Страница 29

Winter Melon Soup with Smoky Ham

PAIR WITH

Flaky Green Onion Pancakes

(PAGE 139)

I fell for this soothing Cantonese soup years ago at an upscale restaurant in Chinatown in San Francisco. When I was seated, the waiter presented me with the customary cup of soup and a menu. I was relieved to discover that instead of egg drop soup, he had brought me winter melon soup—rich chicken broth with chunks of silky, almost translucent winter melon floating in it. Though the winter melon didn’t have much flavor of its own, it absorbed the flavor of the rich broth and had a soft, soothing texture, which I’ve come to crave on cold winter nights

.

Look for winter melon at Asian markets, where the large, light green melons are often broken down and sold in manageable chunks. They are labeled

tung gwa

or

dong gua

in Chinese markets and

bí đao

in Vietnamese shops. If you can’t find winter melon, substitute peeled and cored chayote squash

.

SERVES

4 TO 6

ACTIVE TIME

20

MINUTES

TOTAL TIME

40

MINUTES

4 dried shiitake mushrooms

1

1

/

2

cups [360 ml] boiling water

1

1

/

2

lb [680 g] winter melon or chayote squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into

1

/

2