Tweaking the bird's nest soup

CEBU, Philippines - The weather man says that the rainy days are here. The nights are expected to turn colder now. The air-conditioners and the electric fans may be put to rest now - and the stoves may be more frequently ignited.

Hot soups are the common craving during the rainy days. These are effective body warmers. And there are many kinds of these soups to pick from.

One particular hot soup holds a special rank among the others - Bird's Nest Soup. The soup is not only a special delicacy but a medicinal concoction as well. Especially among Asians, it is believed to aid digestion, boost the immune system and, most of all, increase the sex drive.

The bird's nests used in the soup are made out of bird saliva, which the birds use as adhesive to put their nests together. Once the saliva dries up and hardens, it forms strands that look like fine noodles or tiny portions of thin wonton wrappers. Of course, these are meticulously cleaned first before being made into soup of a nice, smooth consistency. 

It is said that the demand for bird-nest dishes in Southeast Asia, where these are most popular, outweighs the supply.  This results in a high market price, often at high-end Chinese specialty restaurants, the reason why many people resort to alternatives, only going after the feel of the soup in the mouth and, yes, the closely similar taste, too.

The pseudo version of the Bird's Nest Soup uses egg white instead of genuine bird's nest. Surprisingly, even among people who could very well afford the real thing, the imitation Bird's Nest Soup is more preferred. They consider egg white to be cleaner than bird's saliva.

And there's no need to beg for it at a Chinese restaurant. This Bird's Nest Soup is easy to make at home. Again, the following recipe does not make the real thing - although the resulting dish could be mistaken as real thing.

Bird's Nest Soup       

Ingredients:

2 pcs Eggs, whites only

2 Chicken Cubes

4 cups Water

1 pc Onion, finely chopped

1 cup pre-cooked Chicken meat, flaked finely (or any leftover chicken dish will do)

1 tbsp Cornstarch, dissolved in 1 tbsp water

1 tsp kalamansi juice

Procedure:

1. In a deep pan or pot, sauté onion in a small amount of oil until it becomes translucent.

2. Add 4 cups of water and allow to come to a boil, then add 2 chicken cubes and allow to simmer for half minute.

3. Add the flaked chicken meat bit by bit, and then allow to simmer for half minute, stirring the soup then adding in dissolved cornstarch.

4. Add kalamansi juice.

5. Slightly beat egg whites, putting it slowly into the soup while stirring constantly. Simmer for 3 more minutes, (season with freshly ground black pepper if desired). Add slightly beaten egg slowly while stirring.

6. Serve hot.

This recipe serves five to six persons.

NOTE: The egg yolks may be added in just before removing the pot from the flame, pouring it to form a lump and not mixing it in the soup. (FREEMAN)