Chapter 81 New Year's Eve Dinner: Garlic Ribs, Typhoon Shelter Shrimp, Sichuan Peppercorn Baked Dish...
After the Laba Festival, the New Year is just around the corner, and the festive atmosphere grows stronger day by day.
Lin Yao began shopping for New Year's goods with great enthusiasm. This was her first New Year here, and she was filled with anticipation.
During this time, she carefully selected all kinds of New Year's goods, including Spring Festival couplets, window decorations, and all kinds of dried fruits and candied fruits. Whether it was a house in town or an old house in Linjia Village, she decorated them all to look brand new, exuding a strong festive atmosphere.
Today is the last day the shop is open before the Lunar New Year. The cured pork and sausages drying in the backyard are in their best condition. Lin Yao takes down a section of cured sausage and pork, preparing to make a meal of cured meat rice to satisfy her craving.
"Ayu, rinse the rice and put it in the pot." Lin Yao placed the sausage and cured pork on the cutting board. She sliced the sausage and cured pork into thin slices, and the distinct fat and lean meat made people's mouths water. "The cured pork needs to be sliced thinly so that it will be very fragrant when made into cured meat rice."
Wang Xiaoyu squatted in front of the stove, tending the fire. Watching the fine white steam rising from the earthenware pot, she couldn't help but ask, "Shopkeeper, is the cured meat placed directly on top of the rice?"
Lin Yao nodded, "Don't let the simplicity of this preserved meat rice fool you, it tastes incredibly delicious." Once the rice in the pot had risen, Lin Yao lifted the lid, evenly spreading slices of sausage and cured pork on top, sprinkling on some cilantro, and drizzling a spoonful of soy sauce. "Cover the pot and simmer for a while, keep the heat low, don't let it burn."
Before long, the rich aroma of cured meat wafted from the pot, mingling with the fragrance of rice and filling the entire backyard. Lin Yao lifted the lid, and steam billowed out, carrying a unique fragrance that made Wang Xiaoyu, who was standing to the side, take a deep breath.
The oil from the preserved meat seeps into the rice, turning it golden brown, and the rice underneath absorbs the oil, each grain plump and shiny.
Lin Yao picked up a rice spoon and mixed the preserved meat with the rice. This not only allowed the rice to fully absorb the aroma of the preserved meat, but also ensured that every bite of rice contained the preserved meat, resulting in a rich flavor.
Wang Xiaoyu picked up a piece of cured meat and put it in her mouth. The skin was very chewy, and the lean meat was full of savory sauce. She couldn't help but ask, "Shopkeeper, will you put these cured meats on the menu after the New Year?"
"Of course I'll take it." Lin Yao filled her own bowl, the rice grains glistening with the oil from the sausage. "Many customers have been asking about it." Lin Yao hadn't originally planned to make it, but when she made some and delivered them to Wu Daqiang's family, many people saw them and wanted to pre-order. Some even offered thirty coins per sausage. How could she refuse business that came to her doorstep? Making preserved meat is troublesome and time-consuming, and large-scale production would inevitably require hiring someone to chop the meat, so she raised the price, making it cheaper for both sides.
As they were eating, Lin Cheng brought Lin Song back from the dock. The two brothers were drawn to the kitchen by the aroma as soon as they entered. Lin Song stood on tiptoe, peering at the glistening rice in his bowl, and swallowed hard. "Second Sister, it smells so good!" Lin Yao smiled and ladled a small half-bowl for him. "Eat slowly, there's more in the pot."
Lin Cheng, shoveling rice into his mouth, suddenly said, "After closing up shop this afternoon, I bought a few strings of firecrackers to set off during New Year's Eve vigil, to make it more festive." Lin Yao nodded in agreement, watching the sky gradually darken outside the window, the red lanterns under the eaves swaying gently in the wind. Time really flies.
~
Lunar New Year's Eve marks the end of the year, and Lin Yao has a lot to do today. Originally, she planned to have the New Year's Eve dinner in town, but it would be too lonely with just her family. So she decided to gather the workers from the workshop and the restaurant together to make it more lively. However, when she went shopping, she bumped into Xu Zhiheng and his servant. After chatting for a few minutes, she unwittingly agreed to spend the New Year together.
This meant cooking for over thirty people, which meant preparing large-scale meals. Delicate dishes wouldn't be suitable; they needed to choose dishes that were easy to make in large quantities and suitable for assembly line production. After thinking for a while, Lin Yao decided on six dishes per table, five dishes and one soup, for the auspicious meaning of "everything goes smoothly".
Xu Zhiheng had already cleared out the martial arts school's large kitchen, and even brought his own cook to help. Lin Yao also gathered quite a few people, and the group headed to the martial arts school in a grand procession.
Chef Liang had long heard of Lin Yao's superb culinary skills. His own husband rarely dined at home, instead frequently visiting Lin's restaurant. Today, upon meeting her, he was surprised to find her so young. Knowing his own skill level perfectly well, he felt no envy whatsoever. He cheerfully cupped his hands and said, "Manager Lin! I've heard so much about you. My husband is a regular customer. Today, I must learn from you."
"Master Liang, you flatter me." Lin Yao was a little embarrassed by the praise, and quickly changed the subject to today's dishes, "I plan to prepare a salt-baked chicken for each table. This dish is quick and easy to make. Just coat it with salt-baked chicken powder, marinate it thoroughly, and bake it until cooked. Just hand it over to the staff in my shop."
Lin Yao planned to start cooking the soup. Soup keeps well and simmering it over low heat won't affect its flavor. She chose fried egg and radish soup. There's an old saying, "Eat radish in winter and ginger in summer." This soup is both nourishing and convenient, so she entrusted Zhao Niangzi to make it with Su Niang.
Fish is an essential part of Chinese New Year. Although the grilled fish at the restaurant is quite popular, Lin Yao didn't want to serve her usual dishes for New Year's Eve dinner, so she decided to make Sichuan peppercorn baked fish instead.
Lin Yao and her group weren't good at cleaning fish, so they left the task to Xu Zhiheng and a few others. They picked up small knives and deftly removed the scales, gutted the fish, and scraped off the black membrane. Lin Yao watched with admiration, impressed by their skillful techniques, aptly describing their martial arts training. She gently reminded them, "You have to scrape off that black membrane completely, otherwise it will smell very fishy."
Wang Xiaoyu squatted down to pick Sichuan peppercorns. It was the first time she had ever seen fresh green Sichuan peppercorns, and she couldn't help but ask, "Shopkeeper, are you really going to put in so many? Won't they make your skin numb?"
The Sichuan peppercorns in the bamboo basket still had water droplets from being washed. A strong, refreshing numbing aroma filled the air. "They're essential for the flavor. Fresh peppercorns aren't this potent unless you bite into them," Lin Yao said, taking the prepared fish and making several cuts on both sides of the fish, deep enough to reach the bone but not cutting through, showing it to Xu Zhiheng and the others. "This way, the marinade will penetrate well, and it will cook through easily when baked."
She poured half a bowl of rice wine into the earthenware basin, sprinkled on salt, ginger slices, and a little white pepper powder, and repeatedly rubbed the fish to ensure that every cut was soaked in the seasoning: "Marinate for half an hour to let the fish meat tighten." While she was doing this, she crushed Sichuan peppercorns, chopped a large handful of scallion segments, ginger slices, and garlic slices, and also prepared some soaked vermicelli to place at the bottom of the basin, "These vermicelli are absolutely amazing when they absorb the fish soup."
Half an hour later, Lin Yao brought out a clay pot, laid a layer of scallion segments and ginger slices on the bottom, then spread the marinated fish evenly on top, sprinkled crushed Sichuan peppercorns evenly, drizzled two spoonfuls of rapeseed oil, covered the pot, and simmered it over low heat. "This fish needs to be cooked in a clay pot, it keeps the heat well, and allows the numbing aroma of the Sichuan peppercorns to slowly seep into the meat." She added a few pieces of charcoal to the stove, "The fire can't be too high, it has to be simmered slowly, when you hear the sizzling sound in the pot, when the Sichuan peppercorn flavor becomes stronger, it's almost done."
Steam gradually rose from the clay pot, the numbing aroma of Sichuan peppercorns mingling with the freshness of the fish, wafting from the cracks in the lid, making one's mouth water. Wang Xiaoyu couldn't help but ask, "Shopkeeper, don't you need to add water?"
“No need,” Lin Yao said, listening to the sounds from the pot. “The fish’s own juices and oils, plus the moisture from the rice wine, are enough to cook it through. That’s how you make it fresh.”
After about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, the sizzling sound in the pot gradually subsided. The moment Lin Yao lifted the lid, a rich aroma of Sichuan peppercorns wafted out. The fish had been baked to a golden brown, with the green of the Sichuan peppercorns dotting the surface, making it look especially tempting. She sprinkled some chopped green onions on top and gently stirred the fish with a spatula: "It's done, be careful, it's hot."
While the baked fish was being cooked, everyone started preparing the ribs. Lin Yao planned to make garlic ribs, which was her favorite way to eat ribs in her previous life.
Lin Yao poured the chopped ribs into a large earthenware basin to soak them and remove the blood and fishy smell.
While the pork ribs were soaking, she peeled the garlic cloves clean. A whole bamboo basket of garlic cloves, plump and round, sat on the counter. "Garlic ribs, garlic is essential."
After soaking the ribs thoroughly, she took them out, drained them, and poured them into a large bowl. She first drizzled two spoonfuls of soy sauce on them, then mixed it well so that each piece of rib was coated with the sauce. Next, she poured in most of a bowl of chopped garlic, and sprinkled in some white pepper powder and a little sugar. "Not too much sugar, just enough to enhance the flavor."
Lin Yao poured half a pot of rapeseed oil. "These ribs need to be fried first, so they're crispy on the outside and tender on the inside." She tested the oil temperature and saw that the oil was slightly smoking, so she asked Wang Xiaoyu to help put the ribs into the pot one by one. "Be careful not to splatter the oil."
Golden oil splattered everywhere, and the aroma of meat mixed with garlic slowly wafted out. Lin Yao used long chopsticks to stir the meat from time to time. "Don't use too high a heat. Fry it over medium heat until the outer skin is golden and crispy, but the inside should still be a little pink. We'll fry it again later."
She removed the fried ribs from the pan and drained off the excess oil, leaving only a little at the bottom. She poured the remaining minced garlic into the pan and sautéed it over low heat until fragrant and light golden. Then she returned the ribs to the pan and stir-fried them until each piece was coated with garlic. Finally, she sprinkled in some chopped scallions. "Done!"
The freshly cooked garlic ribs are glistening with oil, their skin crispy with golden edges, coated with golden garlic paste. One bite, and you're first greeted by the crispy and fragrant skin, followed by the tenderness of the ribs. The garlic flavor bursts in your mouth layer by layer, yet it's not overpowering at all; instead, it enhances the aroma of the meat.
She instructed the staff to divide the ribs into large plates and cover them with cotton pads to keep them warm. "This dish tastes best when it's hot. We can just reheat it over low heat before serving it."
In Qingquan Town, which borders the water, shrimp is an indispensable dish for the New Year's Eve dinner. Lin Yao wants to make Typhoon Shelter-Style Fried Shrimp, and the key to this dish is breadcrumbs. Although there are no ready-made breadcrumbs available, they can make breadcrumbs from steamed buns.
She put the steamed buns in a pan, without adding water or oil, and baked them until golden brown. After taking them out, she crushed them into fine powder with a rolling pin, and her simple breadcrumbs were ready. Considering that some young children might not know how to peel shrimp, she also prepared scrambled eggs with shrimp.
All the meat dishes were prepared, leaving only one vegetable dish. Lin Yao chose romaine lettuce. The romaine lettuce, which had been touched by frost, had a slightly sweet taste. Even Lin Song, who usually didn't like eating green vegetables, could eat a few stalks.
After all the meat dishes were prepared, only one vegetable dish remained. Lin Yao made romaine lettuce. The romaine lettuce, which had been touched by frost, had a slightly sweet taste. Even Lin Song, who usually didn't like eating green vegetables, was able to eat a few stalks.
Everyone worked until Chenshi (7-9 AM) before all the dishes were ready. The restaurant's main hall had already been brightly lit by the staff. Several square tables were pushed together, and a crackling charcoal brazier in the corner dispelled the chill.
"Let's begin!" Lin Yao called out. The children put down their toys and obediently went to the table, while the adults also took their seats.
Lin Yao poured herself a bowl of soup. The hot soup made her feel refreshed. She turned her head and saw Lin Song holding a small bowl, obediently chewing on some vegetables. The others were also eating heartily. Amidst the clinking of glasses, she suddenly felt that the fatigue from the busy morning had turned into a warm feeling in her heart.
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Author's Note: Writing is hard work, please add this to your favorites! [Facepalm emoji]
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