Chapter 68 Winter Melon and Dried Shrimp...
Confused by this, Miss Zhang was eventually persuaded by a group of close friends who were enthusiastically eating and playfully teasing her to take a bite.
She picked up the chopsticks with some skepticism, put them on her tongue and took a sip. When she tasted the flavor, her eyes lit up instantly. Then, she couldn't wait to grab the large soup spoon next to her and scoop a big spoonful into the bowl. Three or four pieces of slightly charred tofu, coated with salted egg yolk and crunchy on the outside, were thus placed into the bowl.
Mix it with the little bit of oil at the bottom and sprinkle it on the rice—it's incredibly delicious!
For Miss Zhang, it was simply... heavenly deliciousness!
Why didn't she taste this delicious food when she attended banquets before? Otherwise, she would have eaten two more bowls of rice.
For a fleeting moment, the young lady who had prepared the banquet surprisingly felt a sense of regret for not having discovered the dishes sooner. However, she quickly realized that since it was her father who had hired the chef, inviting her over more often in the future or even buying the recipes wouldn't be a difficult task for the Zhang family.
Just as I was muttering to myself, the dishes were gradually being served over there.
After a variety of fragrant and steaming dishes were placed on the table one by one, the host on stage decisively announced the start of the banquet.
Everyone stared wide-eyed at the dishes on the table.
Basically none of the dishes had ever appeared at other people's banquets before; they were all unique and new styles. But putting aside how they tasted, the aroma alone was enough to make everyone think that they were incredibly fragrant.
Thus, without anyone realizing it, the Zhang family's image was established in the eyes of the public. The eldest daughter of the Zhang family, in particular, was beaming with joy, clearly overjoyed.
Some opportunistic guests planned to ask the chef who he was after the banquet. The banquet was not only quick and beautifully prepared, but also incredibly pleasing to everyone. In any case, almost everyone present was wealthy, and having a good chef host a banquet was a source of pride for the host family.
*
Contrary to popular belief, the head chef was still busy in the kitchen.
Please, the meal is all cooked. As for cleaning, the Zhang family has servants to do it, and Jiang Zhi has no intention of taking on that task.
After serving the last dish to someone, she quietly sat down at the last table.
She had specifically asked the Zhang family's housekeeper beforehand, and although this last table couldn't be described as welcoming everyone, it was at least more affordable than the previous group of people with high social standing.
That's why she settled Yan Mo and Zuo Tianyuan here. As for Xiao Mahua, she sent her to find her brother beforehand. It's safer for Xiao Mahua to stay with her brother at such a complicated banquet.
Just as she sat down, Zuo Tianyuan, who was sitting next to her, picked up his chopsticks and started eating a big bite of meat mixed with some white rice. He was chewing and chewing, and glanced at her with his mouth full. But since it was Sister Jiang, whom he knew, he immediately stopped paying attention and continued eating.
Yan Mo's eating manners were much more refined. When she saw that Zuo Tianyuan had sat down next to her, she glanced at her slightly, but after seeing that it was Jiang Zhi, she simply ignored her and continued to pick up her favorite dish, the golden marigold tofu roll.
Jiang Zhi glanced at the two she had brought, then looked at the four at another table. After confirming that none of the ones she had brought were missing, she began to prepare to eat.
Instead of eating, she took a soup spoon and gracefully sipped a few spoonfuls of winter melon and dried shrimp soup for herself.
This dish is the easiest to make, but for Jiang Zhi, it's also the one she misses the most.
Dried shrimp sounds elegant, but it's also called shrimp nowadays. Yes, it refers to those tiny shrimp from the sea, three or four of them barely filling a finger joint.
It's not precious in modern times because transportation and aquaculture technologies are highly advanced. However, in ancient times, when both of these technologies were underdeveloped, this item became an extremely valuable commodity.
Although it is precious, Jiang Zhi's culinary skills add even more to this rare delicacy.
The broth was clear and transparent; I thought it would take a while to cook in it before I could see the sliced winter melon, which was so thin it was almost translucent, like a cicada's wing, and shaped like jade.
Dried shrimp is the finishing touch to this dish. These small shrimp need to be dried in order to be stored for a long time. Therefore, Jiang Zhi came up with a method: she took a spoonful of lard and fried the dried shrimp in the oil for a short time. The dried shrimp turned golden brown and floated on the soup, garnishing the clear soup.
Jiang Zhi picked up the spoon placed to the side, took a small spoonful, sipped it on her lips, and then let the soup slide down her tongue and into her throat.
This bite is truly refreshing, mellow, and incredibly sweet!
*
Jiang Zhi didn't savor the soup for long before starting to serve rice and other dishes. There was no other reason than that if she didn't start eating now, the food would probably be gone soon.
Not everyone at their table had arrived yet, so although the rate at which the dishes were decreasing was slightly accelerating, it was still within a relatively normal range.
Jiang Zhi glanced at the other tables and exclaimed in disbelief! These people were clearly from wealthy families, yet they ate as if they were sweeping the place clean.
Jiang Zhi had already noticed several people at the next table eyeing their table covetously, probably planning to sneak over and grab a bite of food when they weren't looking.
As a result, Jiang Zhigan's cooking speed increased several points.
*
Miss Zhang had no idea that the chef she wanted to meet had already started eating at the table next to her. She had just finished trying all the dishes on the table and was about three-tenths full, having had enough to savor. Feeling a bit bored, she began to slowly chew her food and, at the same time, started to comment on the dishes she had just eaten.
This three-piece platter of bamboo shoot tips, duck tongue, and lotus root is quite delicious. The cold bamboo shoot tips, the braised duck tongue, and the vinegared lotus root create three different flavors that linger in your mouth in turn. There's also a hint of Shaoxing wine in the middle. The fact that these flavors can be so perfectly blended in one dish, along with the crispness of the ingredients themselves, makes it incredibly addictive.
She picked up the golden marigold tofu roll after finishing the three-piece platter, and it was unexpectedly delicious. She didn't know what process it had gone through, but the tofu still retained its flavor. However, it was mixed with various shredded ham, shiitake mushrooms, and some other ingredients she couldn't describe, all stuffed together without any sense of proportion. Then it was wrapped in a layer of bean curd skin and fried in oil, making it perfectly sealed.
Needless to say, the four treasures of lees are also a must-try. The lees look like they've been brewing for a long time. As soon as you open the lid, you're filled with the aroma of lees and wine. The top has a warm amber color, and eating it is like going to the south of the Yangtze River.
The hibiscus chicken was also quite delicious. Previously, Miss Zhang only knew that chicken could be used to make chicken soup, and then various medicinal herbs could be added for nourishment, but it was really hard to eat. This was the first time she had eaten such tender and boneless chicken. When she found out, she was stunned for a moment, and then chewed it to confirm that it was chicken.
...
Besides the salted egg yolk tofu, what Miss Zhang liked the most was actually the crystal aspic. Not only her, but also a group of her girlfriends all loved to eat it.
She even loved it so much that she specially asked someone to go to the stove and get two more plates. Luckily, Jiang Zhi had prepared a few extra portions beforehand, otherwise it wouldn't have been enough.
There's no other reason why I like it; who doesn't like dishes that are both beautiful and delicious?
This crystal jelly with ginger and sesame seeds is well-prepared. The pork skin at the bottom has been stewed for a long time, which brings out the collagen and makes the soup milky white. The pork skin is also stewed until it is soft and tender.
However, after being left overnight, the soft and chewy pork skin became slightly springy, but the inside remained soft and chewy.
After scraping off the oily skin, all that's left is the milky white soup in the middle and the slightly chewy outer layer of pork skin underneath, which is soft and tender inside.
After it's cut into pieces, because of the different distribution of the pigskin, each piece looks beautiful in its own way, as solidified as crystal.
Then dip it in the sauce prepared by ginger and sesame seeds. It's not too salty or too bland, just right: the aspic is bouncy and chewy, but the edges melt slightly on the tongue due to the temperature in the middle of the mouth, releasing the rich broth flavor; then it's served on a beautiful white porcelain plate with a blue-green center, making it even more appetizing.
...
By the time Miss Zhang finished taking inventory, the table was almost empty. Taking advantage of this opportunity, Jiang Zhi finished her meal and hurriedly instructed her servants to clear away the dishes. After that, she set out the final dessert.
That's right, the egg drop rice wine dumplings are served at this time!
The egg drop rice wine dumplings were freshly made. As Jiang Zhi ate, she took a quick look to make sure everything was alright before returning to eat.
These egg drop rice wine dumplings aren't too difficult to make, at least that's what Jiang Zhi thinks. First, put the dumplings in the pot, and then wait until they float to the surface. Drain some of the water, then add homemade rice wine and a little rice wine. Finally, crack in a free-range egg before taking it out of the pot, and you'll have a beautifully presented dessert.
The pale yellow egg flowers scattered like stars in the sky, turning into shimmering golden fluff, as they were stirred with chopsticks. The soft, white dumplings in the pot, the slightly milky fermented rice, and the few goji berries floating on top, along with the rising steam, made it seem like the perfect meal for a winter in the south—a bowl of this would warm you from the inside out.
Some people at the banquet hadn't had enough to eat, and they couldn't wait to gulp down a bowl of food.
Before you can even swallow it, your tongue can already taste the fragrance of rice wine. It's not as strong as the kind of wine sold in roadside taverns, but rather gentle and mild, like a spring breeze that caresses you and gently removes your clothes.
There's a subtle, yet not overpowering, aroma of egg mixed in, making your mouth water. One sip, and the rich, mellow rice wine is enveloped in the fragrance of rice, yet not overly sweet, just smooth and refreshing. The egg drop soup drifts down with the rice wine, leaving you feeling warm and cozy.
When you finish drinking, all that's left are those little white dumplings. They're not sticky, but they're incredibly chewy. As you chew, you can feel a sweetness popping out of the dumplings.
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Author's Note: OK, tomorrow will be the last chapter, and then we'll be finished with the main story!
If any readers are interested, I'll add a few extra chapters.
If not, I'll take a break first!
I have an important exam next week and need to prepare, so any extra chapters will have to wait until the week after next. [Heart eyes]
I truly love every single one of you who has made it this far!
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