Chicken Egg-Drop Soup

Ingredients

• 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 1 -inch piece ginger
• thinly sliced
• 4 scallions
• roughly chopped
• 2 tablespoons mirin (sweet rice wine) or dry sherry
• 1/2 pound skinless
• boneless chicken breasts
• cut into 1/4-inch cubes
• 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
• 4 tablespoons cornstarch
• Kosher salt and freshly ground white pepper
• 3 large eggs
• well beaten
• 1 small bunch watercress
• tough stems removed

Instructions

1. Bring the chicken broth, ginger and scallions to a boil in a saucepan.
2. Cover, reduce the heat to medium low and simmer 20 minutes.
3. Remove from the heat and strain into a large bowl; discard the ginger and scallions.
4. Return the broth to the saucepan and stir in the mirin.
5. Meanwhile, toss the chicken, sesame oil, 1 tablespoon cornstarch, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon white pepper in a bowl.
6. Refrigerate until ready to use.
7. Dissolve the remaining 3 tablespoons cornstarch in 1/4 cup water.
8. Return the broth to a simmer over medium heat.
9. Add the cornstarch mixture and cook, stirring, until glossy and slightly thickened, about 4 minutes.
10. Add the chicken and simmer until cooked through, 1 to 2 minutes.
11. Drizzle the eggs into the soup a little at a time, creating thin sheets of cooked egg.
12. Gently stir in the watercress.
13. Divide the soup among bowls.
14. Photograph by Con Poulos