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Bird's Nest Soup

1-3/4 ounces cleaned bird's nest
2 cups water
2 slices fresh ginger, each the size of a 25-cent piece
4 cups Chinese chicken Soup Stock (see recipe below)
2 tablespoons cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoons water
salt
2 eggs, beaten
ham, cut julienne, very fine, for garnish

Soak the bird's nest overnight in fresh water. Using a fine mesh
strainer drain and rinse the nest. Place in a saucepan and add 2
cups of water and the ginger slices. Simmer for 5 minutes and
drain in the strainer, discarding the ginger. Pick out any impurities
and add to the soup stock and simmer for 1/2 hour.

Stir in the cornstarch mixed with water and cook to thicken. Add
salt to taste and pour the beaten eggs in a thin stream over the
top of the soup. Count to ten and gently stir the eggs into the
soup. The shredded-ham garnish will go nicely on the top of this
very delicately flavored soup.

A good Chinese market should have nests available (or perhaps they
will order for you), but they are very expensive. The cost for
enough nest to make two batches of this soup will be somewhere
between $30 and $40.