Yield: 4 servings
| Measure | Ingredient |
|---|---|
| 2 mediums | Turnips |
| 2 smalls | Carrots |
| 4 \N | Green onions |
| 3 \N | Fresh asparagus spears |
| ½ cup | Button mushrooms |
| ½ cup | Peeled straw mushrooms |
| 8 \N | Baby sweet corn |
| 8 \N | Water chestnuts |
| ½ teaspoon | Fresh ginger root |
| 1 tablespoon | Tientsin preserved |
| \N \N | Vegetable |
| 2 tablespoons | Peanut oil |
| 2 cups | Chicken stock |
| 1 teaspoon | Salt |
| 1 pinch | Sugar |
| \N \N | Cornstarch paste |
| 1 tablespoon | Chicken fat |
| ½ cup | Crab meat or shelled |
| \N \N | Shrimp (opt) |
Preparation: Peel turnips & carrots. Use melon scoop to cut turnips into large balls. Slice carrots ½" 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 1½" 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 ½ 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.