Ingredients
- 8 baby sweet corn
- 8 water chestnuts
- 4 green onions
- 3 asparagus spears (fresh)
- 2 turnips
- 2 carrots
- 2 c chicken stock
- 1/2 c crab meat
- 1/2 c button mushrooms
- 1/2 c straw mushrooms (peeled)
- 2 tb peanut oil
- 1 tb tientsin preserved
- 1 tb chicken fat
- 1 ts salt
- 1/2 ts ginger root (fresh)
- 1 pn sugar
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.