Chapter 71 (Salt and Pepper Fries)

Xiao Huaiqi took note of it carefully and planned to tell the emperor about it the next time he entered the palace.

Yan Qiushu was still immersed in the excitement of having potatoes. When she thought of the weakness of potatoes, she didn't think of anything else for a moment. She took the potatoes and couldn't wait to go to Mrs. Xiao's yard. She greeted Mrs. Xiao and started cooking potatoes.

There are so many things you can do with potatoes!

Yan Qiushu had too many choices in her mind. She washed the potatoes, peeled them, but was still confused. Finally, she remembered that Dongdong and the others were at home, so she decided to make French fries.

Cut the potatoes into strips of appropriate size, blanch them in boiling water with salt added for two minutes, then quickly take them out and rinse them with cool water.

There was a lot of ice in the Xiao Mansion. Time was tight at the moment, so Yan Qiushu could only add some ice cubes to the cold water and put the potato strips in to chill them. During this time, she cleaned the pot.

Then, take out the potato strips, drain the water, put them in a bowl, add a little starch, stir and let the starch adhere to every part of the potato strips. At this time, you can add oil to the large iron pot.

When the oil is hot, pour the potato strips in and wait for the moisture inside to be fried out. This step takes a long time. At this time, Dongdong, Wan'er, Xiao Pingsong, Xie Qingyun and others all rushed over after hearing the news.

Because the ingredients this time were important, no one dared to come in. They all stood at the kitchen door, staring eagerly.

"Brother Hiramatsu, this is a potato?"

"It doesn't smell like anything?"

"Will it taste bad?" Dongdong asked doubtfully.

In the past, the fragrance of the things Yan Qiushu made was so good that it could be smelled for miles. She wanted everyone to know that the Xiao family made delicious food. If it weren't for the fact that the Xiao family had a high status and had been "isolated" for many years, neighbors would not dare to disturb them easily, and the Xiao family's doorstep would have been broken down.

Only this time, there seemed to be no taste at all.

Oh, no!

As a foodie, Dongdong has a very sensitive nose. He sniffed and whispered, "It smells like oil!"

He lives in a family that has no shortage of food, and he doesn't like overly greasy tastes, as they make him sick easily.

Yan Qiushu found it funny, but before she could reply, Xie Qingyun had already tapped the child on the head: "Don't talk nonsense, this is a good thing that can save lives!"

"Huh???" Dongdong was shocked.

Xie Qingyun smiled and said, "Although I don't know what this thing tastes like, it has a high yield. If poor people grow this, apart from paying the court, there will still be a lot left, and the common people will not be hungry."

Dongdong straightened his expression and said obediently: "Well, Dongdong knows, this thing must be delicious!"

Wan'er nodded seriously: "It will be delicious! Everything Sister Shu cooks is delicious!"

Yan Qiushu pursed her lips and smiled. Seeing that the color of the potatoes in the pot had turned light yellow, she took them out to drain the oil. After a while, when the potato strips were cool, she put them back in to fry them again.

This time it took much less time, and the color of the potato strips smoothly changed from light yellow to golden yellow.

She scooped it out quickly, controlled the oil again, and waited until most of the oil had dripped away before putting it into a large bowl.

Finally, the seasoning.

There was no ketchup, but there were pepper salt, pepper powder, etc. Yan Qiushu picked a few and mixed them, then sprinkled them into the bowl. She held the bowl with both hands and shook it vigorously to let the powder of the seasoning adhere to the French fries.

At this point, you can eat it!

When she turned around, she met several pairs of sparkling eyes. Yan Qiushu smiled and said, "Okay, this is one of the ways to make it. Since there are only two potatoes, I'll make some French fries first so that you can all try them."

She waved her hand and everyone came in.

The originally large kitchen suddenly became crowded, and there were several more hands in the bowl, each picking up a French fry.

"Wow! This is delicious!" The first one to exclaim was Dongdong.

As a child, this kind of French fry snack is very pleasing to him. He put it in his mouth for the first time and was a little hesitant at first, but when he bit it, the thin crispy shell broke open, and inside was soft like a roasted sweet potato, but without the sweetness of sweet potato, and only salty taste.

There aren't many condiments on top, but the taste is just right, slightly salty, slightly numb, slightly spicy, plus this wonderful texture called French fries.

Dongdong ate one and quickly reached out again.

Mrs. Xiao also showed a rare deep joy. While eating the French fries in her mouth, she nodded vigorously: "It tastes good!"

Xiao Huaiqi was much more reserved, but his moist cheeks were also more lively than before. He ate the fries in small bites, savoring the flavor carefully, and was a little surprised: "This thing doesn't seem to have much flavor, a bit like powder?"

The same goes for flour. If you don’t add anything, the steamed buns will only have a light sweetness.

But if you add chili oil, it will have a salty and spicy taste. If you add white sugar or brown sugar to make steamed buns, it will be sweet. If you add a little vinegar, it will have a sour and spicy taste.

Yan Qiushu also tasted it. She hadn't eaten it for a long time. It had a familiar taste. Although there was no ketchup, the pepper and salt fries were also very good. She nodded: "Yes, it can be made into many, many delicious foods!"

"What a pity, it's too little!" After Xie Qingyun tasted the food, she looked at the small amount in the bowl and didn't eat any more, leaving it for the children.

Xiao Huaiqi smiled and said, "Fortunately, this thing doesn't take too long to grow. I heard that it can be grown twice a year. If the temperature is right, it can be grown all year round."

Yan Qiushu nodded vigorously and reminded again: "Yes! But it is also very fragile. Once something goes wrong, there will be no harvest, which will be even more tragic."

Although she didn't know the history of other countries, she still remembered that there was an epidemic caused by potato disease in history, which killed countless people. However, there is currently no cure here, so the planting cannot be expanded at will.

Xiao Huaiqi frowned slightly, and was a little troubled by this. Suddenly, his eyes flashed and he looked at the woman in front of him: "Ah Shu seems to know a lot about potatoes. How about you grow them?"

Yan Qiushu quickly shook her head: "I only know how to eat, not how to grow, and I only know a little bit of superficial theoretical knowledge."

Xiao gave up the idea with regret, reached for the French fries, and planned to take two more bites.

This tastes really good.

Just by raising his hand, he found that there was only one French fry left in the bowl. Dongdong's chubby hand also reached out there. The two hands collided. Dongdong retracted his hand guiltily, coughed lightly, and said seriously: "Uncle, I'll give it to you."

Xiao Huaiqi laughed angrily: "Finished so quickly?!"

Wan'er pursed her lips shyly, hid behind Yan Qiushu, and whispered, "It's so delicious, I accidentally finished it~"

Dongdong nodded quickly and didn't feel embarrassed at all.

Xiao Pingsong's cheeks were slightly red, and he was still holding two sticks in his hands: "I haven't finished eating yet, I want to leave some for my mother."

Song Mingdai didn't come out.

Since she was scolded in public last time, she rarely came out. When she occasionally came out, she was as quiet as a sculpture. Xie Qingyun secretly told Yan Qiushu that she had always been like this, and what happened before was abnormal, so there was no need to worry about it.

Xiao Huaiqi rubbed his nephew's head and said, "Go ahead."

Xiao Pingsong ran away quickly.

As Xiao Huaiqi ate the last cold French fry under Dongdong's reluctant gaze, he suddenly remembered something: "The method of making French fries like this is probably too much for ordinary people to afford."

Oil is also a rare commodity.

Yan Qiushu explained: "In addition to this, you can also stir-fry potato shreds directly, add some vinegar and peppercorns to make hot and sour potato shreds. There are many ways to eat it. If you just make it into French fries, children will like it more. When there are more potatoes, you can add it to the fried chicken restaurant, and there will definitely be a lot of people ordering..."

When it comes to cooking potatoes, she knows them all by heart, and ten fingers are not enough to list them all.

Xiao Huaiqi's eyes sparkled as he heard this, and he murmured, "It really is... a good thing!"

Isn’t that a good thing?

Even families who don't know how to cook like Yan Qiushu can still make delicious food with potatoes.

Some chefs know what to do once they get the ingredients.

However, within a short period of time, the sudden emergence of potatoes as a food ingredient caused the people of Kyoto to go wild, especially the farmers who lived in the countryside and made a living from farming. They were so happy that they were willing to spend money to buy food at the food court and take it home to celebrate.

The upper-class families in Kyoto who had eaten potatoes were quick and keen to realize the huge benefits that this ingredient would bring.

Everyone was more diligent when going to the palace.

He tried to get more potatoes from the palace as seeds and plant them himself.

Xiao Huaiqi is no exception. Although Yan Qiushu doesn't know how to grow crops, he has many capable people under him. Moreover, he is now doing business and he has business acumen. How could he miss this huge business opportunity?

There were too many ministers coming and going, and none of them could be dismissed casually, so the old emperor fell ill again. His health was not good to begin with, and after the incident with the third prince, he became even sicker. This time, he was so happy that he was extremely tired, and he was bedridden in just one day.

As soon as he lay down, the others calmed down.

Then he went to visit King Huai.

As the person who brought the potatoes back, he must have had a lot. It's impossible that he handed them all in without leaving a single one, right?

As a result, the number of visiting cards sent to Prince Huai's palace was even greater than that of cattle hair.

The gifts were piled up like a mountain.

As a noble family, they have everything, including money, so any benefit they can get is a good one.

After rejecting another adult's request, Prince Huai rubbed his stiff face and waved his hand expressionlessly and in a tired voice: "Pass it on, I am tired and will not see anyone."

In fact, in addition to those who came to ask for potatoes, a small number of people came for his marriage.

As the fourth child, he is quite different in age from his three older brothers and he likes to run around outside, so he has not yet married. But now, his father has mentioned his praise for him countless times in just two days. He is a prince and cannot be given a higher title, so he also promised that his two sons can inherit the title at the same time, and if he has a daughter, she will be directly given the title of princess.

Such honor would greatly benefit future generations and make the officials of the Great Zhou more willing to marry their daughters to him. As long as he could give birth to a son, he would be a prince, and if he gave birth to a daughter, she would be a princess. It would be so great!

Prince Huai was really tired of dealing with it, and wanted to leave after saying this. However, just as he finished speaking, the butler reported: "Prince Jin is here, Your Highness, is this a rejection?"

Prince Huai paused and said, "Let him in."

"Yes." The butler responded and went to invite the person in. When he left, he closed the study door.

Prince Huai frowned: "Didn't you say that we should have less contact in the future?"

Now it is clear that Zhou Zejing is on Lao Liu's side. If he has too much contact with him, it might arouse suspicion.

Zhou Zejing chuckled: "Don't worry, Your Highness. It was King Xuan who asked me to come this time."

"You still want more? Didn't I give him a basket?" Prince Huai sneered, "You are greedy."

"Who can be content with such a good thing?" Zhou Zejing sighed. It was such a pity that such a good thing did not appear after he ascended the throne. Instead, it gave the old emperor an achievement that would go down in history in his foolish later years.

Prince Huai said calmly: "It is useless to be unsatisfied. This prince really has nothing left."

Speaking of this, Zhou Zejing's expression changed: "Has everything been arranged with Prince Chang?"

"Of course it will be fine." Prince Huai smiled calmly, "The second son sacrificed himself for the people and found out the poisonous part of the potato. This can save the people from the pain of poisoning from eating it by mistake. This is a great thing. Many people will be grateful to their family."

"A family?!" Zhou Zejing was shocked.

Prince Huai frowned slightly. "Of course, the second brother will not eat such good things alone. I calculated that the portion given to him is not much. He should be able to eat the problematic ones tonight."

Zhou Zejing soon calmed down, with a hint of anticipation in his eyes.

It is exactly as King Huai said.

King Chang did not eat alone. After eating a meal of potatoes, he confirmed that they tasted good, so he took the initiative to ask his son: "Why not invite Dongdong to come and eat?"

As a prince, he naturally got more than a minister. Even if they asked for it later, he still got a considerable share. He kept the good ones as seeds, and the rest was enough for entertaining guests.

When Ah Heng heard this suggestion, the smile on his expectant face became even brighter, and his clear voice was innocent and romantic: "Okay! Dad, then I would also like to invite Wan'er, Brother Pingsong, and Sister Shu! Sister Shu always cooked for me before, this time I'll invite her to eat!"

"Okay, let your mother go and ask someone." Prince Chang nodded with a smile.

Ah Heng should have called them Father King and Mother Concubine, but since he grew up in a place where there were no such rules, he was reluctant to change after he came out. He always felt that calling them Father and Mother was more intimate, so Prince Chang let him do it.

"I'll go!" Ah Heng said crisply, and ran out happily.

Compared to when he was imprisoned, he is much more lively now and always has a smile on his face.

Princess Chang naturally agreed to his request and directly asked her personal nanny to deliver the invitations.

At 16:00 that day, Xie Qingyun came with Yan Qiushu and their three children.

The first time he invited his friends to his home, Ah Heng acted like a good host, dressed neatly and beautifully, came early to greet them, and when they arrived, he took them around his home, introducing what was done here and what was done there. He was so excited that his little mouth never stopped talking.

Princess Chang was happy to see her son so happy, and she smiled deeply: "This is the first time Ah Heng invited friends to visit, and he was a little too excited. When Dong Dong invited him to visit for the first time, he was so happy that he didn't know how to walk, and he fell down several times at home."

"Mom!" Ah Heng shouted angrily after hearing his mother's "ridicule".

Princess Chang coughed lightly, indicating that she would no longer tease her son.

Xie Qingyun continued, "Ah Heng has a simple and straightforward personality, which is good."

"Yeah, Dongdong is also very good. If it weren't for him..."

The two of them were talking in low voices while Yan Qiushu was playing with Ah Heng and the others. Noticing that the two parties were getting along well, she was very glad that Xie Qingyun was there, otherwise she would be the one who had to bite the bullet and talk to Princess Chang!

After walking for a long time, the children were a little tired. Ah Heng asked them to sit down in the pavilion and told them about the food he would treat them to today: "The potatoes are especially delicious! They are crunchy, you will definitely like them!"

Dong Dong widened his eyes upon hearing this and said in astonishment: "Potatoes are obviously pink!"

Ah Heng: “? Crisp!”

"Powdered!" Wan'er interrupted and emphasized, "Sister Shu made it for us. It's delicious. It's called French fries, and it's powdered!"

Ah Heng had an expression of doubt about life. How come the same thing tastes different when cooked?

Yan Qiushu said with a smile: "There are many ways to eat potatoes. How about I go to your kitchen and cook for you? Last time, we only had two potatoes at home, so we couldn't cook much. If you have more potatoes, I can cook a lot of delicious food!"

Ah Heng's eyes lit up and he nodded vigorously: "Okay! Okay! I have a lot of potatoes at home!"

They all agreed that Ah Heng would go and talk to Princess Chang. Princess Chang felt very embarrassed, but seeing that Yan Qiushu was willing, she stopped trying to stop him and went with her.

In fact, they arrived quite late, and after wandering around the palace for half a day, the kitchen had already started preparing. When they went to the kitchen, they happened to run into the kitchen staff carrying two dishes to the living room.

"Is everything ready?" Yan Qiushu asked.

The servant who brought the food said, "Part of it is ready. Do you have any instructions, young lady?"

"No, no." Yan Qiushu shook her head and smiled, "Let's go and take a look."

Seeing that there was nothing for the servants to do, they bowed and went on their way. Yan Qiushu took the four children to the kitchen. In the kitchen, everyone was busy preparing for the dinner. Some were making chicken wings, some were making pork, and everything was in order.

Ah Heng clenched his fist, took two steps forward, and asked in a deep voice, "Are there any more potatoes?"

The chef who was chopping vegetables stiffened his back, bowed quickly, stood up, pointed to a box in the corner and said, "There are more. They are all in this box."

Yan Qiushu took a look and saw that there were only two potatoes left. She was about to pick them up, but the cook came over first and helped her pick them up: "Miss, what do you want to do? Just tell me and I'll do it."

"Then you go and peel it." Yan Qiushu said.

The chef responded, found a corner with a knife, and began to peel the skin skillfully.

Taking advantage of this gap, Yan Qiushu habitually looked into the kitchen, but this time she was stunned when she saw a potato peel at the feet of the kitchen table.

"What's wrong with Sister Shu?" Wan'er noticed it at the first moment, holding her hand, a little nervous.

Yan Qiushu smiled and walked over quickly. The cook stood up nervously and asked, "What's the matter, young lady?"

Yan Qiushu said nothing, picked up the potato peel and took a look. She was far away just now and only saw a sprout on the potato skin. Now she walked closer and took a look, she was surprised, it was really a sprout!

But it only has a pointed tip and the bottom is not visible. I wonder if it was left for cooking.

The cook seemed a little frightened: "Miss, is there something wrong?"

Yan Qiushu shook her head: "No problem, but these potatoes cannot be eaten, they are poisonous." After saying that, she came back to her senses and looked at Nan Qi, the palace maid serving beside Ah Heng: "Nan Qi, go to the front hall quickly and take back all the dishes related to potatoes. If the potatoes sprout or turn green, they cannot be eaten. It will cause poisoning, and in serious cases, it can kill people."

Chef: “?”