Chapter 728: Chapter 631: Northeast Bountiful Harvest
However, maybe just having Boss Wang’s affection alone can have such an effect, after all, he’s famously a wife-doting madman.
"You go ahead and get busy, I’ll just hang around for a bit. If there’s anywhere you need help, do let me know, I can earn a bit of pocket money too, haha."
Zhuo Qianqian laughed and asked, "Really? If it’s true, I’m going to tell the boss, okay?"
Zhou Ruoqing nodded repeatedly, "Really, really, traveling is a huge test for my little wallet’s depth. Eating good food while making money, what could be better?"
"Alright, I’ll take charge then. Ruqing, you can tidy up the green beans later by snapping off the ends and breaking them in half. These flat beans don’t have many strings and aren’t too troublesome to handle."
Liu Zhaofeng and Liu Hehe found their new colleague quite intriguing, and this colleague seemed to be from the South.
Zhou Ruoqing graciously extended her hand and introduced herself, "Hello, I’m Zhou Ruoqing, a long-time fan of Boss Wang. Please take care of me today."
Liu Zhaofeng, somewhat blushing, shook hands with Zhou Ruoqing and quickly pulled his hand back like he was shocked: "Hel—hello, I’m Liu Hehe, and this is my sister Liu Zhaofeng... oops, no, I’m Liu Zhaofeng, and this is my sister Liu Hehe."
Liu Zhaofeng couldn’t help but wish he could just find a crack to slip into, but he wasn’t about to dive into the snow pile outside the door—it might be hiding someone’s treasure from their home.
Liu Hehe looked quizzically at her brother, wondering why he’s so nervous.
Something’s off, something’s really off!
As siblings who grew up together, she could always tell what her brother was up to just by the way he acted.
The unmistakable scent of romance!
Liu Zhaofeng felt completely out of sorts, and no one could understand how a gentle, sister-like girl could be his Achilles’ heel—something he’s dreamed about for over ten years!
And luckily, today’s task is dealing with potatoes, or else the efficiency today would surely take a nosedive.
Wang Fan wasn’t aware of what was happening in the small shop behind him, he only knew that at this heat level, the spare ribs were just right.
There are many braised dishes in the Northeast, but he believed the pinnacle must be today’s dish—the Northeast Bountiful Harvest!
Ribs, green beans, corn, potatoes, pumpkin—simple ingredients, yet they were once the most abundant lifesaving crops. When blended into one pot, it symbolizes harvest and holds emotional significance for reunion, making it a dish full of fondness for Northeasterners.
The ribs had been soaking in water for two hours, then scrubbed thoroughly with flour and salt—no need to blanch them anymore. Compared to large chunks of bone, the rib meat is much thinner and it’s easier to remove the blood water; blanching them would actually reduce the meat’s fragrance.
The sugar was already caramelized in the big pot, and as the boiling water hits the pot, oil splatters everywhere. But Wang Fan didn’t worry, as his spatula was over a meter long, so even the splashes couldn’t reach him.
The evenly-sized pure ribs went into the pot, and under the effect of the oil heat and caramelized sugar, they quickly gained a layer of charred edges.
Scallions, ginger, garlic, dried chilies, star anise went into the pot to be sautéed, drizzled with soy sauce, and the rich aroma filled the air before water was poured in.
Since it was already hot water, it soon started simmering in the pot, corn, potatoes, and squash were added, and finally the sautéed green beans.
Once everything was in the pot, Wang Fan left it alone, not even stirring, because potatoes and squash were quite starchy, and stirring them might cause the bottom to burn.
"Glug glug glug..."
The sound from inside the large pot continued to echo, the sweet aroma of squash and the rich fragrance of ribs were enticing everyone’s taste buds for free.
By now, a long line had formed at the small shop’s door again, and many locals even skipped cooking lunch themselves, opting to buy an insulated container here to feed the whole family.
Even though Wang Fan’s dishes were traditional Northeast cuisine, and they all found it pretty bothersome, they couldn’t help but admit they couldn’t recreate that taste themselves!
"You know, it’s really weird, you’d think with the same ingredients, how come his taste is so different? I swear he didn’t add anything extra."
"Who wouldn’t say the same? Just yesterday’s potato braised eggplant—everyone at home makes it every other day, but eating it feels like a whole different thing."
"If he hadn’t always cooked outdoors, I’d really suspect he’d been adding stuff, but it’s all done right before our eyes, there’s no chance to add anything. I never thought cooking skills could manifest so clearly in braised dishes."
"My wife is notoriously picky, yet she finished all three portions I brought home yesterday by herself. Now she’s sent me again today to buy more."
In the Northeast, there’s no such thing as strangers, two people lined up together would soon strike up a conversation, ranging from international affairs to neighborhood disputes, chatting non-stop. Seeing this, Southerners might erroneously believe these people are long-time friends.
Zhou Ruoqing was quite surprised to see a bowl of food suddenly appear before her, "What’s going on? Isn’t it time for employee meals yet?"
Zhuo Qianqian laughed, "Ruqing, you went out so early and definitely didn’t have breakfast. In the Northeast, sleeping burns lots of calories at night, so you must be hungry now. You should eat this bowl, you’ll need energy to work."
Zhou Ruoqing was indeed hungry, having not eaten anything all morning and walked for an hour to get here. Furthermore, Wang Fan’s pot filled with rich and fragrant scent was continually enticing her appetite, she was already rumbling with hunger.
But all her temporary colleagues were still working hard, eating alone felt a little inappropriate.
"I don’t think so? I’ll wait and eat with them. I’m not that hungry."
Zhuo Qianqian shook her head, "Don’t refuse, they had breakfast with us bright and early, and there’s even a fancy staff dinner at night. At noon, even if you wanted them to eat more, they wouldn’t want it."
Liu Hehe chuckled, "Absolutely, the big pot dishes are great but can’t compare to the flavor of a small burner. Ruqing, go ahead and eat, we’ve already had a lot in the morning, definitely not hungry now."
After she finished speaking, she sliced a squash in half with one cut.
Liu Zhaofeng also persuaded, "Ruqing, eat up, don’t be shy. It’s just like being at home here. I just heard your stomach growl, you’re definitely starving."
Zhou Ruoqing blushed, looking down at her little belly and wondering—was the sound that loud?
Zhuo Qianqian said, "Ruqing, quickly eat, the boss is quite busy over there, I’ll leave you to it."
Seeing Zhuo Qianqian run off and the siblings’ earnest eyes, Zhou Ruoqing silently picked up her chopsticks.
The large bowl contained ribs with a reddish-brown charred edge, golden potato chunks, golden corn, vibrant green beans, and pumpkin dyed a sauce color by the marinade.
Whether it was the color of the dish or the white steam rising from the dish, it gave her a cozy feeling.
This dish didn’t strike Zhou Ruoqing as fancy, it couldn’t possibly compare in appearance with many of the dishes Wang Fan made.
It felt, to her, like a dish filled with rich rural flavor.
Yet this touch of rusticity gave her a particularly warm feeling.
She picked up a piece of rib and sent it to her mouth, thirty minutes of simmering had made the pure ribs tender and juicy. With just a gentle suck, they separated from the bone, with rich aromatic juices nestled among the strands of meat, every bite was an experience of the perfect fusion of meat and other ingredients’ flavors.
Next was a piece of potato, and although complete in appearance, it had softened to a melted texture, dissipating upon entry, with a very distinct sandy grit texture after dissolving in the mouth.
The deliciousness of the green beans was equally impressive, soft yet crisp, combined with the unique flavor of the broth, it could be said they were even tastier than meat.
The squash was sweet and tender, the corn plump and flavorful, every bite was a delightful surprise.
This pot dish had no supporting roles, each ingredient could be the main or secondary character, all distinct in flavor but perfectly blended in the broth, easily captivating one’s taste buds.
"Are all Northeast dishes this delicious? I could eat here forever."
Comments