Chapter 181: Braised Saddle Bridge
On the other hand, the bamboo pith roll just needed to be steamed for five minutes before it could be served. The soup on the plate should not be poured out as it contained all the original taste of the prawns. After returning it to the pot, he used the bean flour to thicken the gravy. Finally, he added peanut oil to enhance the fragrance. After making the gravy thick enough, he used a small spoon to accurately pour them on the bamboo pith roll one by one. The dish was finally completed.
The plump bamboo pith were like small pillows, soft and white on the plate, exquisite and small.
“It’s so light-flavored. Will this taste bland?”
As Lu Yuxi spoke, she picked up a bamboo pith roll and placed it in her mouth.
The bamboo pith, which was usually used in the hotpot, was fragrant and crispy in her impression. At this moment, it was filled with the essence of the prawn meat. It was smooth and soft, and the prawn meat inside was juicy. Although it did not have a strong taste, the original taste of the Teochew dish was already amazing!
Soon, after the braised eel was out of the pot again, he picked up the pork belly on it. During the process of stewing and steaming, the essence of the pork belly had been completely absorbed.
Then, he forced out the soup base and used the plate to pour it out. He surrounded it with the golden garlic that he had just fried.
Li Qing looked at the crispy and savory piece of eel and was about to eat it when Xu Le stopped him. “Wait a little longer. There’s still one last step.”
The soup that had been forced out just now was returned to the pot. White pepper and sugar were added, and finally, water was used to thicken the gravy. After stirring it with a spoon until it was thick and smooth, it could be poured onto the steamed eel. Once it was poured on, the color of the entire dish would reach another level.
It was red and tempting. It melted in the mouth and was soft and delicious. Lu Yuxi ate a portion first and immediately raised one of her eyebrows. “The flesh came off the bones before I even bit it. It’s very fresh and tender. The braised eel is not fishy at all. It tastes like white pepper and is slightly spicy.”
“The braising is to force the fragrance in. It’s steamed at the end so that it will become soft and tender.”
“The garlic is delicious too. It’s soft and flavorful. It’s not spicy at all. It’s all the fragrance of the meat gravy.”
After Xu Zhexian finished tasting it, his tightly furrowed brows relaxed. He said, “In my impression, Huaiyang cuisine has always been sweet. I’m worried that the locals won’t be used to this taste, but this dish is still alright. It’s fresh and sweet. The taste of the sugar is only used to enhance the freshness and doesn’t overshadow the taste itself.”
“The Jiangsu region was the first to produce salt. There’s no lack of salt. After they’re sick of it, they became used to putting sugar on the dishes used to serve guests. It can be said that the rarer something is, the more expensive it is. However, the proportion of sugar has always been very low, so it doesn’t affect the overall taste much.”
Other than the watermelon, there were only the last ingredients, which were fat and lean meat. Originally, Xu Le did not plan to make home-cooked food, but because of the limited ingredients, he could only do so.
“I went to Hunan for a very spicy and fragrant meal previously. Based on the previous taste I recall, I should be able to replicate it…”
“When have you been to Hunan, Lele?”
Xu Zhexian could not help but ask curiously.
“When I was recording the show.”
Xu Le quickly found a reason to brush it off and changed the topic. He asked Zhang Tong, “Is the chili ready?”
Just now, after Zhang Tong mixed the red pepper and garlic powder in a certain ratio, he added white wine and sugar and placed them in a yogurt machine that could be heated for half an hour.
“That’ll do. It tastes just right.”
Xu Le took a sniff. The strong alcohol smell of the white wine had almost dissipated, leaving only a fragrance. It tasted much better than the chopped peppers sold on the market.
On the other hand, the chili and garlic were extremely spicy. Just the smell of them was enough to make one salivate.
Lu Yuxi cut the lean pork and fatty meat into thin slices and added food salt, Five Fragrance Powder, clear water, and dark soya sauce and mixed with her hands until the meat absorbed everything.
Xu Le added a suitable amount of light and dark soya sauce, oyster sauce, MSG, and a little sugar to the bowl. Then, he stirred it evenly and put it aside.
The base oil was poured into the pot. The beancurd were cut into thin slices and scooped out after stir-frying. Then, the fire was turned to the maximum. The traditional stir-fried Changsha meat needed to be stir-fried in a minute and ten seconds. This step tested the chef’s control of the heat and the ingredients.
The fatty meat was stir-fried in the pot a few times. The thick fat gradually turned golden on both sides. After it became thin and soft, the lean meat and dried beans were poured in. Garlic slices and beans were then added. After stir-frying over a high fire until it changed color, the chopped peppers that had been prepared previously were added into the pot and stir-fried. Finally, the prepared seasoning mixture was added. When it was about to be served, a handful of fresh and green garlic sprouts was sprinkled. Then, it could be placed on the plate.
The lean meat and fatty meat seeped into each other. It was neither greasy nor dry. The chopped peppers stimulated the spiciness in the hot oil, and the beancurd soaked in the fragrance of the oil. A Sichuan dish that looked, smelled, and tasted good was prepared.
A countdown had already appeared on the big screen. Lu Yuxi knew that there was not much time left, so she hurriedly said, “Plate the dish first. Put a small portion of rice with two bamboo pith rolls, a spoonful of stir-fried meat, and two sections of braised saddle bridge.”
It was meant to be given to random passers-by to taste one by one. There was no need to serve too much.
Now, they only needed to make the last dish of watermelon dew. After boiling hot water over the agar and cooling it down a little, he used the sieve to remove the white foam from the newly squeezed watermelon juice.
Then, he divided them into bowls and filled each small bowl with a spoonful. He placed them directly into the freezer. After three to five minutes, the natural glue in the agar would freeze it. It was not troublesome to make and good for relieving heat.
He took a piece of pale yellow rock sugar and put it in cold water to boil slowly. The difference between rock sugar and white sugar was that it carried a cool mint fragrance. After it was all dissolved in the water, it was quickly cooled down in the freezer.
After waiting for about ten minutes, he could take out the frozen watermelon dew and use a fruit knife to cut it into cubes. Finally, he would pour the rock sugar water on it. It would melt in the mouth and the fragrance of the watermelon would freeze into the jelly. The peppermint smell would rush up to one’s throat and wake him up.
For the sake of aesthetics, after plating it, he sprinkled some mint on it. It was cool and comfortable, and looked good.
There were cameras following him all the way out, but no one showed up at the Master Chef’s side. It was Chen Zui and Chen Yeqi who pushed out the dining cart. Lu Yuxi glanced at him and saw that there were small casseroles on the dining cart. She knew that they were seafood without looking.
“Little Master Chef, what did you make?”
Chen Ye was had an ulterior motive when he asked that. Without waiting for Lu Yuxi to answer, he teased, “I have the Buddha Jumps Over The Wall here.”
Lu Yuxi rolled her eyes and reluctantly pushed the dining cart over to exchange with the other party.
It was already past ten o’clock, and there were not many people on the street. Lu Yuxi pointed in a direction and said, “Let’s push it to the night market. There are many people there.”
They soon arrived at the location. As soon as they arrived, the crowd sitting at the food stall suddenly erupted in cheers. “It’s the Little Master Chef! He’s here!”
At this time, among the people who were still eating supper, there were inevitably many foodies who were watching the live broadcast. Immediately, people crowded around Lu Yuxi.
“Can I have your autograph?”
“Can we take a photo?”
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