"Miss Meng, how do you plan to make the jellyfish strips?"
Xiao Kai invited Feng Xi over, and seeing the jellyfish in the wooden bucket, he asked Ruan Meng about it.
After his reminder, Ruan Meng planned to cook the jellyfish at noon and bring it back for Xiao Kai. If they liked it, she could put it on the menu.
Upon seeing Feng Xi arrive, Ruan Meng immediately made a request:
"Second brother, I have a favor to ask you!"
After listening to Ruan Meng's description, Feng Xi understood and turned to go up the mountain.
Ruan Meng prepared jellyfish, pig liver, pig heart, pig lungs, etc., and showed them to her third brother, without avoiding Xiao Kai.
Ruan Meng rinsed the shredded jellyfish repeatedly, then blanched it in hot water for the time it takes to burn an incense stick before quickly taking it out and rinsing it with spring water.
"Little sister, can scalding jellyfish strips with hot water remove the toxins?"
When her third brother asked, Ruan Meng looked delighted and explained:
"No. The toxicity was removed by rinsing with alum earlier. If there were any residual toxicity, I wouldn't have put it in the wooden tub I use at home and handled it directly with my hands."
"Blanching in boiling water and then rinsing in cold water will make the jellyfish meat firmer and chewier. Do not blanch for too long."
While Ruan Meng was speaking, she had already prepared a sauce with oyster sauce, soy sauce, wild millet peppers, and vinegar. She then tossed it over, stirred it well, and served a small bowl to everyone present. (Image of cold jellyfish salad from the internet) A chorus of exclamations of praise followed!
"Little sister, I never expected that jellyfish would taste so refreshing when served cold!"
The Song and Fan family sisters-in-law smiled and reminded her, "That's because our little sister is amazing! She not only knows how to remove the poison, but also knows how to make it delicious."
Xiao Kai and Lao San were too busy slurping up jellyfish strips to talk.
Ah Gui's lips turned bright red from the spiciness, and she kept panting.
Ruan Meng brought him a glass of mint water and apologized, "I'm sorry, Agui! Auntie didn't know you couldn't eat spicy food. Drink some water!"
Agui drank two cups before feeling a little better.
She waved her hand and said, "It's okay, Auntie! I just wanted to eat it. It's not very spicy; I've never had spicy food before, so..."
"But it was delicious! So satisfying!"
Agui praised him, but Ruanmeng dared not serve him any more.
Ruan Meng tasted it and found it wasn't actually that spicy. She was worried that if she didn't add any, it wouldn't neutralize the fishy smell of the jellyfish.
Ruan Meng comforted A Gui, "It's okay, Auntie will give you something else to eat later!"
I asked my third brother to wash the cleaver and chop the ribs into the width I wanted, then piled them up in a basin.
Ruan Meng first sliced the pork fat, rendered the lard, added a little salt to the pork cracklings, and put them in several small bowls, one for each person. (Image of pork cracklings from the internet). Her second brother, who was taking a short rest inside, was also called out.
"It's so delicious!"
Everyone praised it.
Ruan Meng used lard to first stir-fry black fungus, bamboo shoots, and pork, then stir-fried pork liver, pork heart, and pork lungs, etc., and served several plates, asking Sister-in-law Feng to take them back first. (Images of stir-fried black fungus and pork over rice and stir-fried bamboo shoots and pork over rice are from the internet.) The food left for the people inside the house was served. The second and third sons, and Xiao Kai helped carry the dishes, while Sister-in-law Feng, the Song family, and the Fan family, along with several other women, carried bowls and chopsticks to serve everyone.
Taking advantage of the break, Ruan Meng returned to the stone house, burned off the pig hair from the pig's trotters and the skin after removing the meat on the stove fire, and then scrubbed them clean.
Put pig's trotters, pig's ears, pig's tongue, pig's tail, pig's face meat, and hairless pig skin into a pot of cold water, add scallions and ginger, bring to a boil, skim off the foam, and then wash them with spring water.
Start a new pot, add scallions, ginger, and spices, then add salt, soy sauce, and oyster sauce. Add spring water and simmer over low heat.
While waiting, Ruan Meng, her sister-in-law, and A Gui began to enjoy their lunch.
"How about it?"
Ruan Meng asked her sister-in-law and A Gui.
"Of course it's the best! We've had black fungus and bamboo shoots before, but none of them are as fresh as this. My little sister picked them this morning, and they're in our bowls right now. The taste is so smooth and delicious, no one in the capital can compare."
Agui kept talking and nodding, her joyful eyes clearly showing her happiness.
After the meal, the eldest sister-in-law rushed to wash the dishes, and the braised dishes were ready.
Ruan Meng lifted the pot lid...
The second, third, and Xiao Kai ran back from afar, their voices urgent.
"Little sister, little sister! What delicious food have you made again? I'm hungry again!"
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