Chapter 37, Braised Roast Duck
When everyone was carrying their roast ducks and preparing to head back, Jiang Zhi finally told them her plans.
She told everyone to leave the roast duck at home first, as she planned to use the roast duck she had just bought to cook a delicious meal for them!
Upon hearing Jiang Zhi's words, even the most clueless among them knew that Boss Jiang was planning to treat them to a delicious meal again!
The group's eyes were sparkling!
Jiang Zhi's tasks were also very clearly divided: You Yi was responsible for delivering the roast ducks that the remaining people bought home, while the other two were also assigned by Jiang Zhi to go shopping!
*
As soon as she got home, Jiang Zhi started getting busy.
First, Jiang Zhi took out the pork bones from the half-pig that had just arrived today. She glanced at them briefly, then used a sharp knife to clean off the meat on top. After rinsing them with running water, she put them in a large pot, added four or five washed dried mushrooms, and prepared to start making broth.
Although Yan Mo didn't know what Jiang Zhi planned to do, she was always good at being a good kitchen helper, so she stood by and helped wash the vegetables and pots. She was just trying to please Jiang Zhi!
The broth is simmering on the fire, so all that's left is to prepare the braising spices.
The ginger we already had at home has already been processed:
I gently scraped the dried Sichuan peppercorns off with a knife. Then I cut them into small sections about the length of a finger joint.
Jiang Zhi broke off another piece of ginger of suitable size, washed off the dirt stuck to it under running water, and then cut it diagonally into long slices.
Also, cut the scallions into sections, keeping the white parts; soak the dried dogwood in warm water until soft; mince the garlic...
Jiang Zhi became quite adept at handling these things, and before long, the plate of condiments was piled high with them.
Just then, the two people who had gone shopping returned.
Gu Yuan strode in carrying a basket of sweet potato noodles. Pei Ye followed closely behind, carrying a small bottle of vinegar.
*
There's a reason I bought these sweet potato noodles.
According to Jiang Zhi, the essence of braised duck lies in the duck skin that has absorbed all the broth, and the other essential element must be the glass noodles.
The glass noodles, having absorbed the broth from the roasted duck, became exceptionally tender and smooth, with a slightly chewy texture.
It's Jiang Zhi's favorite!
As for vinegar, there are reasons for that as well.
A couple of days ago, when Jiang Zhi was making spicy dishes, she felt that the flavor was different from the spicy dishes she had tasted in her previous life. Although the dishes she made in this era were still incredibly fragrant, she felt that they were a little too greasy.
Later, while reviewing her actions in bed, Jiang Zhi belatedly realized that since chili peppers were unavailable in ancient times, she could only use dogwood to replace their spiciness. However, dogwood had a very strong flavor, so to remove the bitter and pungent taste, she had to use even more oil to mask it.
Naturally, eating it for a long time will make people tired of it.
These days, viewers who enjoy this kind of thing haven't gotten tired of it. But now that Jiang Zhi has discovered this flaw, she has to fix it to ensure that similar problems don't occur again!
After much deliberation, she decided to try using vinegar to cut through the greasiness. Today's attempt was to see if this idea would work!
Jiang Zhi's mind was racing, but only a few seconds had actually passed outside.
She snapped out of her daze, gave the two of them a slight smile, and then casually snatched the things from their hands.
*
By now, the pork bone soup inside had been bubbling away for quite some time, and the soup had turned slightly whitish.
As soon as Gu Yuan rushed in, he smelled the rich aroma of meat broth. He subconsciously swallowed and looked down at the pot.
Upon seeing the thick, white soup, her eyes lit up as she looked at Jiang Zhi and asked her curiously:
"Boss Jiang, how exactly do you make this soup turn white? I tried it at home before, and it turned out like this..."
Pei Ye, who was walking in from the side, picked up the conversation and said lazily.
"Hmm, Gu Yuan, I actually think you're quite talented at making bone broth turn black!"
While secretly glancing at Jiang Zhi out of the corner of his eye, Gu Yuan, somewhat embarrassed and angry, tried to cover Pei Ye's mouth.
"The one surnamed Pei—"
However, Pei Ye seemed to have planned this all along, a smile playing on his lips as he took a small step back, avoiding the pouncing attack.
Seeing this scene, Jiang Zhi couldn't help but want to laugh for no reason!
However, she still began to explain gently.
"To make the soup white, there's only one thing: add the meat after the water boils. Whether it's fish or pork, the principle is the same. If you put it in cold water, you'll only get unwanted blood foam when you cook it."
"If you want to make meat or fish soup, and want it to be more flavorful, you can first fry the meat or fish in oil, then pour in boiling water. Not only will the soup have a better color, but the taste is also always excellent."
As they were talking, the soup had already started to bubble from the edge of the pot, rising to a large bubbling sound in the middle.
Jiang Zhi lifted the lid and took a sniff. The umami flavor from the bones and the aroma from the dried mushrooms had already been released into the soup. The steam rising from the soup gurgled and sizzled, giving off a strangely warm feeling of home.
*
Jiang Zhi swiftly and accurately picked up her chopsticks, poked them into the hollow of the bone, and then, with the help of the spatula beside her, successfully scooped the bone out.
These bones will be useful later; we're just making a stew today, so there's no need to throw them away.
Then, the remaining broth was simmered over high heat until it thickened before being poured into a large bowl.
In that short time, Yan Mo also figured out what her new employer was planning to do.
While she was at it, she used a knife to rub the spices together again. Jiang Zhi casually gave the order, and the spice maker immediately placed the soy sauce, vinegar, and a small bowl of sake aside.
As soon as the broth in the pot boiled, she immediately added the three ingredients while the pot was still hot. The residual heat in the pot immediately made the broth bubbling and the aroma instantly wafted out.
She stirred it again with a spatula to make sure the three ingredients were well combined, then quietly made way and went to wash and sort the vegetables, setting them aside.
Now, Jiang Zhi has taken over the stage in the kitchen.
She poured the broth she had just ladled out back into the pot. Instantly, the milky white broth rushed into the still somewhat dark mixture of the three ingredients, and a fragrant aroma wafted out. The originally flawless milky white broth was also tinged with a faint brown.
Then, Jiang Zhi tied the spices she had just prepared in gauze and threw them into the pot.
She adjusted the heat again, making sure the flames were constantly licking the bottom of the pot.
As the boiling broth in the pot continuously squeezed the spice packet, forcing it to float in the broth and release its aroma, she grabbed the pot lid that had been lying idle for a long time and slammed it on.
The rest is just a matter of time and effort.
*
Meanwhile, Yan Mo's vegetables were washed.
It was the two boxes of vegetables that You Yi had given her earlier. Jiang Zhi had specifically asked her to wash one cabbage and three lettuce heads. Yan Mo was a sensible person and had already cut them into small pieces about the length of a finger joint and put them all in a basin.
Jiang Zhi glanced at it and was extremely satisfied. She then took out some ginger candy that she hadn't sold last time from her pocket and told her to go out and entertain the three idle people first, and then keep an eye on the two little brats.
While the braising liquid was cooking, Jiang Zhi took out the two roast ducks she had bought earlier, placed them on the cutting board, and chopped them into small pieces with a large knife.
*
When the aroma of the braising broth could be faintly smelled from outside, Jiang Zhi began to count down in her mind.
After mentally counting down to about 60, Jiang Zhi put the book aside, stood up from the bamboo chair, stretched, and then slowly entered the kitchen.
Then, when the lid was lifted, the pot no longer contained the previous milky white broth, but a fragrant, spicy, and fresh-smelling old-fashioned braising broth.
Theoretically speaking, if you add some seasonings to this pot of ginger and sesame oil and simmer it over low heat, it will become the kind of old braising broth commonly found in shops that sell braised food.
*
However, Jiang Zhi had no intention of making braised food today.
So, she squatted down and adjusted the heat a few times, turning it down a bit, while picking up a chopstick from the side, lightly dipping it in the soup, and then licking it off with the tip of her tongue.
Then I added more salt and took out the spice packet. The broth for the roast duck was now ready.
While keeping an eye on the heat, Jiang Zhi decided to throw all the lettuce in at once. There was no other way; of all the side dishes Jiang Zhi had planned, lettuce was the hardest to cook.
Moreover, it doesn't matter if it's cooked a little longer, since it's not difficult to cook anyway.
Then, the roast duck, which had been chopped into small pieces, was added. Instantly, the aroma of caramel and oil filled the air the moment the roast duck came into contact with the broth.
Jiang Zhi hadn't eaten this kind of food in a long time, and suddenly she was craving it too. She silently swallowed a mouthful of saliva, trying to comfort herself.
As soon as the roast duck was placed in the pot, Jiang Zhi began to count down silently in her mind, "300, 299, 298..."
This is a method of cooking roast duck that Jiang Zhi is quite accustomed to.
There's no way around it; the duck skin can't be boiled for too long or too short a time. If it's boiled for too long, it will fall apart, and if it's boiled for too short a time, it won't absorb any flavor at all.
Jiang Zhi figured out her own method: no matter how long the other side dishes need to be cooked, the duck can only be cooked for five to six minutes. For convenience, Jiang Zhi usually doesn't bother to look at the clock and just counts down in her mind.
When the countdown in Jiang Zhi's mind reached about 100 seconds, she picked up the cabbage pieces that Yan Mo had already chopped and poured them into the pot.
Cabbage is always the easiest to cook; it only needs to be blanched for about ten seconds. But to allow the flavors to penetrate, Jiang Zhi usually blanches it for about a minute.
When the countdown reached its final ten seconds, Jiang Zhi prepared to put the pot away.
Thickening the starch, removing from the pot, sprinkling with Sichuan peppercorns, drizzling with oil... these few steps are done with ease and speed.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
