CHINESE CRAB AND CORN SOUP

Frozen white crab meat works as well as fresh in this delicately flavored soup.

SERVES FOUR
INGREDIENTS
  • 600 ml / 1 pint / 2½ cups fish or chicken stock
  • 2.5 cm / 1 in fresh root ginger, very thinly sliced
  • 400 g / 14 oz can creamed corn
  • 150 g / 5 oz cooked white crab meat
  • 15 ml / 1 tbsp arrowroot or cornflour (cornstarch)
  • 15 ml / 1 tbsp Chinese rice wine or dry sherry
  • 15-30 ml / 1-2 tbsp light soy sauce
  • 1 egg white
  • salt and ground white pepper
  • shredded spring onions (scallions), to garnish
COOK’S TIP

This soup is sometimes made with whole kernel corn, but creamed corn gives a better texture. If you can’t find it in a can, use thawed frozen creamed corn instead; the result will be just as good.

    1. Put the stock and ginger in a large, heavy pan and bring to the boil over a medium heat. Stir in the creamed corn and bring back to the boil.
    2. Turn off the heat and add the crab meat. Put the arrowroot or cornflour in a cup and stir in the rice wine or sherry to make a smooth paste, then stir this into the soup. Cook over a low heat for about 3 minutes, until the soup has thickened and is slightly glutinous in consistency. Add light soy sauce, salt and white pepper to taste.
    3. In a bowl, whisk the egg white to a stiff foam. Gradually fold it into the soup. Ladle the soup into heated bowls, garnish each portion with spring onions and serve immediately.
VARIATION

To make prawn (shrimp) and corn soup, substitute 150 g / 5 oz cooked peeled and deveined prawns for the crab meat. Chop the peeled prawns coarsely and add to the soup at the beginning of step 2.