Chapter 65 The Three Fragrances of Glazed Glass
That's pretty much it for the crystal aspic dish.
The ginger and sesame seeds had already been prepared in advance; all that was needed was to cut them into pieces and arrange them on a platter, and the dish would be ready.
As for the quantity issue?
Jiang Zhi had planned ahead; she prepared two large basins of food, and even if there was some waste, the quantity would definitely not be less!
*
The most time-consuming cold dishes, the Crystal Crispy Trio and the Fragrant Fermented Rice Four Treasures, were also being prepared on the other side.
Jiang Zhi was in charge of the three-piece set of crispy glass sauce, while Yan Mo was in charge of the four treasures of fragrant wine sauce, which she was best at.
The name "Liuli Crispy Trio" sounds appealing, but it actually refers to the feeling of three crispy things bursting in your mouth.
Jiang Zhi combined all the ingredients available in the country and chose lotus root, duck tongue and bamboo shoots.
Lotus root tastes crisp and chewy when pickled in vinegar. Simply put, blanch it in boiling water first, then add a vinegar-based seasoning, bring it to a boil, turn off the heat, and let it soak in the seasoning for about half a day. That should be enough.
Duck tongues are prepared in a different way.
Although it's the same braising method, the braising liquid is completely different. After all, lotus root needs to be marinated in vinegar to make it chewy. Duck tongue, on the other hand, is already chewy enough.
Jiang Zhi continued to work on her soy sauce, mixing duck tongues with soy sauce and various miscellaneous spices, and put them into another large pot. To avoid making it too salty, she added some water to dilute it.
Then he squatted down and adjusted the fire, confirming that a large fire was burning underneath. He also called over a servant and told him to stand beside him and turn the fire down to a simmer after it boiled.
These two dishes take a long time to braise, but the last one in the three-piece set doesn't need to be prepared now.
That's the cold bamboo shoot salad. Since it's a cold salad, there's no need to put much effort into the braising liquid. Just blanch it briefly, add the sauce, mix it well, and it'll be delicious enough.
Therefore, Jiang Zhi had the servants take care of the cooking in this area while she went to check on the cooking in other places.
*
After Jiang Zhi wrote down every step of the cooking process in detail beforehand, everyone began to figure it out. Since Jiang Zhi didn't have a familiar team from her previous life, she deliberately didn't write down any dishes with a high level of difficulty for this entire banquet.
Even so, several dishes still posed a considerable challenge for everyone. Of course, there were also some easy ones.
For example, salt-baked winter melon seeds and almonds.
Malva seeds and almonds are products that have existed since this era.
Even uneducated people know the saying about winter melon seeds: "Picking garden melons while covered in snow!" As for why everyone knows this?
The reason is simple: it's classy!
Rather than saying they were starving, having to climb out into the snow to get some winter melon seeds to fill their stomachs, the phrase "picking up garden melons while covered in snow" is just like those refined old scholars, extremely elegant!
There's even a poem about almonds, though the locals didn't memorize the details. They only vaguely remembered a young man from the frontier asking his sisters for almonds.
But precisely because these two things are so common, this Mr. Jiang's creativity is all the more astonishing to those who see the recipe for the first time.
The recipe was written on it.
"Take a portion of soaked winter mallow seeds, stir-fry them together with coarse salt and star anise until the salt is browned, then remove them from the pan."
"Then mix it with the washed almonds that have been dried over charcoal and pour it into a plate, using a ratio of 2 handfuls of winter melon seeds to 1 handful of almonds."
*
The few lines of text shouldn't have had such a big impact, until the fruit platter maker baked the first batch and let everyone try it.
This test was incredibly successful!
The mallow seeds are plump, with a slight sheen from being salted. A close sniff reveals their fragrant, spiced aroma. The taste is subtly salty yet wonderfully crisp and delicious.
It's so delicious that you can make a sound when you chew it, and the more you chew, the more fragrant it becomes, leaving you with an unforgettable aftertaste!
The almonds don't undergo much processing. They are simply lightly roasted over charcoal, with a slightly charred surface, but their natural flavor is already wonderful enough, with the aroma of charcoal blending into a crisp and sweet aftertaste.
With just two or three pills, the subordinates were already convinced of Jiang Zhi's authority.
When Jiang Zhi arrived, she was already stirring the third batch.
The previously stir-fried items have been plated first. The salted winter melon seeds and roasted almonds are placed on the left and right sides of the plate. Just before serving, they only need to be stir-fried in the pan for a short time, and the taste will be just as good as before.
Therefore, the two sides were arranged in a very clear and distinct manner.
Unexpectedly, Jiang Zhi frowned slightly in dissatisfaction upon seeing it.
She took matters into her own hands, tried to adjust it for a while, and then walked away satisfied.
The handyman who had been cooking earlier mustered up his courage and came over to take a look. Under Jiang Zhi's manipulation, the winter melon seeds and almonds had already mixed together.
The pale yellow and slightly yellow hues collided in the plate, just like—
Golden and silver pearls fall onto a jade plate.
*
Jiang Zhi and the other three never expected that their little tinkering would give others the opportunity to be inspired by poetry.
Although she was fiddling with it purely for aesthetic reasons.
At this point, she had already gone to the soup-making area. She was checking on the progress and whether she needed to teach them how to make it.
The two children didn't stay in the front hall like the other adults; instead, they squatted here.
Among them, Zuo Tianyuan squatted not far from the soup pot, looking somewhat eager, but probably because he had been taught a lesson earlier, he also looked at Jiang Zhi with a pitiful expression.
In comparison, the small twisted dough sticks are much more understated.
She was noticeably more excited when Jiang Zhi came over. She gently took Jiang Zhi's outstretched hand and quickened her pace slightly, revealing her current mood.
Jiang Zhi found it amusing to see Xiao Mahua's slightly reserved and uninhibited demeanor, so she lightly quickened her pace and led Xiao Mahua to the soup pot.
At this point, the soup pot is still empty.
The steamer, whose hair was styled in a woman's bun, seemed to notice Jiang Zhi's arrival and became even more reserved, standing there motionless.
Jiang Zhi didn't know what to say, so she just smiled at her, took the shovel, and prepared to get to work herself.
For the mushroom and chicken soup dish, the Zhang family prepared three chickens, which was more than enough in Jiang Zhi's eyes.
By this time, the three chickens had been chopped into small pieces about the width of a finger joint. Jiang Zhi disgustedly put the chicken heads and tails aside, planning to take them home to feed Da Huang after she finished cooking them.
It's not that this thing is inedible, it's just that it looks particularly unlucky, so rather than being displeasing to guests, it's better to leave it aside for now.
Anyway, it doesn't weigh much.
Next, add cooking wine and ginger slices to the chicken, put it in a pot of cold water, blanch it, and then gently rinse off the foam with warm water.
Then take out the large earthenware pot that will be used as a soup pot, first lay down the ginger slices at the bottom, then put the chicken on top, and then add water that is not covered.
Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to a simmer and cook slowly to extract the flavor from the chicken. Add the mushrooms that have been soaked in warm water beforehand. Finally, sprinkle with goji berries before serving. Your rich, creamy, and white chicken and mushroom soup is now ready!
Of course, it sounds easy, but in reality, Jiang Zhi only helped blanch the chicken.
The remaining stewing process was handled by a professional stewer, while I was responsible for it.
Jiang Zhi simply didn't believe it. She had written out such detailed steps for these guys who had some basic knowledge of cooking, so it couldn't possibly taste bad, right?
After that, aside from not interfering with Yan Mo's part, Jiang Zhi was responsible for demonstrating the most difficult part of each dish to everyone.
For example, how do you fry garlic crisps for garlic ribs until they are golden brown, crispy, and have a unique garlic flavor? How do you balance the flavors of the two main ingredients in salted egg yolk tofu casserole without making it too greasy? How do you make calendula tofu rolls that are both beautiful and have a rich texture? How do you make winter melon and dried shrimp soup with as little oil as possible to avoid it being greasy, but also to prevent it from sticking to the pot and burning?
Jiang Zhi demonstrated how to make each dish to achieve the best results, and when she finally won everyone's approval, she breathed a small sigh of relief.
After all, these are all relatively famous dishes in modern times. Some of them are indeed easy, but there are also quite a few that are difficult to make. Having been in ancient times for so long, the fact that she can still replicate them one-to-one and adjust them according to the ingredients is actually quite painstaking.
*
After Jiang Zhi finished her demonstration, everyone went about their own business. Jiang Zhi, now at her own cooking station, finally shed her earlier relaxed attitude and got down to work.
Before her were all the ingredients for this Hibiscus Brocade Chicken.
There were already diamond-shaped slices of chicken breast, soaked and chopped wood ear mushrooms, diamond-shaped slices of cucumber, a few eggs, and some miscellaneous condiments.
That's right, this dish called "Hibiscus Brocade Chicken" sounds amazing, but the only thing that's not a scam is that it actually contains chicken; the rest is all hype.
Its modern full name should be "Chicken Breast Stir-fried with Cucumber Slices, Carrot Slices, Bell Peppers and Celery". It tastes like tender chicken breast, refreshing cucumber, and the carrots have a unique flavor.
But more than the taste, this dish focuses on its appearance. The crisp red of the carrots, the vibrant green of the cucumbers, and the large, yellow bell peppers are all complemented by the slightly charred chicken breast. This colorful combination avoids any sense of clutter and instead makes the dish even more appetizing.
Right now, the biggest problem Jiang Zhi faces is this major challenge: how to bring out the advantages of the dish as passed down from her previous life, without bell peppers or carrots as garnish?
After all, without other advantages, this dish would be difficult to compare with the other dishes at the banquet.
Chicken breast is white meat, which, to put it nicely, is a boon for modern people trying to lose weight, as it has very little fat. To put it bluntly, it's dry and easily becomes tough, making it a less popular choice for people in ancient times.
Then, without carrots and peppers in the middle, it provides a rich texture and color. This dish aims to maintain the taste that was worthy of being served at state banquets in my previous life...
Thinking about this, Jiang Zhi couldn't help but be taken aback by the difficulty.
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Author's Note: OK, today's update is out. The next update (ps: to make up for yesterday's) should be 4kbps and will be posted tomorrow morning at 9 AM.
Just wanted to let you know: I'm finally able to start paying for content!!!
Pay attention to the part before the inverted V.
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