Chicken Corn Egg Drop Soup

This is the recipe that combines two of the most popular Indo-Chinese soups into one. Sweet corn soup has the corn and the mild, slightly sweet broth. Egg drop soup has the silky egg ribbons and the glossy thickened texture. Together they produce something greater than either on its own: the sweetness of corn, the richness of egg, the delicacy of shredded chicken, all in a quick 20-minute soup that tastes like it came from a restaurant.

The corn should be sweet -- fresh is best when in season, frozen is excellent year-round, canned works in a pinch. Don't blend the corn into the soup; leaving the kernels whole gives textural interest and visual appeal. The cornflour thickening transforms the broth from thin liquid to the characteristic glossy, coating consistency. Don't over-thicken: the soup should coat the back of a spoon, not hold its shape.

The egg ribbons are the technique that elevates this above a simple corn soup. The eggs must be beaten, the soup must be at a gentle simmer (not boiling), and the egg must flow in a thin, steady stream with constant stirring. Too fast and you get scrambled egg chunks. Too slow and the egg sets in one place. The right pace produces long, gossamer threads throughout the soup. Sesame oil at the very end adds the toasty depth that completes the flavour.