Instructions: 1. Skin and bone chicken; then slice thin and cut in 1/2- by 2-inch strips.

Cut Chinese cabbage stems lengthwise in similar strips. Crush garlic.

2. Heat oil. Add salt, then garlic and stir-fry a few times. Add chicken and stir-fry until it loses its pinkness (1 to 2 minutes).

3. Add cabbage stems and soy sauce; stir-fry to soften slightly (about 1 minute).

4. Stir in stock and heat quickly. Then cook, covered, over medium heat until done (2 to 3 minutes). Meanwhile blend cornstarch and cold water to a paste.

5. Stir in cornstarch paste to thicken sauce. Serve at once.

NOTE: Chinese cabbage hearts are not vegetable "hearts" in the Western sense, but the very sweet and delicate inner stems of the Chinese cabbage.

VARIATION: For the chicken, substitute 1/2 pound shrimp, shelled and deveined.

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