The Chinese are unanimous in their appreciation of shark’s fin soup, and this very nutritious soup is rightly considered to be one of the most exotic examples of Chinese cuisine. A fin of the best quality is, however, extremely expensive and takes four days to prepare. The fin used in this recipe is sold in a package consisting of the cartilage with some fin needles and is already processed and then dried again. By itself, shark’s fin has little taste, but when combined with other ingredients in a prime stock, it makes the perfect soup.

Ingredients:

11 to 12 ounces (315 to 350 grams) loose shark’s fin
5 ounces (140 grams) chicken breast meat
4 slices fresh ginger root, each about 1⁄4 inch (5 millimeters) thick
3 large scallions, halved crosswise
1 ounce (25 grams) lard
3 tablespoons Shaohsing wine or medium-dry sherry
1 tablespoon peanut or corn oil
4 1⁄2 to 5 cups prime stock
salt to taste
thin soy sauce to taste
For the marinade:
1⁄2 teaspoon salt
1⁄4 teaspoon sugar
3 to 4 turns white pepper mill
1 teaspoon Shaohsing wine or medium-dry sherry
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1 1⁄2 tablespoons egg white, lightly-beaten
1 tablespoon peanut or corn oil
For the sauce:
3 to 4 tablespoons water chestnut flour or potato flour
3 tablespoons water
2 teaspoons thick soy sauce
To serve:
2 ounces (55 grams) lean ham, Virginia or Chinhua
8 ounces (225 grams) bean sprouts
Chinese red vinegar
hot prepared mustard

Directions:

Put the shark’s fin in a large container and pour over it about 5 cups of hot water. Soak overnight or for a minimum of 6 hours. Rub with fingers. Drain through a fine sieve, so as not to lose any of the precious shark’s fin needles while getting rid of fine sand. Repeat as many times as necessary. Put into a large saucepan.

Add about 6 cups of water. Bring to a boil and simmer gently for about 2 hours, replenishing the water if it evaporates too quickly. Test to see if the fin needles are ready: they should be tender yet still firm.

A way to test is to press one between thumb and index finger: if it breaks easily, it is ready. Drain. If the fin is still hard, let the water cool, then drain. Return to the saucepan, add the same amount of water and boil gently for another hour, or longer. Drain, taking care not to lose the needles. Meanwhile, cut the chicken into matchstick-sized pieces. Put into a small bowl.

Prepare the marinade: Add the salt, sugar, pepper, wine or sherry and cornstarch to the chicken. Stir in the egg white in the same direction and let marinate for 20 to 30 minutes. Blend in the oil.

Place about 3 1/2 cups of water in a saucepan with the ginger, scallions, half the lard and 2 tablespoons of the wine or sherry. Bring to a boil. Add the shark’s fin and boil gently for about 15 minutes. This curing process rids the fin of any remaining rank odor. Drain, discarding the ginger and scallion.

Cut the ham into matchstick-sized pieces. Pluck the bean heads off the bean sprouts and discard them. Blanch in boiling water until the water returns to a boil. Drain, then refresh under cold running water. Drain thoroughly.

Arrange the ham and bean sprouts in bunches on 1 or 2 small serving dishes. Put the vinegar and mustard into separate saucers on the table. Prepare the sauce: Mix the flour, water and soy sauce thoroughly.

Heat a wok or saucepan over high heat until hot. Splash in the remaining wine or sherry. As it sizzles, add the remaining lard and the oil. Pour in the prime stock, add the shark’s fin and stir to mix. Slowly bring to a boil, then add the chicken, stirring to separate the pieces. Reduce the heat. Gradually add the well-stirred sauce to the soup, stirring as the soup thickens. Remove from the heat. Taste for seasoning; add salt and thin soy sauce, if necessary.

Transfer to a warm soup tureen and serve. To eat, each person puts some bean sprouts and ham into his bowl before adding the shark’s fin soup. Some may also like to add a little vinegar or mustard to the soup.

Serves 6.