Xiao Yunying started cooking chicken and fish.
Without starch, I made do with flour to make a thin paste and patted it evenly onto the surface of the fish.
The marinated chicken was also coated in batter and given to another cook to fry, while she fried the fish herself.
She asked someone to help her tend the fire. When the oil was about 50% hot, she slowly put the fish into the oil, starting from the head, to fry. When the surface of the fish meat hardened and turned golden brown, she took it out, drained the oil, and arranged it on a plate for later use.
Xiao Yunying ladled out the oil used for frying the fish and poured in fresh oil. At the same time, she instructed the cook who was helping her, "Remember to fry the chicken again after it's cooked through, so the outer coating will be crispier. Peel and core the apple I asked for earlier and cut it into pieces."
Without white sugar, Xiao Yunying could only use maltose instead, adding vinegar, wine, and water to make a sweet and sour sauce without ketchup.
Heat the oil, add chopped green onions, minced ginger, and minced garlic and sauté until fragrant. Then pour in the prepared sauce. Since there was no cornstarch to thicken it, she could only cook it as thickly as possible before pouring it over the fried fish.
Oh no, what should I do if the presentation is a bit lacking?
The smell was passable, so Xiao Yunying called Ling Qi to bring the fish over, and then started to make sweet and sour pork with apples in a clean pot.
The cook next to him asked, "Why don't you add scallions, ginger, and garlic to this?"
"Carp has a strong fishy smell, so scallions, ginger, and garlic are added to enhance the flavor and remove the fishy smell. Sweet and sour pork with apples contains fruit and chicken, and these two ingredients don't have any peculiar smells. If strong-flavored spices are added, it will affect the taste of the apples and chicken themselves."
Xiao Yunying placed the sweet and sour pork with apples on a plate and sprinkled a layer of black sesame seeds on top. She had tried her best to make a dish that looked, smelled, and tasted delicious with the available ingredients, hoping that Chen Yuancheng would give her some face.
Xiao Yunying handed the plate over to Chen Yuancheng for a taste, blinking her big eyes: "Don't be fooled by the fact that it's deep-fried; it has vinegar in it, making it sweet and sour and appetizing. Try it and see if you can eat it."
Chen Yuancheng had just tasted the sweet and sour carp, and now he picked up a piece of apple and ate it: "It's sweet and sour, very delicious. I've never eaten a dish made with tea leaves and apples before. How did you come up with that idea?"
"You can tell from my figure that I love to eat. When I'm bored, I like to think about food."
Chen Yuancheng put down his chopsticks: "Actually, you're not fat, you're just a bit plump..."
Chen Yuancheng's face flushed slightly. It was wrong to discuss a woman's figure, but he didn't want her to feel bad because of her body.
Xiao Yunying smiled and said, "Don't try to comfort me. I'm on a diet right now, and I'll lose weight soon."
Xiao Yunying turned around and told the two chefs some cooking tips, such as how medicinal herbs like star anise, cinnamon, bay leaves, and Sichuan peppercorns can be used in cooking, and how potato starch can be used to thicken sauces, making them bright and thick.
"It's a pity that you don't have many kinds of vegetables. If you added tomato sauce to this sweet and sour sauce, it would look so appetizing with its bright red color. It's too bland without any color."
Chen Yuancheng asked curiously, "What is tomato sauce?"
"Tomatoes are red fruits, a type of vegetable that came from overseas. They can also be eaten raw like fruit. I was lucky enough to meet a traveling merchant returning from his voyage. I bought a lot of strange and unusual things and seeds. Once I grow them, I'll bring them to you to try."
"Alright, I'll wait. If it's really as delicious as you say, and you want to sell it, just send it to the Chen family."
Xiao Yunying planned to grow and sell vegetables. She couldn't keep selling snow fungus. If such a large quantity of high-quality snow fungus caught the eye of someone with ulterior motives, she would be in trouble.
Selling vegetables may not earn as much as selling snow fungus, but the income is relatively stable and there is little danger.
"Alright, from now on, no matter what good things come my way, I will always think of the Chen family first."
Chen Yuancheng said, "Miss Xiao, it's almost noon. Why don't you stay for a simple meal before you leave?"
Xiao Yunying was startled: "It's almost noon? Oh no, the village's oxcart is still waiting for me at the city gate, I have to go."
Oh no! I wonder if Old Zhang is still waiting for her. He must be very worried.
"Please wait a moment, Miss Xiao."
Chen Yuancheng first handed her the silver note, then took two small porcelain jars that looked like women's rouge from Ling Qi's hand: "These two jars are medicine for wounds. The white one is for reducing bruising and swelling, and the blue one is a wound healing ointment. Just apply it twice a day before going to bed and after waking up."
"No need for medicine, the wound will heal on its own."
Chen Yuancheng said with concern, "Miss Xiao, your forehead injury is quite serious. If you don't apply medicine properly, it may leave a scar."
Xiao Yunying was anxious but didn't refuse: "Then I'll accept it. Thank you, Young Master Chen. The yam and pork rib soup should be ready to drink. Try it yourself in a bit. If you feel like eating, don't eat too much. Give your stomach some time to adjust, otherwise you might get diarrhea. Um... that's all. I'll be going now."
She took the silver notes and ointment and casually put them into her bosom, which was actually like putting them into a supermarket. Xiao Yunying hurriedly walked towards the side gate of the Chen residence.
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