All the time I couldn't cook due to my broken back, there was one dish I craved.I could have had it delivered, but restaurants never get it right (at least to my satisfaction).
So, today, I made it myself for the first time in over a year. It is also one of the simplest dishes I know.
车螺芥菜汤 (chē luó jiè cài tāng), clam and leaf mustard soup.
This is so easy. I chop two to three cloves of garlic and a fresh 'facing heaven' chilli and throw that into cold water in a pan. Add a couple of Chinese soup spoonfuls of chicken powder. This is China's secret weapon. 100 times better than any other buillion powder or cubes. Michelin starred restaurants in China use it regularly.
That, I bring to the boil then simmer for ten minutes before adding the fresh clams. As soon as these open, I fish them out and into my bowl. When all are opened and in the bowl I tear up some mustard leaf and throw that into the still simmering soup. As soon as it wilts, I pour the soup and greenery over the clams and serve. No seasoning required. It's in the chicken powder.
Sorry for the imprecision; I've been making this once a week for almost 30 years (apart from last year) and eyeball it. It's forgiving.
Don't forget your 长棍 (cháng gùn), baguette for dunking.
