2 md Turnips
2 sm Carrots
4 Green onions
3 Fresh asparagus spears
1/2 c Button mushrooms
8 Baby sweet corn
8 Water chestnuts
1/2 ts Fresh ginger root
1 tb Tientsin vegetable
2 tb Peanut oil
2 c Chicken stock
1 ts Salt
1 pn Salt
Cornstarch paste
1 tb Chicken fat
1/2 c Crab meat or shell shrimp
PREPARATION: Peal turnips & carrots. Use melon scoop
to cut turnips into large balls. Slice carrots 1/2"
thick; then with paring knife, cut 4 evenly spaced
notches into rim of each slice (don't cut into core).
Carrots should look like little flowers. Parboil
turnip & carrots in stock until barely tender. Remove
from stock & plunge pieces into cold water; drain. Cut
onions, asparagus & baby corn into 1 1/2" pieces.
Mince together fresh ginger root & Tientsin preserved
vegetable. In small pot or beaker on medium heat,
render pieces of chicken fat.
STIR FRYING: Add peanut oil to hot wok. When it begins
to smoke, briskly fry crab meat or shrimp for 1
minute. Add asparagus, baby corn, mushrooms & water
chestnuts, stir-frying until they are hot. Add ginger
mixture, then onions. Stir-fry another 30 seconds. Add
1/ 2 stock, salt & sugar; bring to boil. Add turnips &
carrots. Cover & reduce heat; simmer for 5 minutes.
Uncover, push ingredients out of liquid, & dribble in
cornstarch paste to thicken slightly. Stir liquid to
prevent lumping while it thickens to a thick soup.
Recombine, then mix in chicken oil. Remove to serving
platter.
