Shredded Bird's Nest

Name: Shredded Bird's Nest
Prep time: 45 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 55 min
Ingredients: 18 g Dried bird's nest; 45 g Shredded raw chicken (blanched and braised for flavor); 15 g Shredded shiitake mushroom (rehydrated; blanched and braised for flavor); 15 g Shredded bamboo shoots (rehydrated; blanched and braised for flavor); 15 g Shredded water chestnuts (blanched and braised for flavor); 45 g Shredded ham (blanched and braised for flavor); 18 g Shredded egg crepe (blanched and braised for flavor); 1500 g Clear broth (some for braising ingredients, some for the final soup); to taste MSG; to taste Cooking wine; to taste Salt; to taste Alkali (for expanding the bird's nest)

A nourishing clear-broth soup, traditionally regarded as beneficial for the lungs and kidneys, made with rehydrated bird's nest and assorted cooked shredded ingredients.

55 min

Easy

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Ingredients

Dried bird's nest 18 g

Shredded raw chicken (blanched and braised for flavor) 45 g

Shredded shiitake mushroom (rehydrated; blanched and braised for flavor) 15 g

Shredded bamboo shoots (rehydrated; blanched and braised for flavor) 15 g

Shredded water chestnuts (blanched and braised for flavor) 15 g

Shredded ham (blanched and braised for flavor) 45 g

Shredded egg crepe (blanched and braised for flavor) 18 g

Clear broth (some for braising ingredients, some for the final soup) 1500 g

MSG to taste

Cooking wine to taste

Salt to taste

Alkali (for expanding the bird's nest) to taste

Instructions

Preparing the bird's nest

Soak the dried bird's nest in warm water for about 15 minutes, then lift it out gently. Use tweezers to pick out any hairs and roots from the nest, and rinse it 2–3 times in clean water (do not rub or squeeze) until all grit and dust are washed away. Drain off the cold water, sprinkle alkali over the bird's nest, and add boiling water. Once the nest has expanded and softened, strain off the alkali liquid through a fine sieve, then rinse again 2–3 times with boiling water to remove the alkaline taste. The nest is now fully expanded; squeeze out the excess water with a clean cloth and set aside.

Preparing the toppings

Blanch the shredded raw chicken and each of the other toppings separately in boiling water. Lift them out and braise each one briefly in a little clear broth so they absorb flavor. Drain off the liquid, then arrange the toppings in order in a deep bowl, packing them down. Invert the bowl onto a deep serving tureen (the toppings facing up), and spread the prepared bird's nest evenly over the top.

Making the broth

Place a ladle or pot over high heat, add the clear broth along with the cooking wine, MSG, and salt, and bring to a boil. Skim off any foam that rises to the surface. Carefully pour the hot broth into the serving tureen to complete the dish (when pouring, hold a serving spoon against the bird's nest to keep it from being scattered by the stream of liquid).