Chapter 71 (Salt and Pepper Fries)
Xiao Huaiqi took note of it carefully and planned to tell the emperor about it the next time he entered the palace.
Yan Qiushu was still immersed in the excitement of having potatoes. When she thought of the weakness of potatoes, she didn't think of anything else for a while. She took the potatoes and couldn't wait to go to Mrs. Xiao's yard. She greeted Mrs. Xiao and started cooking potatoes.
There are so many things you can do with potatoes!
Yan Qiushu had too many choices in her mind. She washed the potatoes and peeled them, but she was still struggling. Finally, she thought of Dongdong and the others at home, so she decided to make French fries.
Cut the potatoes into strips of appropriate size and blanch them in boiling water for two minutes. Salt has been added to the boiling water in advance, then quickly take them out and rinse them with cold water.
There was a lot of ice in the Xiao Mansion, but time was tight at the moment, so Yan Qiushu could only add some ice cubes to the cold water and put the potato strips in to chill them. During this time, she cleaned the pot.
Then take out the potato strips and drain the water, put them in a bowl, add a little starch, stir to let the starch adhere to every part of the potato strips. At this time, you can put oil in the large iron pot.
When the oil is hot, pour the potato strips in and wait for the moisture inside to be fried out. This step takes a long time. At this time, Dongdong, Wan'er, Xiao Pingsong, Xie Qingyun and others all rushed over after hearing the news.
Because the ingredients this time were important, no one dared to come in. They all stood at the kitchen door, staring eagerly.
"Brother Hiramatsu, is this a potato?"
"It doesn't smell like anything?"
"Will it taste bad?" Dongdong asked.
In the past, the fragrance of the things Yan Qiushu made could be smelled from ten miles away. She wanted to let everyone know that their Xiao family made delicious food. If it weren't for the fact that the Xiao family had a high reputation and had been "closed" for many years, the neighbors would not have dared to disturb them easily, and the Xiao family's threshold would have been trampled down.
Only this time, there seemed to be no smell at all.
Oh, that's not right!
As a foodie, Dongdong has a very sensitive nose. He sniffed and whispered, "It smells like oil!"
He lives in a family that has no shortage of food, and he doesn't like overly greasy flavors because they make him sick easily.
Yan Qiushu found it funny, but before she could reply, Xie Qingyun had already knocked the child on the head: "Don't talk nonsense, this is a good thing that can save lives!"
"Huh???" Dongdong was shocked.
Xie Qingyun smiled and said, "Although I don't know what this thing tastes like, it has a high yield. If poor families grow this, after paying it back to the court, there will still be a lot left, and those people will not go hungry."
Dongdong straightened his expression and said obediently, "Well, Dongdong knows, this thing must be delicious!"
Wan'er also nodded seriously: "It will be delicious! Everything Sister Shu cooks is delicious!"
Yan Qiushu pursed her lips and smiled. Seeing that the color of the potatoes in the pot had turned light yellow, she took them out to drain the oil. After a while, when the potato strips had cooled, she put them back in to fry them again.
This time it took much less time, and the color of the potato strips successfully changed from light yellow to golden yellow.
She quickly fished it out, controlled the oil again, and waited until most of the oil had dripped off before putting it into a large bowl.
Finally, the seasoning.
There was no ketchup, but there was pepper salt, pepper powder, etc. Yan Qiushu picked a few and mixed them, then sprinkled them into the bowl. She held the bowl with both hands and shook it vigorously to let the powder of the seasonings adhere to the French fries.
At this point, it’s ready to eat!
When she turned around, she met several pairs of sparkling eyes. Yan Qiushu smiled and said, "Okay, this is one of the methods. Since there are only two potatoes, I will make French fries first so that you can all try them."
She waved her hand and several people came in.
The originally large kitchen suddenly became crowded, and several more hands appeared in the bowl, each picking up a French fry.
"Wow! This is delicious!" Dongdong was the first to exclaim.
As a child, this kind of French fry snack is very pleasing to him. He put it in his mouth at first and was a little hesitant, but when he bit it, the thin crispy shell broke open, and the inside was soft like a roasted sweet potato, but without the sweetness of the sweet potato, and only salty.
There aren't many condiments on top, but the taste is just right, slightly salty, slightly numb, slightly spicy, plus this wonderful texture called French fries.
Dongdong ate one and quickly reached out again.
Madam Xiao also showed a rare deep joy. She ate the fries in her mouth and nodded repeatedly: "It tastes good!"
Xiao Huaiqi was much more reserved, but his warm cheeks were also more lively than before. He ate the French fries in small bites, savoring its flavor carefully. He was a little surprised: "This thing doesn't seem to have much flavor. It's a bit like powder?"
The same goes for flour. If nothing is added, the steamed buns will only have a faint sweetness.
But if you add chili oil, it will have a salty and spicy taste. If you add white sugar and brown sugar to make steamed buns, it will be sweet. If you add a little vinegar, it will have a sour and spicy taste.
Yan Qiushu also tried it. She hadn't eaten it for a long time. It had a familiar taste. Although there was no ketchup, the salt and pepper chips were also very good. She nodded and said, "Yes, it can be made into many delicious foods!"
"It's a pity there's too little!" After tasting it, Xie Qingyun looked at the small amount of food in the bowl and didn't eat any more. She decided to leave it for the children.
Xiao Huaiqi smiled and said, "Fortunately, this thing doesn't take too long to grow. I heard that it can be grown twice a year. If the temperature is right, it can be grown all year round."
Yan Qiushu nodded vigorously and reminded him again, "Yes! But it's also very fragile. If something goes wrong, there will be nothing to harvest, and it will be even more miserable."
Although she did not know the history of other countries, she still remembered that there was a potato disease that caused an epidemic in history, and countless people died. However, there was currently no treatment here, so the planting could not be expanded at will.
Xiao Huaiqi frowned slightly, feeling somewhat troubled by this. Suddenly, his eyes flashed as he looked at the woman in front of him: "Ashu seems to know a lot about potatoes. How about you plant them?"
Yan Qiushu quickly shook her head: "I only know how to eat, not how to grow. I only know a little bit of basic theoretical knowledge."
Xiao Huaiqi gave up the idea with regret, raised his hand to pick up the French fries, and planned to take two more bites.
This tastes really good.
Just as he raised his hand, he found that there was only one fry left in the bowl. Dongdong's chubby little hand also reached out there. The two hands collided. Dongdong withdrew his hand guiltily, coughed lightly, and said seriously: "Uncle, this is for you."
Xiao Huaiqi laughed angrily: "Finished eating so quickly?!"
Wan'er pursed her lips shyly, hiding behind Yan Qiushu, and whispered, "It's so delicious, I accidentally finished it~"
Dongdong quickly nodded and didn't feel embarrassed at all.
Xiao Pingsong's cheeks flushed slightly, and he still held two in his hand: "I haven't finished eating yet, I want to leave some for my mother."
Song Mingdai didn't come out.
Ever since she was reprimanded in public last time, she rarely came out. When she did come out occasionally, she was as quiet as a sculpture. Xie Qingyun secretly told Yan Qiushu that she had always been like this, and that what happened before was abnormal, so there was no need to worry about it.
Xiao Huaiqi rubbed his nephew's head and said, "Go ahead."
Xiao Pingsong ran away quickly.
Xiao Huaiqi ate the last cold French fry under Dongdong's reluctant gaze, and then he remembered something: "The method of making these French fries is probably too expensive for ordinary people."
Oil is also a rare commodity.
Yan Qiushu explained, "Besides this, you can also stir-fry shredded potatoes directly, add some vinegar and peppercorns to make hot and sour shredded potatoes. There are many ways to eat it. Just make it into French fries, and children will like it more. When there are more potatoes, you can add it to the fried chicken restaurant, and there will definitely be a lot of orders..."
When it comes to cooking potatoes, she knows them all so well that ten fingers are not enough.
Xiao Huaiqi's eyes lit up when he heard it, and he murmured, "It really is... a good thing!"
Isn’t that a good thing?
Even families who can't cook like Yan Qiushu can use potatoes to make delicious food.
Some chefs know what to cook as soon as they get the ingredients.
However, in a short period of time, the emergence of potatoes as a new ingredient made the people of Kyoto go on a carnival, especially the farmers who lived in the countryside and made a living by farming. They were so happy that they were willing to spend money to buy food at the food court and go back to celebrate.
The upper-class families in Kyoto, who had eaten potatoes, were quick and keen to realize the huge benefits that this ingredient would bring.
Everyone was more diligent in visiting the palace.
He tried to get more potatoes from the palace as seeds and plant them himself.
Xiao Huaiqi is no exception. Although Yan Qiushu does not know how to plant, he has many capable people under him. In addition, he is now doing business and has a business acumen. How could he miss this huge business opportunity?
There were too many ministers coming and going, and none of them could be dismissed casually, so the old emperor fell ill again. His health was not good to begin with, and after the incident with the third prince, he became even sicker. This time, he was so happy that he was extremely tired, and he lay down in bed after only a day.
As soon as he lay down, the others calmed down.
Instead, he went to visit King Huai.
As the person who brought the potatoes back, he must have had quite a lot. It's impossible that he handed them all over without leaving a single one, right?
As a result, the number of visiting cards sent to Prince Huai's Mansion was even greater than the hairs on a cow.
The gifts were piled up like mountains.
Aristocratic families have everything they need, not money, and any benefit they can get is a good thing.
After rejecting another adult's request, King Huai rubbed his stiff smile and waved his hand expressionlessly and tiredly: "Pass it on, I am tired and will not see anyone."
In fact, in addition to those who came to ask for potatoes, a small number of people came for his marriage.
As the fourth child, he has a big age gap with his three older brothers, and he likes to run around, so he has not yet married. Now, his father has mentioned his praise for him countless times in just two days. He is a prince and cannot be given a higher title, so he also promised that his two sons can inherit the title at the same time, and if it is a daughter, she will be directly given the title of princess.
Such honor will greatly benefit future generations and make the ministers of the Great Zhou more willing to marry their daughters to him. As long as he can give birth to a son, he will be a prince, and if he gives birth to a daughter, she will be a princess. It's simply too cool!
King Huai was truly exhausted from dealing with this, and after leaving this sentence, he was about to leave. However, just as he finished speaking, the butler reported, "The Crown Prince of Jin is here. Your Highness, are you refusing?"
King Huai paused and said, "Let him in."
"Yes." The butler responded and went to invite the person in. When he left, he closed the study door.
King Huai frowned: "Didn't you say that we should contact each other less in the future?"
Now it is clear that Zhou Zejing is on Lao Liu's side. If he has too much contact with him, it might arouse suspicion.
Zhou Zejing chuckled: "Your Highness, don't worry. It was King Xuan who sent me here this time."
"Still want more? Didn't I give him a basket?" King Huai sneered, "You are greedy."
"Who can be satisfied with such a good thing?" Zhou Zejing sighed. It was such a pity that such a good thing did not appear after he ascended the throne. Instead, it gave the old emperor an achievement that would go down in history in his foolish later years.
King Huai said calmly: "It's no use being ungrateful. This king really has nothing left."
Mentioning this, Zhou Zejing's expression became serious: "Has everything been arranged with Prince Chang?"
"Of course it's fine." King Huai smiled calmly. "The second son sacrificed himself for the people and discovered the poisonous part of this potato through experimentation. This will save the people from the pain of poisoning from accidentally eating it. This is a great thing. Many people will surely be grateful to their family."
"A family?!" Zhou Zejing was shocked.
King Huai frowned slightly: "Of course, the second son will not eat such a good thing alone. I calculated that the portion given to him is not much. He should be able to eat the problem tonight."
Zhou Zejing soon calmed down, with a hint of anticipation in his eyes.
It is exactly as King Huai said.
Prince Chang did not eat alone. After eating the potatoes, he confirmed that they tasted good, so he asked his son, "Why don't you invite Dongdong to come and eat?"
As a prince, he naturally got more than a minister. Even if they asked for it later, he still got a considerable share. He could keep the good quality ones for seeds, and the rest was enough for entertaining guests.
When Ah Heng heard this suggestion, the smile on his already expectant face became even brighter, and his clear voice was full of innocence: "Okay! Dad, then I'd also like to invite Wan'er, Brother Pingsong, and Sister Ashu! Sister Ashu always cooked for me before, this time I'll ask her to come and eat!"
"Okay, let your mother go and invite someone." Prince Chang nodded with a smile.
Ah Heng should have called them Father and Mother, but there were no such rules where he grew up, and he was reluctant to change it after he came out. He always felt that the names father and mother were more intimate, so Prince Chang let him do it.
"I'll go!" Ah Heng said crisply, and ran out happily.
He is much more lively than when he was imprisoned, and always has a smile on his face.
Princess Chang naturally agreed to his request and directly asked her personal nanny to deliver the invitation.
At 4 p.m. that day, Xie Qingyun came with Yan Qiushu and their three children.
When inviting his friends to his home for the first time, Ah Heng acted like a real host, dressed up neatly and beautifully, came to greet them early, and when people arrived, he took them around his home and introduced what was done here and what was done there. He was so excited that the little one couldn't stop talking.
Princess Chang was delighted to see her son happy, and she herself was also happy, with a bright smile on her face. "This is the first time Ah Heng invited a friend to visit, and he was a little too excited. I remember when Dongdong first invited him to visit, he was so happy that he didn't know how to walk and fell down several times at home."
"Mom!" Ah Heng shouted angrily after hearing his mother's "ridicule".
Princess Chang coughed lightly, indicating that she would stop teasing her son.
Xie Qingyun continued, "Ah Heng has a simple and straightforward personality, which is very good."
"Yeah, Dongdong is also very good. If it weren't for him..."
The two of them were talking in low voices, while Yan Qiushu was playing with Ah Heng and the others. Noticing the harmony between the two sides, she was very glad that Xie Qingyun was there, otherwise she would be the one who had to bite the bullet and talk to Princess Chang!
After walking for a while, the children were a little tired. Ah Heng asked them to sit down in the pavilion and told them about what he would treat them to today: "The potatoes are especially delicious! They are crispy, you will definitely like them!"
Dongdong widened his eyes when he heard this and said in surprise, "Potatoes are obviously pink!"
Ah Heng: “? Crisp!”
"Powdered!" Wan'er interrupted and emphasized, "Sister Shu made it for us. It's delicious. It's called French fries, and they're powdered!"
Ah Heng had an expression of doubt about his life. How could the same thing taste different when cooked?
Yan Qiushu said with a smile, "There are many ways to eat potatoes. How about I go to your kitchen and cook for you? Last time, we only had two potatoes at home, so we couldn't cook much. If you have more potatoes, I can make a lot of delicious dishes!"
Ah Heng's eyes lit up and he nodded vigorously: "Okay! Okay! I have a lot of potatoes at home!"
They all agreed that Ah Heng should go and talk to Princess Chang. Princess Chang felt very embarrassed, but seeing that Yan Qiushu was willing, she stopped trying to stop him and went with him.
In fact, they arrived quite late, and after wandering around the palace for half a day, they found that the kitchen had already started preparing. When they went to the kitchen, they happened to run into someone from the kitchen carrying two dishes to the living room.
"Is everything ready?" Yan Qiushu asked.
The servant who brought the food said, "Part of it is ready. Does the young lady have any instructions?"
"No, no." Yan Qiushu shook her head and smiled, "Let's go and take a look."
Seeing that there was nothing for the servants to do, they bowed and continued on their way. Yan Qiushu took the four children to the kitchen. Because there was a guest reception in the kitchen, everyone was busy, some were making chicken wings, some were making pork, and everything was in order.
Ah Heng clenched his fist, took two steps forward, and asked in a deep voice, "Are there any potatoes left?"
The cook who was chopping vegetables stiffened his back, saluted quickly, stood up, pointed to a box in the corner and said, "There are more. They are all in this box."
Yan Qiushu took a look and saw that there were only two potatoes left. She wanted to pick them up, but the cook came over to help her. "What do you want to do, young lady? Just tell me and I'll do it."
"Then you go and peel it." Yan Qiushu said.
The cook responded, found a corner with a knife, and began to peel the skin skillfully.
Taking advantage of this gap, Yan Qiushu habitually observed the kitchen, but was stunned when she saw a potato peel at the cook's feet.
"What's wrong with Sister Shu?" Wan'er noticed it at the first moment, holding her hand, a little nervous.
Yan Qiushu pursed her lips and smiled, then walked over quickly. The cook stood up nervously and asked, "What's the matter, young lady?"
Yan Qiushu didn't say anything, picked up the potato peel and took a look. She was far away just now and only saw a sprout on the potato peel. Now when she got closer and took a look, she was shocked. It really was a sprout!
But it only has a pointed tip and I can’t see where the bottom is. I wonder if it was left for cooking.
The cook seemed a little frightened: "Miss, is there something wrong?"
Yan Qiushu shook her head. "No problem, but these potatoes are poisonous." She came back to her senses and looked at Nan Qi, the palace maid serving Ah Heng. "Nan Qi, quickly go to the front hall and take away all the potato-related dishes. Potatoes that have sprouted or turned green are inedible. They will cause poisoning, and in severe cases, they can be fatal."
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