West Lake beef soup (xi hu niu rou geng)

Method

1. 1 Finely mince the beef, marinate it with Shaoxing wine and pepper for 10 minutes, then blanch it in boiling water until tender.
2. 2 Bring chicken broth to a boil with shredded ginger, then add diced mushrooms and cook for 5 minutes.
3. 3 Add the blanched beef, skim off the foam to make the broth clear.
4. 4 Mix cornstarch with water, stir well for 2 minutes until the soup is smooth and thick.
5. 5 Pour the beaten egg whites into a light, fluffy batter, season with salt, then sprinkle with cilantro and drizzle with sesame oil.

With an appliance

• Microwave 29 min

  Substitute step 2: Stir the broth with ginger and mushrooms in a deep bowl at 800 W for 4 minutes; reduce by about 1 minute and don't worry about it overflowing, the mushrooms will be evenly softened. Add the beef and egg whites later to maintain the marbled appearance of the broth.