seaweed egg drop soup

for 4~6 people

Ingredients ...

[1] seaweed 3 pieces, about 1/3 of a pack.

[2] 3 eggs, beat up evenly with a table spoon of water added.  the water will help spreading the egg evenly in the soup.
[3] 2 scallion, cut into 5mm
[4] sesame oil
[5] salt
[6] chinese white pepper powder
[7] dried shrimp or dried baby shrimp, 3/4 table spoon.  if dried shrimp, chop to size not more than 3mm

dried baby shrimp

dried shrimp

[8] dried salted mustard, 3 large table spoons, cut to size not more than 4mm.

[9] chicken broth, one can
[10] fried shallot, as pictured below, 1 tea spoon.

Directions ...

[a] soak [1] in a pot of cold water for 5 minutes, or till the seaweed becomes soft.
[b] 4 cups of water + [9] + [10] + [7], medium heat, bring to boil. ==> [A]
[c] rinse the seaweed thoroughly, because sometimes, allthou rarely, it might have sand.  i use the kitchen meshed strainer.  like this one,

[d] when clean,  put on the chopping board, and cut it from top to bottom and left to right, about 1 to 1.1/2 inches apart.

the idea is for the seaweed not to stick together after cooking.  if we don't cut it, it might become a big seaweed ball.

[e] put the chopped seaweed into [A], bring to boil for a minute
[f] pour [2] into the soup, while making a whirlpool with a pair of chopsticks, the whirlpool will help mixing the egg with the seaweed.
[g] wait 30 seconds, shut off the heat, no need to bring to boil, the residual heat will cook the egg thoroughly.
[h] +[8]
[i] +[4]+[5]+[6] to taste
[j] before serving, +[3]


Note ...

-- i usually use [6] a bit more to enhance the flavor.