This improvement on the American Chinese restaurant classic has one thing in common with egg-drop soup: when properly made, the egg looks like delicate flowers. While many versions of this soup are thickened with cornstarch, I think the egg thickens the broth sufficiently. Like the Chicken and Watercress Soup on page 140, this has an Italian relative; see the variation. Any of these soups can be made more substantial by adding some shredded leftover chicken—or diced raw chicken, added while the stock is heating; don’t add the egg until the chicken is just about cooked.

　　

Ingredients

makes 4 servings

　　6 cups beef or chicken stock, preferably homemade (page 160)

　　1 tablespoon dark sesame oil

　　Salt to taste

　　6 eggs, beaten

　　1/2 cup thinly sliced scallion

　　1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves, roughly chopped

　　

Step 1

Put the stock in a saucepan, turn the heat to medium-high, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and add the oil and salt to taste. Carefully pour in the eggs in a slow stream, whisking constantly, until thin, nearly translucent egg “flowers” form, about 1 minute.

　　

Step 2

Remove from the heat and garnish with the scallions and cilantro. Serve hot.

　　

Stracciatella (Italy)

Step 3

Use olive oil in place of sesame oil. Omit the scallions and cilantro. After adding the eggs, stir in 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese. Garnish with 1/4 cup roughly chopped parsley leaves and pass additional Parmesan at the table.

　　

Consommé, Jerez Style (Spain)

Step 4

Use olive oil in place of sesame oil; omit the cilantro. Before adding the eggs, stir about 2 tablespoons dry (Fino) sherry into the broth. Swirl in the eggs, garnish with scallions, and serve.

　　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.