave · 10 minUses 1 1/2 oz dried scallops · Separate water for rinsing dried scallop pieces · Enough separate hot water to soak scallops; reserve liquid for soup

   
2. 2

   Step 2: Trim chicken breast (6 oz) and thinly slice, then cut slices into fine strips; partly thawed chicken is easier to cut. Mix the separate chicken marinade salt (1/2 tsp), 1 tbsp chicken cornstarch, 2 tbsp chicken water and baking soda (1/4 tsp) until no lumps remain, then coat all strips. Refrigerate while preparing soup.

   Uses 6 oz chicken breast · 1/2 tsp salt for chicken marinade · 1 tbsp cornstarch for chicken marinade · 2 tbsp water for chicken marinade · 1/4 tsp baking soda for chicken marinade

   
3. 3

   Step 3: Drain softened scallops and squeeze out liquid into a clean bowl, reserving it all. Shred scallops with a spoon or clean hands until no large pieces remain.

   Uses Softened scallops and reserved soaking liquid

   
4. 4

   Step 4: Heat the separate 1 tsp scallop oil in the soup pot over medium. Stir-fry prepared scallop threads for 40–50 seconds until fragrant, without scorching. Add reserved scallop-soaking liquid, measured chicken broth (14 oz) and the separate 8 cups boiling soup water. Cover and bring to a boil.

   Uses 1 tsp oil for scallops · Shredded scallops · Reserved scallop-soaking liquid · 14 oz chicken broth · 8 cups boiling soup water

   
5. 5

   Step 5: Mix the separate 7 tbsp soup-slurry cornstarch and 5 tbsp soup-slurry water until no lumps remain. If this is too stiff to pour smoothly, use a little optional extra cold water to loosen it. Once soup boils, turn off heat and steep 5 minutes, then bring back to a boil. Reduce heat to low or turn off, stir down to the bottom and gradually add only as much slurry as needed for the desired thickness; reserve unused clean slurry. Turn heat high and bring back to a boil to cook and thicken the starch. Season with the separate soup salt (1 tbsp), fish sauce (1 tbsp) and measured dark soy sauce (2 1/2 tsp).

   5-minute off-heat soup steep before thickening · 5 minUses Scallop soup base · 7 tbsp cornstarch for soup slurry · 5 tbsp water for soup slurry · Optional additional cold water only as needed to make slurry pourable · 1 tbsp salt for soup · 1 tbsp fish sauce · 2 1/2 tsp dark soy sauce

   
6. 6

   Step 6: Mix the separate 1 tsp chicken oil into the prepared marinated chicken. Reduce soup to medium-low and gradually add chicken while stirring so strips separate. Cook until all strips are cooked through, reaching 74°C/165°F at the centre of the thickest strip. Add sesame oil (1 tsp), sugar (1 tsp) and white pepper (1/2 tsp).

   Uses Thickened seasoned soup · Marinated fine chicken strips · 1 tsp oil for marinated chicken · 1 tsp sesame oil · 1 tsp sugar · 1/2 tsp white pepper

   
7. 7

   Step 7: Once chicken is fully cooked, taste carefully and adjust the soup. Add the optional extra dark soy sauce only in small amounts if a darker colour is desired. Transfer to bowls and serve.

   Uses Fully cooked chicken and scallop soup · Optional extra dark soy sauce, added in small amounts for final colour