Recipe - Hot And Sour Egg Drop Soup With Quail

CHINESE MARINADE
One half cup Maple syrup
1 Stalk celery; minced
1 md Carrot; minced
1 md Spanish onion; minced
1 tablespoon Fresh ginger; minced
1 tablespoon Garlic; minced
One fourth cup Coriander; chopped
1 teaspoon Crushed black peppercorns
1 tablespoon Dry sherry or Marsala
1 tablespoon Sesame oil
4 tablespoon Soy sauce
3 Quail; deboned
Chinese Marinade; recipe
above
Peanut oil for deep frying
1 One half cup Chicken stock
1 Bulb shallots; cut in thin
rings
1 teaspoon Fresh ginger; finely
julienned
1 cup Black tree ear mushrooms; or
wild, finely
; cut or sliced up
One half cup Shiitake mushrooms; finely
cut or sliced up
One half Roasted red bell pepper;
julienned
One half cup Tomato con casse; (tomatoes
peeled,
; seeded and chopped)
2 Pieces hot red Thai chilis
or any Mexican chili
1 teaspoon Sugar
One half tablespoon Parmesan; preferably
; Reggiano, grated
2 Whole eggs
1 teaspoon Sesame oil
Balsamic vinegar; good
quality
Chives; minced, for garnish
Coriander; chopped, for
; garnish
1 pn White pepper

Combine all the marinade ingredients in a bowl. Add quail and refrigerate
for 2 days.

Remove quail from marinade and pat dry. Heat peanut oil over medium heat
and deep fry for 8 minutes, or until outside is brown and crispy. Remove
from oil. Drain and cut quail into pieces and set aside.

To make soup: Combine all ingredients, (except cheese, eggs, sesame oil and
garnish) in a heavy bottomed pot and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer for
8 to 10 minutes. Bring back to a boil. Whip together Parmesan cheese and
eggs, and drop into soup along with quail. Gently stir. Garnish with sesame
oil, vinegar and herbs.

Yield: 4