Assorted Vegetables In A Clear Sauce

Ingredients:

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

Method:

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.