2 md Turnips 2 sm Carrots 4 Green onions 3 Fresh asparagus spears 1/2 c Button mushrooms 1/2 c Peeled straw mushrooms 8 Baby sweet corn 8 Water chestnuts 1/2 ts Fresh ginger root 1 tb Tientsin preserved Vegetable 2 tb Peanut oil 2 c Chicken stock 1 ts Salt 1 pn Sugar Cornstarch paste 1 tb Chicken fat 1/2 c Crab meat or shelled Shrimp (opt) Preparation: Peel 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 center 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. Insmall 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.
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