On the morning of New Year's Eve, the air is filled with the faint smell of fireworks and the sound of firecrackers, creating a festive atmosphere. At this time, homes are bustling with activity, as women wake up early to begin their busy lives in the new year.
Liu Yanran donned an apron and confidently entered the kitchen, as if it were her stage. She expertly picked up the knife and swiftly cut the ingredients, each stroke punctuated by unwavering determination. Then, she expertly seasoned each dish, imbuing it with an alluring aroma. Her movements were fluid, showcasing the demeanor of a master chef.
Meanwhile, Cao Cuilan sat quietly before the stove, intently tending to the fire. She deftly added firewood and meticulously controlled the heat, ensuring a steady, long-lasting flame. The warmth of the flames illuminated her face, reflecting the contentment and happiness in her eyes.
At noon, the dumpling-making process began. Liu Yanran had prepared two fillings: cabbage and meat, and green vegetables and meat. She meticulously mixed them, filling the air with a rich, mouth-watering aroma. Meanwhile, her sister-in-law was intently rolling out the dumpling wrappers. Her skillful technique resulted in thin, round, and round pieces of art.
My second sister-in-law and third sister sat at the table, skillfully wrapping dumplings. Their fingers danced nimbly, and soon, plump dumplings were neatly arranged on the plate. These dumplings were not only perfectly shaped, but also symbolized reunion and happiness.
The atmosphere in the kitchen was warm and cheerful, everyone immersed in the joy of preparing delicious food. Everyone played to their strengths in their respective roles, contributing to this special day. This tacit understanding and unity was incredibly heartwarming.
In the living room, the older children were watching over the younger ones. Some were playing with toys, while others were reading. The older children patiently cared for the younger ones, ensuring their safety and happiness.
Liu Yanran busied herself in the kitchen, preparing a sumptuous New Year's Eve dinner. She began by preparing the taro-braised chicken. She peeled and diced the taro, then cleaned and diced the chicken. She then heated oil in a wok and sautéed the scallions, ginger, and garlic until fragrant. She then added the chicken and stir-fried until it changed color. She then added the taro and continued to stir-fry. She then added appropriate amounts of water, soy sauce, cooking wine, salt, and sugar, covered the pot, and simmered, allowing the chicken and taro to fully absorb the flavors.
Next, Liu Yanran began cooking the braised pork. She cut the pork belly into even cubes, blanched it, and set aside. Heat oil in a wok, add rock sugar, and stir-fry until golden brown. Then, she added the pork belly and stir-fried until golden brown. Then, she added scallions, ginger, garlic, star anise, cinnamon, and other spices, sautéing until fragrant. Then, she added soy sauce, cooking wine, salt, and sugar, stirring evenly. Finally, she added an appropriate amount of water, covered the pot, and simmered over low heat until the meat was tender and flavorful.
Liu Yanran then prepared braised lamb. She cleaned and cut the lamb into pieces, blanched it, and set aside. She heated oil in a wok and sautéed scallions, ginger, and garlic until fragrant. She then added the lamb and stir-fried until it changed color. She then added appropriate amounts of water, soy sauce, cooking wine, salt, and sugar, along with spices like Sichuan peppercorns and star anise. She covered the pot and simmered. Throughout the stew, Liu Yanran stirred the lamb constantly, ensuring it absorbed the flavors of the seasonings evenly.
After much effort, Liu Yanran finally finished three delicious dishes: taro chicken, braised pork, and braised lamb. She placed the dishes in a steamer to keep them warm while continuing to prepare the other dishes. She first cleaned the fish, scored it a few times, and marinated it with salt, cooking wine, and ginger slices.
Next, she heats up a pan, pours in a suitable amount of oil, and once the oil is hot, places the fish in the pan and pan-frying until both sides are golden brown. She then adds scallions, ginger, garlic, broad bean paste, and other seasonings, sautéing until fragrant. She then adds a suitable amount of water, soy sauce, sugar, vinegar, and other seasonings, simmering until the broth thickens. Finally, she removes the fish from the pan, places it on a plate, and steams it in a steamer to keep it warm. When serving, she sprinkles it with chopped green onions. Perfect.
Next, Liu Yanran began making sweet and sour spare ribs. She cleaned the ribs, cut them into small pieces, and marinated them briefly with salt, cooking wine, and cornstarch. Then, she heated a wok and added a suitable amount of oil. Once the oil was hot, she deep-fried the ribs until golden brown. Then, leaving a small amount of oil in the wok, she added scallions, ginger, garlic, tomato sauce, and other seasonings and sautéed them until fragrant. She then added a suitable amount of water, the ribs, sugar, vinegar, salt, and other seasonings. She simmered until the broth thickened. Finally, she placed the ribs on a plate, sprinkled them with sesame seeds, and placed them in a steamer to keep warm.
Liu Yanran then began to prepare the stir-fried prawns. She cleaned the prawns, removed their heads and shells, and marinated them briefly with salt, cooking wine, and cornstarch. She then heated a wok and added a suitable amount of oil. Once the oil was hot, she added the prawns and deep-fried them until golden brown. She then left a small amount of oil in the wok and sautéed scallions, ginger, garlic, and dried chilies until fragrant. She then added a suitable amount of water, the prawns, salt, sugar, vinegar, and other seasonings, and simmered until the broth thickened. Finally, she removed the prawns from the wok and placed them on a plate, also returning them to the steamer to prevent them from getting cold by dinnertime.
Next, Liu Yanran began to prepare braised lion's head. She cleaned the pork, cut it into small pieces, and mixed it with salt, cooking wine, starch, and scallion and ginger water to make the minced meat. She then rolled the minced meat into balls and deep-fried them in oil until golden brown. Then, she left a little oil in the pan and sautéed scallions, ginger, garlic, star anise, and other spices until fragrant. She then added an appropriate amount of water, the lion's head, soy sauce, sugar, salt, and other seasonings. She simmered until the broth thickened. Finally, she placed the lion's head on a plate and placed it in the steamer.
Finally, she prepared beer duck. First, she cleaned and cut the duck into pieces, blanched it in water to remove the fishy smell, and then removed it for later use. Next, she heated a pan with cold oil and stir-fried ginger slices, scallions, star anise, cinnamon, and other spices until fragrant. Then, she added the duck and stir-fried until golden brown. Then, she poured in just enough beer to cover the duck, added salt, soy sauce, sugar, and other seasonings, covered the pot, and simmered it over low heat for about 30 minutes, until the duck was cooked through and flavorful. The beer duck was ready.
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