usatvline Chapter 80 Wang Zhihuan's Culinary Skills
Chapter 80 Wang Zhihuan's Culinary Skills
Wang Zhi turned the intestines inside out, first rubbing them three times with flour, then rubbing them carefully with a handful of salt, and finally rinsing them with the leftover distilled liquor from the distillery to remove the fishy smell.
This was a huge expense. You have to understand that in those days, neither flour nor salt were common items, especially the wine.
Yu Chi Baoqi walked over at some point, silently squatted down next to him, and took over the rinsing process, her movements no slower than his.
Wang Zhi glanced at him and nodded. The two of them continued with their tasks in a tacit manner, without saying anything extra.
As the sun rose higher, the steam in the kitchen grew thicker and thicker.
Blanch the braised pork hock in boiling water, then rub it with old-fashioned soy sauce while it's still hot. The pork skin will instantly turn a deep reddish-brown and glossy. Place it in an iron pot lined with scallions and ginger slices, add Shaoxing wine, soy sauce, and a little rock sugar, cover the pot, and simmer over low heat.
The system is truly amazing. In this era, as long as you have merit points, you can buy things that ordinary people cannot obtain.
The casserole of braised pork had been bubbling away for half an hour, the sauce thick and glossy red, the pieces of pork trembling slightly, and when you gently poke them with chopsticks, the skin was slightly springy while the meat was already tender.
Chang Le was dragged to the kitchen by Si Zi to "see if the meat is ready yet."
She stood in front of the stove, took the chopsticks Wang Zhihuan handed her, and carefully poked at the meat in the pot. She turned around to say something, but found that he had already stood half a step behind her, looking down at the pot.
Sunlight streamed through the window, casting a soft golden glow on his profile and gilding his gentle smile.
Her heart skipped a beat, and she quickly turned her face away, only daring to look down at the bubbling broth in the pot.
Sizi squatted at the kitchen door, looking up at her sister and Wang Zhihuan with her little face, tilted her head, and then lowered her head to shake the bell.
"Pot-pot-pot-is the meat ready yet?" Sizi called out in her childish voice, peeking her little head into the kitchen.
Wang Zhi turned to look at her and smiled: "Almost there, Sizi, just wait a little longer."
Sizi nodded vigorously: "Sizi can wait! Sizi is the best at waiting!" Then she looked up, "Brother, Huihui wants to eat meat too, right?"
"Yes," Wang Zhihuan picked up a piece of freshly cooked pig's blood tofu, blew on it to cool it down, and handed it to her. "But cats can't eat things that are too salty. This is for Sizi, have a taste."
Si Zi opened his mouth to take it, his cheeks puffed out, and mumbled, "Good!" Then he turned to Chang Le and shouted, "Big sister! Guo Guo's tofu is so good!"
Chang Le was still standing by the stove, clutching the chopstick in her hand, the redness at the base of her ears still lingering. She softly replied, "Eat more if it's delicious."
The midday sun was blazing, but the dense shade of the jujube tree enveloped the entire stone table in coolness.
A clean linen cloth was laid on the long table, and various dishes were served one after another, steaming hot and fragrant.
Braised pork belly is the main dish, with three layers of fat and pork belly coated in a glistening caramel-colored sauce. The skin is a bright red like amber and melts in your mouth.
The braised pork knuckle was cooked to perfection, the meat easily separating from the bone, and it was so tender that it fell off the bone with just a touch of chopsticks.
The pork blood tofu is so tender it melts on your tongue, coated with the spiciness of minced garlic and the fresh aroma of chives.
The braised pork intestines were the first dish to be completely devoured—Cheng Chuliang took his first bite with trepidation. He was genuinely a little wary of this dish, having never tried it before. After chewing a couple of times, his expression changed drastically.
Without saying a word, he picked up several more bites with his chopsticks, only slowing down awkwardly after being glared at by Cheng Chumo.
"Is this really pig intestines?" Cheng Chuliang mumbled, his mouth bulging. "How come it smells even better than sheep tripe?"
Yu Chi Baolin picked up a piece of braised pork, chewed it, remained silent for a moment, put down his chopsticks, and said seriously to his two younger brothers, "This pork is even tastier than the mutton our family cook makes."
Yuchi Baohuan nodded vigorously, his mouth stuffed full.
Yu Chi Baoqi didn't say anything, but silently picked up another piece of fatty intestine with his chopsticks—this was the third time he had taken the initiative to do so.
The broth of the pickled cabbage and pork bone stew is milky white, with a sour and fragrant aroma mixed with the rich flavor of the bone marrow. One sip warms you from your throat to your stomach.
The pork neck is marinated with spices beforehand and grilled over charcoal until the edges are slightly charred. It is then sliced thinly and eaten with minced garlic and coarse salt. It is crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, with the fat rendering out a thin layer of charred aroma.
After taking a bite, Yu Chi Bao Huan's eyes widened. She tugged at Cheng Chu Liang's sleeve and said, "This is the best meat I've ever eaten!" Cheng Chu Liang replied smugly, "I told you so!"
The osmanthus-scented lotus root was made by Empress Zhangsun herself this morning. Chang Le carefully sliced it into thin slices and arranged them neatly in a celadon dish. The lotus root holes were filled with glutinous rice, and the honey syrup was translucent.
Sizi held up her chopsticks and mumbled, "Osmanthus lotus root is the best." A grain of rice stuck to the corner of her mouth. Chang Le took out a handkerchief to wipe her mouth, but she turned her face away and kept chewing on a slice of lotus root. Her cheeks were bulging like a little squirrel hoarding food.
"Sizi, don't move." Chang Le smiled helplessly, gently pinching her sister's chin with her fingers to wipe the rice grains from the corner of her mouth.
"Ugh—I won't bite—" Si Zi had something in her mouth, so she couldn't speak clearly. Her eyes darted around, and she picked up another slice of lotus root while her sister let go.
The staple food is "Champa rice," each grain distinct, crystal clear, chewy and springy, with a sweet rice aroma.
This is considered a luxury. Originally, the goal was to keep the seed, but Wang Zhi thought, "If I want to eat it, I'll eat it. Why think so much? It's okay to be a little extravagant. It's not like I can't afford it."
Cheng Chumo stared blankly for a moment, holding his rice bowl, then lowered his head and shoveled down a couple more mouthfuls. He looked up at Wang Zhihuan, his eyes filled with amazement: "Brother Wang, this rice is so fragrant, even more fragrant than tribute rice. Is this the Champa rice you grow?"
"Hmm. The first crop last year had a decent yield, but since we've only just started planting, our stock is limited. Most of it is already planted in the fields, so this meal is quite a luxury for us today."
Wang Zhi also picked up a piece of braised pork intestines with his chopsticks, speaking in a very indifferent tone.
Li Zhi sat on the other side of the stone table, his bowl half empty of rice. He ate quietly, only picking up two slices of lotus root with osmanthus flowers, but his eyes remained bright.
He wanted to try it, but he didn't want to be the first to try it, because his upbringing had constrained him.
Pork meat is cheap meat, and with the addition of offal, it's even more difficult for him... He'll wait until others have tasted it before deciding.
Chengyang, however, was different. He unusually ordered a second bowl of rice, showing particular fondness for the pig's blood tofu dish, and even ate three bites of it.
When Si Zi pointed at her and said, "Second sister is stealing tofu," Cheng Yang blushed and glared at her younger sister. She lacked confidence, but she was still unwilling to give up.
Yu Chi Baoqi quietly moved the plate of pig's blood and tofu half an inch closer to her.
During the meal, Yuchi Baolin put down his chopsticks and looked at Wang Zhihuan seriously: "Master Wang, my father said that this wine was brewed by you—and this pork was also raised by you using the new method?"
Wang Zhihuan was using bamboo tongs to turn the pork neck meat on the charcoal fire when he heard this and looked up: "There's nothing special about raising pigs. They eat earthworms and fermented grains, so they grow faster and the meat is firmer."
The earthworms were leftover from raising chickens, and the distiller's grains were leftover from distilling liquor; they didn't cost much.
Yuchi Baolin was silent for a moment, then suddenly stood up and solemnly clasped his hands in a fist salute to him: "Master Wang, I, Yuchi Baolin, served in the army for two years and know how difficult logistics are. For every shi (a unit of dry measure) of grain transported to the front line, three dou (another unit of dry measure) are eaten on the way."