ASSORTED VEGETABLES IN A CLEAR SAUCE
2 med Turnips
2 sm Carrots
2 tbsp Peanut oil
4 Green onions
2 c Chicken stock
3 Fresh asparagus spears
1 tsp Salt
1/2 c Button mushrooms
1 pinch Sugar
1/2 c Peeled straw mushrooms
8 Baby Sweet corn
1 tbsp Chicken fat
8 Water chestnuts
1/2 c Crab Meat or shelled Shrimp (opt)
1/2 tsp Fresh ginger root
1 tb Tientsin preserved
Cornstarch Paste
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. In a small pan or beaker on med 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. Place on serving platter.
AUTHENTIC FRIED RICE
2 oz Chinese barbecued Pork
1/4 lb Fresh or frozen peas (if peas are fresh, chill first)
1 tsp Salt
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp Oil, preferably peanut
2 Eggs; lightly beaten
2 c Long-Grain Rice, steamed
4 oz Fresh Bean sprouts
Heat wok or a dry skillet, when pan starts smoking, spread peanut oil into pan. Add rice, pork and peas and stir-fry for about 2 minutes. Pour in soy sauce, stir-fry for another minute. Pour the lightly beaten eggs over the mixture, continue to cook until eggs are done, about 1-2 minutes. Serves 4.
