Chapter 120 Prepare Alone
At this time, you can use chopsticks to scoop it out, let it cool slightly, then cut it into small pieces for later use.
Then turn on another stove to heat oil. When the oil temperature reaches the appropriate level, quickly sprinkle in a handful of white sugar and stir quickly until it is completely melted and turns into a brown liquid. Next, remove excess water from the previously processed pig intestines and pour in, stir-fry vigorously for a few times so that each piece can be wrapped in that unique sweet aroma.
Cook until you see tiny bubbles appearing on the surface of the oil, proving the heat is just right. Then immediately add in the pre-prepared spices such as cinnamon sticks and star anise to enhance the flavor and remove the fishy smell. Then pour a little soy sauce along the edge of the pot to adjust the color and saltiness balance.
Finally, add enough water, cover the lid and continue to simmer on medium-low heat for 40 minutes until the finished product is ready.
When all the processes are completed and the lid of the pot is opened, the aroma will make your nose water and it will be hard to resist the temptation.
So a portion of it was separated out and allowed to cool naturally for consumption the next day; and for the remaining portion, some pre-peeled and diced small potatoes and green and red pepper rings were added, and the fire was turned on again to boil, and then kept at a low heat for a second long simmer for about twenty minutes to allow the soup to better penetrate the ingredients and make the overall flavor more rich and delicious.
That night, they were the only ones at home enjoying this carefully prepared meal, which actually didn't require too many ingredients to make people feel satisfied.
Since the newly cooked potatoes are particularly soft and sweet, the best time to taste them is right after they come out of the pot, so I specially left a portion for you.
Enjoy for breakfast tomorrow.
After the meal was ready, the two adults sat down slowly and enjoyed this rare delicious time.
Shu Ziying did not resist the bowl of steaming food in front of her as she had said before.
His expression gradually changed from initial reluctance to relaxation.
Although the smell of the mixture of meat and herbs during the cooking process made him feel a little uncomfortable at first, as time went on, the aroma became stronger and more tempting.
After trying a bite of the braised large intestine, Shu Ziying was surprised to find that its texture was soft yet elastic, and it was not difficult to chew; the accompanying potatoes also absorbed a lot of the soup and were very tasty, which made Shu Ziying let go of the last bit of his guard and took the initiative to reach out and pick up chopsticks of food again and again.
Seeing that the guest seemed to really like the dishes on the table, Zhao Chunhua, who had been worried that he would not like such home-cooked food, finally felt relieved.
She specially prepared a refreshing leek and egg drop soup for friends who might not be able to accept pig offal, but she did not bring it out when she saw it, so as not to ruin the good atmosphere.
The two of them ate and chatted, and their conversation was full of the warmth of a long-parted reunion.
Shu Ziying said with emotion: "It's been a long time since I've eaten such delicious braised large intestine!"
After dinner, they cleaned up the dishes, but unlike her usual habit of leaving in a hurry to go home, this time Shu Ziying said she would stay tonight to help make some cornmeal buns for tomorrow morning. After all, there were many other things to do tomorrow morning, and she probably wouldn't have extra time to help.
So they started preparing to make traditional cornmeal buns.
First, the freshly picked corn, which still has a hint of field flavor, must be threshed, and then ground into fine powder using a stone mill. This is the so-called "corn grits."
Use an old-fashioned stone mill to further crush the corn grits into finer and more uniform particles, and the final result is "corn flour" used to make dough.
Because the Zhao family has a large population, it is obviously not economical to cook all the food with rice; what's more, the amount of rice stored at home is decreasing. Therefore, in order to save some money and let everyone change their taste and try different delicacies, Zhao Chunhua plans not to use rice as the staple food this time.
She herself is looking forward to the rice in her fields to mature and be harvested as soon as possible, so that she can be the first to enjoy the first meal of fragrant white rice cooked with the aroma of the newly harvested rice.
In steamed buns made from corn flour, flour accounts for the vast majority.
Although the amount of cornmeal added is relatively small, there is still plenty of flour at home.
Anyway, this place doesn’t produce much flour. When the food reserves at home are used up, we can just buy some new flour in winter.
The two-layer steamer at home can steam two large pots of steamed buns at a time.
Zhao Chunhua took two steaming fresh buns and prepared to let Shu Ziying take them home.
Occasionally, a few small fish would swim through the small pond in the backyard.
Although the number is not large, she is very satisfied as long as these little lives are still alive and well.
At night, before going to bed, Zhao Chunhua took out all her savings from where she hid the money and counted them.
It turned out that the old wallet that I had used for a long time could no longer hold so much money, and I had to replace it with a new one.
Such little "troubles" actually make Zhao Chunhua very happy, the more the better.
…
In the early morning, the sounds of roosters crowing and people's footsteps could be heard in the village.
The village market started again today, with all kinds of stalls set up at the entrance of the village.
During the busy autumn season, the villagers have more work to do.
Everyone took this opportunity to sell extra things at home in exchange for some living expenses.
Zhao Chunhua went to the market specially this morning and bought two fish weighing about two kilograms to prepare cooking.
The lunch table will feature braised pork intestines and charcoal-grilled chicken; and for dinner, a trotter soup and a plate of delicious fish soup are planned as the main dishes.
Of course, this is just the main course, vegetarian dishes will also be prepared separately.
Whether today or tomorrow, Zhao Chunhua is confident that her brothers will not break their promise and fail to come for the reunion.
While walking back with the fresh fish in my hand, I passed by the golden rice field of my home and unexpectedly saw a familiar figure busy harvesting rice there.
"Kankan?"
Zhao Chunhua looked at the scene in front of her with some surprise and asked, "Why are you here so early?"
When Zhao Yikang heard the call, he immediately stopped what he was doing and looked up to respond, "Auntie!"
"You just arrived, didn't you? Why don't you stay at home for a while before going back to work? I'm really sorry that I was out and couldn't greet you earlier."
Zhao Chunhua felt embarrassed as she recalled that she had not been home to receive her nephew when she went out just now.
"In fact, we just arrived not long ago. We have been divided into four teams to carry out farm work separately. Everyone is working very hard. Considering that the weather is not too hot yet, we thought we might as well use this cool time to do more work and speed up the progress. My mother is standing outside the door waiting for us. She asked you to bring my brother Xiao Shitou home as soon as possible."
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