Chapter 63 Hot Pot Broth Preparation, Jarring, and Preservation
After the cilantro, scallions, and onions were magically sprouted, Lai washed them and cut them into large pieces for later use.
He still has a lot to do.
He first found two basins, one for soaking spices and the other for putting chopped chili peppers.
Lacking a machine capable of thoroughly crushing these spices, Ray could only chop them up by hand as much as possible.
Star anise, cardamom, cinnamon, dried hawthorn, fennel seeds, bay leaves, and homemade dried tangerine peel—Lai mixed all the spices he could think of and find into the basin, and finally sprinkled expensive white wine on top to soak them.
Sichuan peppercorns burn quickly, so they shouldn't be added too early. Lei and his team put them in a separate small bowl, and only added them at the very end, after the other spices had been simmering for a while.
After processing the spices, the next essential ingredient for preparing the red oil hot pot base is chili peppers. All those chili peppers I dried earlier finally came in handy.
Lai picked a whole basinful of dried chilies from the strings of chilies stored in the storage room. It wasn't about the type of chilies; in fact, it was better to have a variety.
Different types of chili peppers have different flavors, and the broth made with them will have a richer flavor.
Wash the dried chilies and boil them in hot water. After boiling, remove them and let them cool to a suitable temperature before proceeding to the next step: chop the chilies into small pieces.
A huge bowl overflowing with dried chilies yielded only about half a bowl of chili flakes, barely enough to last.
After chopping the chili peppers, Lai added a few pieces of ginger to the pickling jar. The ginger was still very tender when it was pickled, and its color was very appealing now. He chopped the ginger into pieces as well and put them in a large bowl.
These minced ginger pieces enhance the flavor of the base sauce.
Afraid that the smell of fried chili flakes would overpower the little guy's sensitive sense of smell, Lai moved the still-sleeping Tata to his own bedroom.
With everything almost ready, Lai took out the butter and began making his own hot pot broth.
The large iron pot that Temujina had ordered came in handy once again.
The weather outside was sunny, and the smell of hot pot broth was quite strong, so after much deliberation, Lai moved the pot to the yard.
The iron pot was set up, firewood was placed on it, and the pot was washed clean with water. Laiyi began to make the hot pot broth.
First, pour large chunks of butter into the already heated iron pot. There must be no water in the pot, otherwise the oil will splatter when it gets hot, potentially causing burns.
Dozens of pounds of butter were poured into the pot, melting little by little from the bottom of the pot into a pot of golden liquid.
The oil was almost hot, and Lai pulled a few pieces of firewood from the bottom of the pot. When frying scallions, cilantro, and other side dishes, the temperature should not be too high, otherwise they will easily burn.
Scallions, cilantro, onions, and garlic were added to the pan, where golden butter sizzled and created beautiful patterns. After frying for a short time, the aroma of scallions and garlic filled the air, and the vibrant green vegetables changed color from the frying process.
Lei quickly scooped the vegetables out; any more than a minute and they would have burned.
After scooping them out, a whole basin of chili flakes was poured directly into the oil. The pungent smell of chili wafted from the oil, making him sneeze several times.
If this broth were made in a small building, Lai and Neil would have to sleep smelling hot pot broth for the next few days.
Moreover, the smell of hot pot tends to stick to people's hair and clothes very easily. These two, oh, plus that hairy little guy, the three of them would definitely become walking hot pot broth...
Lei used a large, long-handled ladle to stir the chili peppers and butter in the pot, making sure they were in full contact.
Seeing that the chili peppers were almost fried, Lai poured in all the spices that had been soaked in alcohol. The flavor changed from the pungent smell of chili peppers to the mellow aroma of spices and alcohol.
After stirring with a large ladle for a long time, Lai added pickled ginger, Sichuan peppercorns, and rock sugar in that order, and finally added some white wine to enhance the aroma.
Within a minute or two of adding the seasonings, Lai removed all the firewood from the stove. He kept stirring the pot of seasonings, using the heat of the oil and the residual heat of the iron pot to cook them, until the hot oil in the pot stopped bubbling, then he stopped stirring.
Lai placed the spoon in the large basin and wiped the sweat from his forehead. Stirring up the hot pot broth made Lai so hot he wished he could just take off his cotton coat outside.
He went back inside, had a drink of water, and rested for a short while. Then, Lai carried about twenty jars onto a plank and went to the yard.
The top layer of ingredients in the pot had cooled down a bit, but the bottom layer was still very hot. Lai stirred it for a long time before scooping it into the small jar, spoonful by spoonful.
One jar can hold a little over a spoonful, just enough for two or three people to have a meal.
Once the jars were full, Lai carried them back into the house and temporarily placed them on the dining table, then replaced them with the next batch of jars to continue filling. This continued until all the small jars were full, but there was still more than half a pot of broth left.
Making too much and then throwing it away would be a pure waste. Lai then dug out the two large jars that were given as a gift, as well as all sorts of containers at home that could store hot pot broth, and finally filled them all with broth.
He lit the fire, added water, and once it boiled, he washed the pot. After another round of fuss, Lai finally finished cleaning everything up.
Before he knew it, it was already afternoon. Only after finishing his work did Lai realize how hungry he was. Luckily, he had made a lot of bread, and he ate a whole loaf with hot tea, which finally relieved his agonizing hunger.
"Brother, what delicious food have you made this time! I could smell the aroma from far away near your house, and I knew it was something good you'd cooked up again!"
Ray suspected Lamb had a dog's nose; whenever he made any big moves to cook, Lamb would be the first to arrive.
"Brother, I'm back."
Neil stood obediently at the door, next to Lamb.
"My cousin Lamb went to pick up his niece and nephew from school and also gave me a ride home."
Neil's tone was full of helplessness.
It seems that Neil had already rejected Lamb at school, but Lamb still managed to pester him and bring him back together.
Having lived together for so long, Rae was quite familiar with Neil's expressions and emotional changes.
"I've prepared the hot pot broth. You two, come in."
Upon entering the living room, the aroma of hot pot broth instantly enveloped their senses, making them salivate.
"Is this 'hot pot base'? It smells so good!"
Lamb took a greedy sniff, and the spicy, mellow aroma filled his nostrils.
He loves spicy food, and the flavor of hot pot broth is exactly what he wants!
"Bro, how do you eat this? Do you just drink it?"
Drink it directly?
A Western fantasy version of "I'm eating hot pot, and you're eating the hot pot broth?"
Forehead……
"It's not eaten directly. After boiling water, put a piece in the pot, then add various side dishes and meats. After cooking, dip it in various sauces and eat it."
Lamb's eyes gleamed as he stared intently at Rae, his face clearly saying "I want to eat him."
Although Neil wasn't as excited as Lamb, he was also tempted by Ray's words.
"Not today. We haven't prepared the dipping sauce or any of the dishes, and the base sauce hasn't solidified yet. I'll have Neil call you when we eat it in a few days."
Lamb nodded firmly.
"Brother, where's Tata?"
Tata is the new name Neil gave the little guy, which was decided at school today.
"In the bedroom."
Neil and Lamb went to check on the little guy, found him still sleeping, and then left.
What's wrong with him?
Lamb asked.
"I'm injured. I don't know who broke my bones."
Neil replied dejectedly.
"Neil, don't be sad, I will definitely help you find the murderer!"
Lamb's fighting spirit was reignited.
"Um!"
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