Pork Belly and Conpoy Soup – Sybaritica

Pork Belly and Conpoy Soup, or 五花臘肉乾貝湯, boosts the umami flavors of Preserved Pork Belly and Conpoy with Dried Mushrooms and Goji Berries.

• 3 – 4 cups good quality Chicken Stock;
• 1/4 lb. Preserved Pork Belly;
• ¼ cup tiny dried Scallop Conpoy;
• 1 small Shanghai Bok Choy;
• 1 Dried Shiitake Mushroom;
• 2 tbsp. Goji Berry;
• ¼ cup Shaoxing Wine.

• Slice the pork belly thinly and chop the Bok Choy, keeping the white and green parts separate.
• Heat a tablespoon of oil in a pot over moderate heat and sauté the ginger until it is just turning golden.
• Add the pork belly and the white part of the Bok Choy until the latter is soft and the fat in the pork belly is opaque.
• Add the conpoy, plus the stock, Shaoxing Wine, and the whole dried mushroom and simmer over moderate heat until the conpoy and pork belly are tender (about 45 minutes or so).
• At this point, remove the ginger slices, slice the mushroom and return it back to the pot with the Goji Berry and the green parts of the Bok Choy. Continue to simmer gently until the berries are plump and the Bok Choy leaves are crisp tender but still nicely green.
• Serve immediately or cool quickly and reheat for later service.