Recipe - Ducklings Swimming In A Pond

6 cup Rich chicken broth
One half cup Shelled green peas (or
quartered snowpeas)
12 Shelled baby shrimp
4 Nami black mushrooms
3 Egg whites
Yellow food coloring

Even mature adults gourmets no less "oo" and "ah" when presented with
this simpletoprepare soup.

Preparation: Wash & soak mushrooms in warm water for 1 hour; slice into
thin strips; reserve. Blanch shrimp in salted boiling water (omit if
shrimp are precooked).

Make ducklings within hour or less of serving. Have steamer ready.

Work with eggs & mixing bowl at room temperature. Separate whites & yolks;
reserve yolks for another recipe. Beat egg whites, starting slowly, then
progressively faster after eggs begin to foam, until eggs are stiff but not
runny. If whites are too stiff, they tend to break apart in shaping
process.

Form 2 ducklings per serving. Use tablespoon to form body; flatten egg in
spoon; turn over onto steaming plate. To body, add blob of egg for neck &
head, another piece for tail. Use toothpick to carefully shape head & tail.

Steam one as test. Steaming should take 3060 seconds to set surface of
egg. After steaming, swab beak & tail with yellow food coloring; put color
on toothpick to mark eyes.

Soup: 30 minutes or so before serving, heat broth to just under boil; add
mushrooms & peas. 5 minutes before serving, add shrimp & desired
seasonings. Pour soup into warm serving bowl. Float ducklings on soup.
Serve.

From Gemini's MASSIVE MealMaster collection at www.synapse.com/~gemini