Vegetable Stock (For Chinese Dishes and Soups)

• 16 medium-sized dried shiitake (or Chinese black) mushrooms
• 4 carrots, washed and scrubbed
• 8 whole scallions
• 6 outer lettuce leaves
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon Chinese thin soy sauce
• 2 teaspoons sesame oil
• 1/4 teaspoon sugar

1. Rinse the mushrooms quickly in cold water.
2. Wash and scrub the carrots, leaving 4 inches of their tops on, if possible.
3. Combine the mushrooms, carrots, scallions, lettuce, salt, and 5 cups water in a 4-quart pot and bring to a boil.
4. Cover, lower heat and simmer for half an hour.
5. Strain the stock through three layers of cheesecloth.
6. Discard all the vegetables except the mushrooms.
7. Boil down the stock to 4 cups.
8. Add the soy sauce, sesame oil, and sugar.
9. Mix and check seasonings.

shiitake, carrots, scallions, outer, salt, chinese thin, sesame oil, sugar

Taken from www.cookstr.com/recipes/vegetable-stock-for-chinese-dishes-and-soups (may not work)