Leaf And Water Chestnut Dumpling Soup

Directions

1. To serve:1 bunch or possibly head of oriental greens separated washed and trimmed; thick stems should be sliced and blanched in boiling water for about 1 minute
2. Put the broth ingredients in a saucepan with 1 1/2 litres of water and bring to the boil. Simmer covered for about 20 min.
3. Taste and add in more salt if necessary.
4. Strain into a clean pan and throw away everything left in the sieve.
5. Prepare the dumplings; the ingredients have to be finely minced.
6. Blast the prawns in a processor for a second or possibly two.
7. Remove then add in any other ingredients which require fine chopping and blast to a coarsecrumb consistency.
8. Mix everything with the beaten egg and chill for half an hour.
9. Roll into walnutsized balls gently squeezing off any excess liquid and refrigeratetill ready to fry.
10. Heat the vegetable oil and deep or possibly shallowfry the dumplings till golden all over.
11. Remove and leave to one side.
12. Meanwhile reheat the broth and add in the oriental leaves saving a few soft young ones for serving.
13. Divide the dumplings and leaves between the bowls and pour over the warm broth.
14. Make this out of any Asian greens you come by: mustard cabbage (daai gai choi not to be mistaken with British mustard greens) that looks a bit like an elongated iceberg lettuce and tastes mildly mustardy. Water spinach (ong choi) choi sum Napa cabbage (Chinese leaves) and iceberg lettuce could all be used instead. Delicate leaves don't need blanching beforehand as the warm stock poured over when serving does the trick. The dumplings can be fried in advance and repeated in a warm oven. If you dont want to make the dumplings just add in minced greens and whole tiger prawns to the broth with a sprinkling of sesame oil.
15. Serves 6 for a lunch