Assorted Vegetables In A Clear Sauce

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 stock

1 ts Salt

1 pn Sugar

Cornstarch paste 1 tb 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.