Meng Zhao took the pounded breadcrumbs to the kitchen. First, she cut the pumpkin, potatoes, and taro into chunks, steamed them in a pot, then took fresh milk, put it in a pot, added sugar and starch, stirred it evenly, and heated it over low heat, stirring constantly to prevent the milk from sticking to the pot.
When the milk gradually turns into a thick, stringy paste, turn off the heat, pour it into a square container, cover it, and then have Meng Dashan take it to the freezer to freeze.
The ingredients that had been steamed in the pot were now ready. Meng Zhao used a wooden pestle to grind them into a fine paste, then added glutinous rice flour and sugar to each one, kneaded them into dough, and then pinched off a small piece of dough, flattened it into a round cake, and began to wrap various fillings inside.
Xu Yunrong had just finished wrapping a pumpkin cake with brown sugar and sesame filling when she looked up and saw Meng Zhao taking a plate of roast duck that she had bought from outside, cutting it into pieces, and starting to wrap it with taro paste. She couldn't help but frown. "Zhao Zhao, you just added milk and sugar, so this taro paste must be sweet. Now you're using it to wrap roast duck. Is this some kind of... weird food?"
"Pfft—" Hearing her say that, Meng Zhao laughed out loud. She was usually careless and would often blurt out some modern words. Xu Yunrong and the others would remember them and use them from time to time. However, they sometimes did not understand the meaning and always used them wrong. Today, she finally managed to use them correctly.
After Meng Zhao finished laughing, he raised his arm and wiped the tears of laughter from the corners of his eyes with his rolled-up sleeve before saying, "This is not some kind of culinary disaster. Try it when it's done, it will definitely have a unique flavor."
Xu Yunrong wrinkled her nose, unable to imagine what sweet taro paste would taste like with sizzling, oily roasted duck.
When Meng Dashan returned after dispensing the milk, he heard his daughter say she could wrap whatever she wanted, and he immediately became interested and joined in the cooking. He tore off a piece of mashed potato, wandered around the kitchen for a while, and finally settled on the pork ribs that Aunt Li had just stewed. He took a small plate of them and started wrapping.
Meng Zhao whispered in Xu Yunrong's ear, "Mom, I think Dad's dish is the real culinary disaster."
Xu Yunrong glanced at her, thinking to herself, "Your taro-stuffed roast duck isn't much better than potato and pork ribs." Seeing Meng Dashan wrapping them with such enthusiasm, Xu Yunrong couldn't stand it anymore and stepped forward, saying loudly, "Wrap your own, don't copy me and wrap them all into round pancakes. What if they can't be distinguished later!"
Her own bursting brown sugar pumpkin cakes sounded delicious, but she didn't want to eat any of the weird and wonderful things the father and daughter made.
Meng Dashan looked aggrieved. The potato and pork rib pancakes naturally became round after being kneaded, but under his wife's piercing gaze, he dared not not change them. He picked up his potato and pork rib pancakes and pressed them from the edges to the center until they were square. Only then was Xu Yunrong satisfied.
Once the oil in the pan was hot, Meng Zhao coated each of the taro paste crispy ducks with egg wash and then rolled them in breadcrumbs.
"Sizzle—" The moment the pancake slid into the oil, it made an enticing sound. Meng Zhao used the extra-long chopsticks to flip it from time to time. Since the roast duck and taro paste were already cooked, they didn't need to be fried for too long. Once they started to turn golden brown, they could be taken out.
Meng Zhao placed an oiled paper under a piece of paper, picked one up, and handed it to Xu Yunrong, saying, "Mother, please try one."
Xu Yunrong shrank back and waved her hands repeatedly, "No need, no need, you can eat it yourself."
Meng Zhao persisted, pushing the cake forward further: "This was made with my heart, and it contains your daughter's filial piety. How can you bear to refuse it?" She blinked her big, watery eyes, feigning grievance.
Xu Yunrong pursed her lips, then suddenly blurted out, "Touched, yet I refuse."
"Pfft—" Meng Zhao almost burst out laughing. What was all this about? It seemed she really needed to be careful in the future and not say whatever came to mind, lest she corrupt her mother.
Seeing that Xu Yunrong refused to eat, Meng Zhao handed it to Meng Dashan instead. Meng Dashan could make potato and pork rib dumplings himself, so he naturally accepted these strange things well. He took it and took a big bite, and the small round cake was almost half gone.
The crispy outer layer crackled between his teeth, releasing a burst of fragrant, crunchy flavor. Meng Dashan chewed and chewed, then tasted a hint of sweet taro paste, along with a rich milky aroma. He continued chewing, and a rich, oily roast duck fragrance exploded in his mouth. Slowly, the various flavors blended together, and his eyes widened as he nodded repeatedly, exclaiming, "Delicious! Absolutely delicious!"
After saying that, he stuffed the remaining half into his mouth and started chewing. Xu Yunrong looked at him with some doubt and said, "Are you kidding me?"
"My wife, when have I ever lied to you?" Meng Dashan said sincerely. "Try it and see."
Xu Yunrong then hesitantly picked up a small pancake and took a small bite. Meng Zhao laughed and said, "Mom, you have to take a big bite. If you only bite the edge, you haven't even eaten the roast duck yet."
Under the expectant gazes of her father and daughter, Xu Yunrong took a big bite and began to chew. As the flavors slowly blended in her mouth, her initial resistance gradually eased, and she couldn't help but nod repeatedly, "It's really good! Zhaozhao, how did you come up with this combination?"
Meng Zhao proudly raised his chin: "Nothing special, just practice makes perfect."
At this moment, Meng Dashan's square potato and pork rib pancakes were also ready. As always, Meng Dashan was the first to test them. Under the intense gazes of the mother and daughter, he took a big bite. While chewing, his expression became somewhat strange. Finally, he slowly spat out a bone. "Delicious, very delicious!" he said, trying to remain calm.
With the taro paste and crispy duck she had just tasted, Xu Yunrong confidently picked up a small square cake and took a big bite. But after only a few bites, she gave her husband a meaningful look. Meng Dashan pursed his lips and remained silent.
"Mother, how does it taste? Is it delicious?" Meng Zhao asked curiously.
Xu Yunrong said without changing her expression, "It's delicious, just as delicious as the taro paste crispy duck. You should try it too."
Thinking that potatoes and ribs are a perfect match and can be made into a variety of dishes, Meng Zhao had no doubts. He picked up the last pancake that Meng Dashan had made and took a bite, but froze the moment he tasted it.
The sweet mashed potatoes paired with the savory pork ribs were not exactly unpalatable, but the taste was certainly indescribable. If she didn't want to waste food, she would have vomited it up right away.
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