Hot And Sour Soup - Szechuan

Grrrrrgh!
Course : Chinese
From: HungryMonster.com
Serves: 8
 

Ingredients:

3 medium dried wood ears
20 medium dried tiger lily buds
3 cups hot water
1/4 pound pork butt
-----marinade-----
1/2 teaspoon dry sherry
1/2 teaspoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon sesame oil
-----soup-----
1 1/2 cups chicken stock
5 cups water
1 teaspoon salt
2 ounces fresh mushrooms -- - sliced or
1 1/2 ounces sliced mushrooms -- drained
1/4 cup sliced water chestnuts
1/4 cup shredded bamboo shoots
2 tablespoons fresh carrot -- shredded
1 piece bean curd -- thinly sliced (3 inch)
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon vinegar
5 tablespoons cornstarch
5 tablespoons water
1 large egg -- - beaten
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
1 tablespoon sesame oil
 

Preparation:

Soak wood ears and lily buds in 3 cups hot water for 15 minutes; remove woody stems from both; shred wood ears with a cleaver. Slice pork into thin strips; chop strips into shreds; Combine marinade in a small bowl; add pork, mix well; let stand 15 minutes. Combine chicken stock, 5 cups water and salt in a medium saucepan; bring to a boil over high heat; reduce heat to medium; add mushrooms, water chestnuts, bamboo shoots, carrot, wood ears and lily buds; simmer 3 to 4 minutes; add pork with marinade and bean curd; bring to a boil; add Worcestershire sauce and vinegar. Dissolve cornstarch in 5 tbsp water to make a paste; slowly stir into soup. Cook over medium heat until soup thickens slightly; stir egg into soup; add black pepper, white pepper and sesame oil. Serve hot.