Magnolia slices are not magnolia, but a snack made from dried winter bamboo shoots and coated with honey. They are white in color and sweet in taste, which resembles magnolia, hence the elegant name.
"This magnolia slice is cooked to the perfect temperature."
It seems that Mr. Li likes sweet things, Xu Jiang secretly took note of it.
Lou Jing said, "I think this preserved bamboo shoot is also good. It's salty and appetizing, and it's chewy but not mushy."
"Gentlemen, if you like, I still have some left. I'll pack it up for you to take home."
As soon as these words were spoken, they immediately drew applause.
Du Hui couldn't help but ask, "Madam Xu, when will this duck fool come up?"
"I'll be right there." Xu Jiang smiled and turned back into the kitchen.
Soon, she came in carrying four small ceramic jars, and Hu Xu quickly stood up to distribute them for her.
Du Hui suddenly realized that it was duck meat, no wonder it was called Duck Confused.
"This dish, Duck Congee, uses a fat duck, cooked until 80% done. Once cooled, remove the bones and cut into small pieces. Simmer in the original broth. Add three grams of salt, half a pound of wine, and pounded yam, and simmer all together. When it's almost done, add minced ginger, shiitake mushrooms, and chopped green onions. Simmer for a while, then remove from the pot."
"It takes so much effort to make it, no wonder it smells so good." Du Hui couldn't wait to take a bite, but burned his tongue.
Xu Jiang was about to remind him, but it was too late.
Everyone laughed again.
"This is the result of impatience."
"Is it the duck that is confused, or is it the human?"
Du Hui was too lazy to care and simply ignored his manners and blew air into the jar of duck soup.
"There are a few more dishes. I'll serve them to the gentlemen now."
Xu Jiang brought up eggplants, pickled fish and other dishes. After everyone had finished eating the duck porridge, she brought out a pot of pickled crabs and a large pot of warm Zhuangyuanhong.
Yuan Zuzhi was quite curious when he saw the wooden basin covered with a lid, "What is this?"
"I had fish sashimi at your house last time, and I think you all love fresh food, so I made this crab in soy sauce dish. I wonder if it will suit your taste."
There were not enough crabs left over from last time, so Xu Jiang went to Kui Wazi to buy some more. This time, he specially picked female crabs, each of which was yellow and plump, and was the most delicious when made into sauced crabs.
She opened the lid, and the orange color of the pickled crab roe made people's mouths water. Xu Jiang used chopsticks to pick up four pieces for each of the four people, and then the bottom was empty.
Lou Jing said dissatisfiedly: "Why is it so little? How can this be enough to eat?"
Xu Jiang explained, "Pickled crabs are cold in nature, and eating too much will damage the spleen and stomach. This is enough. Besides, there is also rice and noodles. I guarantee it will be enough for you gentlemen."
Li Tongxue jokingly said, "Brother Lou has always been very concerned about maintaining his health. Seeing these pickled crabs, he even threw out his usual taboo of eating until he was only 80% full."
Lou Jing slapped his forehead and shook his head, "What a sin!"
Du Hui didn't care how many people there were. He took the pickled crab and began to chew on it. The yellow, fresh meat was sweet, and the salty and sweet taste of the juice was so delicious that he wanted to swallow the crab shell as well. No wonder Xu Jiang only gave each person four pieces. If you don't eat too much, you will get a stomachache.
"Gentlemen, don't just focus on eating crabs. You can also try this wine. The cold and warm elements complement each other and will not hurt your spleen and stomach."
After hearing this, several people took out some wine to drink in between eating crabs, which complemented each other and made the meal taste unique.
Seeing that they had almost finished eating, Xu Jiang brought four more servings of rice, each only half a bowl, and then poured the crab sauce broth over them and served them in front of them.
"Gentlemen, you can also try the rice mixed with this soup. It is also very delicious."
After eating the crab with sauce, some people still felt unsatisfied, so they filled the void with this bibimbap.
Yuan Zuzhi praised: "This tastes even better than the crab in soy sauce."
Du Hui refuted: "Without the crab, how could this sauce be as delicious? The crab is clearly the better one."
"Good sauce!"
"Kanijia."
Seeing that the two of them were arguing even while eating, the others were quite speechless.
"After eating this meal, I'm about 80% full. I'm going to stop now." Lou Jing touched his stomach with a satisfied look on his face.
Du Hui asked, "Didn't they say there was rice and flour? We have rice, but where's the flour?"
"Is there any more noodles?" Lou Jing looked conflicted.
"Brother Lou, are you about 80% full? I'll help you eat that noodle." It was Li Tongxue again, and it seemed that he was really hungry.
"Come up and take a look first." Lou Jing was very cautious.
Xu Jiang smiled and brought up the last two dishes, one was fried fish in fermented rice wine, and the other was noodles with hazel mushroom oil.
As soon as these two dishes were served, Lou Jing immediately said, "I'm not full yet."
Everyone burst into laughter.
While eating noodles, Lou Jing suddenly said, "Madam Xu, do you know that the last time you sent me two jars of mushroom oil and a jar of wine, my son got into a big trouble."
Xu Jiang was surprised and asked, "How did this story come about?"
Lou Jing then told her the embarrassing story of how Lou Yunchun ate noodles, drank wine, got drunk, and stayed drunk for a whole day and night.
Xu Jiang couldn't help but burst into laughter after hearing this.
"That wine is sweet and light on the palate, but strong aftertaste. I was negligent and forgot to remind you not to drink too much of it."
"It's okay. Who told him to eat all the food secretly? He doesn't even know how to show respect to his own father. He deserves it."
Du Hui also laughed, "The cold-faced King of Hell didn't even want to be defeated by a jar of wine."
Thinking about that scene, everyone found it more and more funny.
After laughing enough and eating and drinking their fill, they prepared to return home. Li Tongxue asked for a few of Hu Xu's paintings, Du Hui selected a few ancient books, but Lou Jing chose nothing but took a liking to Xu Jiang's food. He packed up everything left in the kitchen, even the crab juice.
After Yuan Zuzhi asked Xu Jiang for the price, he was shocked to learn that this set of "Dongling Xuanzhu" without asking the Taoist priest only cost eighty taels.
This chapter is not finished yet, please click on the next page to continue reading the exciting content!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
