In a large saucepan or stock pot, heat the chicken broth to a simmering boil. Once hot, remove one ladle of broth and reserve (this will be used later to mix with cornstarch to get the soup to the right consistency).

Cut the habanero roughly into rings, and place inside a teabag or infuser. This is one of the ways that we altered tradition, which would have dried chilis and Sichuan peppercorns in the teabag. We like the flavor the habanero brings even more!

Place the teabag into the broth, along with two whole scallions, julienned carrots, and the dried lily (with stems removed), and simmer for 10 minutes.

Instead of cooking the chicken and mushrooms in the broth itself, we are going to sauté it to impart a sear on the outside, which helps to keep these elements from tasting ‘overcooked’. So while the stock is infusing, add 1 tbsp vegetable oil and 2 tbsp soy sauce to a flying pan, and sauté the mushrooms and chicken until just cooked. Reserve.

Once stock has been simmering for 10 minutes, Remove and discard the teabag and the two scallions.

Add the white pepper (stirring vigorously – this tends to form small clumps), black vinegar, soy sauce, cooking wine, julienned carrot, and sesame oil to the broth. Cut off the dark portion of the stems from the dried lily flowers and add to the broth as well. (optional: this is where you would add your thinly sliced firm tofu).

Now add the cooked chicken and mushrooms to the broth.

Prepare a corn-starch slurry by mixing 2-4 tbsp cornstarch to the extra ladle of hot broth, ensuring there are no lumps. Mix this slowly into the soup to thicken it. 2 tbsp, which is what we use, gives a thinner-than-restraurant consistency that we like. 4 tbsp will give it a restaurant thickness.

Beat 2 eggs in a glass bowl, then, while stirring the broth, slowly add the egg to the pot. The faster you stir the broth, the smaller the strands of egg will be.

Enjoy!