One of the many recipes that bridge the short distance between Chinese and Italian cooking. The main recipe makes a light soup that complements stir-fry dishes well; the Italian variation is substantial enough to serve as a light main course.

　　

Ingredients

4 servings

　　1/2 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into thin shreds

　　2 teaspoons Shaoxing wine or dry sherry

　　6 cups chicken stock, preferably homemade (page 160)

　　1/2 pound watercress, trimmed

　　Salt to taste

　　2 teaspoons dark sesame oil

　　2 scallions, trimmed and finely chopped

　　

Step 1

Put the chicken in a bowl with the wine to marinate while you bring the chicken stock to a boil in a large saucepan. Add the chicken with its marinade, reduce the heat to low, and simmer until the chicken loses its pinkness, about 3 minutes.

　　

Step 2

Add the watercress and simmer until softened, about 5 minutes. Remove the soup from the heat and season with salt and sesame oil. Serve hot, garnished with the scallions.

　　

Chicken and Watercress Soup with Parmesan (Italy)

Step 3

Marinate the chicken in the wine, but omit the sesame oil and scallions. When the chicken is done, stir about 1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg and 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan into the soup. Serve, passing more Parmesan at the table.

　　The Best Recipes in the World by Mark Bittman. © 2005 by Mark Bittman. Published by Broadway Books. All Rights Reserved.MARK BITTMAN is the author of the blockbuster The Best Recipes in the World (Broadway, 2005) and the classic bestseller How to Cook Everything, which has sold more than one million copies. He is also the coauthor, with Jean-Georges Vongerichten, of Simple to Spectacular and Jean-Georges: Cooking at Home with a Four-Star Chef. Mr. Bittman is a prolific writer, makes frequent appearances on radio and television, and is the host of The Best Recipes in the World, a 13-part series on public television. He lives in New York and Connecticut.