White Fungus Peony Flowers

Soak silver ears in warm water until soft . Wash well and remove the stems . Discard any discolored pieces.

Skin and bone the chicken breasts, mince into a pulp and mix with the 4 egg whites and 3 oz of the oil to make a paste.

Divide the silver ears into 20 equal portions. Spoon a bit of the chicken paste one each to resemble a white peony. Place on a heat-proof dish.

Beat the whole egg. Heat the remaining oil in a wok over medium heat. Pour in the egg and swirl the wok to made a thin pancake, cook until just dry (about 15 seconds), remove, and cut into shreds. Sprinkle on the chicken " cores" of the fungus " peonies". Place the dish of silver ears in a steamer and steam for 5 minutes. Remove and set aside.

Drop the tomato in boiling water for 30 seconds. Remove, drain and peel. Cut out the stem end, then make 3 vertical cuts, being careful to leave the tomato segments linked at the bottom. Spread the wedges apart to resemble a red peony, and place in the middle of the dish of fungus.

Pour the stock into a pot and add the salt and MSG (optional). Bring to a boil. Stir in the cornstarch and add. Cook, stirring, until thickened slightly. Pour over the "peonies", sprinkle with chicken fat, and serve.

More delicious soup and stew recipes can be found in ChineseFoodDIY's Chinese cookbook "Real & Healthy Chinese Cooking".