Chapter 15 Crispy Tofu Can tofu be fried?
Liu Qianjin's coaxing and persuasion worked.
Guizhier finally agreed to take her to Beijing, and then fled.
When the white light shines through the curtains, the natural birds chirp, the morning mist lingers, and the snow falls, it feels like you are in a pure white painting.
The tenth day of the twelfth lunar month is the Great Cold.
This is the last of the 24 solar terms and also the coldest time of the year.
Winter goes and spring comes, and after the Great Cold comes the cycle of the new year. Every household gets rid of the old and brings in the new, and makes food offerings to bring blessings for the coming year.
Glutinous rice and tofu are especially indispensable on the table.
Steaming a bowl of glutinous rice can keep you warm and nourish you. "Tofu" means both "first blessing" and "all wealth", which is festive and auspicious.
"Tofu for sale—freshly ground tofu."
The old man spoke in a long voice with a unique northern accent, and the wooden basin on the cart was covered with a layer of gauze.
He was wearing homespun clothes and a fur coat as he walked through the streets, with a few snowflakes stuck to his white hair and beard.
Half a month earlier, he made an appointment with the merchants who purchased soybeans in Linghe County.
The plains there are more developed for farming. By adding one-tenth of mung beans to the best soybeans, the finished tofu is particularly tough.
Fine liquid flows from a millstone, and snowflakes roll in the boiling soup.
The old man used his wrinkled hands to scoop out the soaked beans.
As the stone mill slowly turned, the beans were crushed and the milky white and thick soy milk slowly flowed out. The old man smiled with joy.
"No matter how fierce the war is, we still have to live our lives," the old man muttered as he ordered some brine. "Eating tofu during the Great Cold is a custom passed down from ancient times."
"Yes, yes, what Mr. Weng said makes sense."
The housekeeper responded repeatedly, his dark circles under his eyes being so noticeable due to sleepiness.
Hearing the sound of grinding stones in the middle of the night, still in the Zhenbei government office, the housekeeper who was worried about the safety of the entire government office felt that his spirit was gradually weakening.
Look, even the master stayed overnight at Yaoyue Tower.
But there was really no way. My father-in-law was a registered gatekeeper of the government office. He had served several generations of prefects and had more experience than them.
By dawn, the old man's tofu was ready.
Without caring about Xiaoxue, the old man pulled the cart and left. At worst, he could come back and take a nap after selling everything.
"Mr. Weng, give me ten pieces of tofu!"
He had just taken a few steps out of the government office when he was stopped by Gui Zhier.
"Ten dollars in one go, can you finish it?" the old man muttered.
He had a bad temper, but his tofu was top-notch. When he opened the gauze, pieces of tofu as white as jade appeared before his eyes.
I picked up the cassia twigs and caught them in my own basin. They had a delicate and smooth texture, and I could smell their pleasant fragrance if I got close.
Ten pieces of tofu, fifteen copper coins.
The old man counted the coins meticulously and then continued walking down the street.
"Tofu for sale—freshly ground tofu."
The long shouts awaken the winter morning, and the New Year atmosphere becomes stronger as people go to the market and walk through the streets.
Guizhi is naturally not eaten alone.
Guiji Braised Food Shop is open every Friday and the tenth day of the month. Today, they are preparing to make sweet and savory crispy tofu.
She first cut off a small corner the size of a fingernail and took a bite. The aroma of beans and the slightly salty taste of the brine lingered, leaving a long-lasting aftertaste.
Then put the tofu on the chopping board, crush five pieces completely with a knife, and cut the five pieces into large pieces that are slightly more than an inch long.
Guizhier's knife skills are very steady and he is fully focused.
Today she was wearing a plain light green robe with curly grass patterns, the branches and vines were very elegant, her hair was tied into a bun, and complemented by a simple wood-grain hairpin.
She wiped her hands dry and then flipped the tofu to ensure that the starch coated it evenly and did not break.
“Crack, crack.”
The fresh fish meat scraped out with a knife needs to be minced, seasoned and mixed with bamboo chopsticks, and then the sausage and fatty pork should be chopped into fine pieces.
There are more and more ingredients in the tofu bowl, and Guizhi keeps stirring them evenly, with green onion whites cut into beads dotted in between.
"Huh, we have to hurry up and deal with the main event."
The combination of meat and vegetables should be reasonable, and Guizhier rushed to serve the pork elbow.
First, burn off the long and short hairs on the pig skin, then patiently scrape off the burnt areas with a knife.
After a series of processes such as blanching, making clear soup and sauce, when you open the lid of the pot, the sugar color has made the soup appear chestnut color, which is very tempting.
Before the food was even out of the pot, guests arrived.
"Oh, this smell is so good, I'm starving!"
Before seeing the person, I heard his voice first. Liu Qianjin's coquettish words revealed her expectations.
When she was not performing on stage, the powder on her face was not thick, but the flower ornaments and rouge were all exquisite, and the large area of rouge made her look even more charming.
The two tables of diners available for reservation at Guiji Braised Food Restaurant are not something that ordinary people can afford.
The high additional service charges are prohibitive.
Therefore, there are only a few wealthy customers, with Magistrate Ma and Courtesan Liu among the top ones.
"You're early." Guizhier sighed and greeted the guest, "Don't rush me. I made your favorite dessert today."
The pork elbow braised in rock sugar is crispy, tender and fragrant, with rich color and flavor. Place it in a bowl with cabbage leaves as a base, and the juice will flow out, which is so fragrant that it is intoxicating.
Liu Qianjin's eyes lit up, she didn't care about her image and wanted to eat three bowls of rice.
Behind her were two thugs employed by the brothel owner.
The man, as tall and strong as an iron tower, took two deep breaths of the fragrance in the air, looked at each other and said, "My lady, this overeating..."
"I'll just give you some." Liu Qianjin waved her hand, "You always come to me to ask for money."
The strong men on the iron tower immediately smiled happily.
Guizhier was used to it. Seeing that there were already diners queuing up in groups of three or four at the door, she couldn't help but speed up.
First make the salty tofu that everyone is used to.
Heat cooking oil in a pan, add the tofu that has been reshaped after mixing with fresh fish meat into the pan with a sizzling sound.
Ordinary people would not be willing to use so much oil and salt when cooking. Guiji’s braised food is unique.
"Hey, just from my nose, it's definitely a pot full of soybean oil."
"Young lady, you're making fried food, but the sign says crispy tofu... can tofu be fried?"
"Won't it just break in the pot?" people who lined up early were talking. "No matter what, I must buy the braised pork elbow."
The price is only twenty copper coins per portion, and even if the quantity is small, it can be enough for the whole family to enjoy a meal.
The fish-flavored tofu has been fried until golden brown, with a crispy skin and tender and mellow inside.
Guizhier started making another kind of tofu, sweet and sour.
She poured in the flour-coated tofu cubes and stirred them in the pot with a large iron spoon to prevent them from sticking.
"Sizzle, sizzle", the occasional splashing of oil will burn the skin. Although there are only a few spots, the heat and oil smoke are continuous.
Guizhier took out the tofu, drained the oil, and was preparing to thicken the sauce with tomatoes, sugar, and white vinegar.
"Miss Gui, I'm sorry to bother you."
Another guest came uninvited, his voice deep and majestic.
Guizhier looked out from the kitchen in surprise and was stunned.
It turned out to be Commander Cai.
He took off his armor and military uniform, wearing only casual clothes, but he still looked powerful and strong. The thugs from Yaoyue Tower were much inferior to him.
His complexion has always been dark, and perhaps because he had been supervising the construction of the city wall recently, he was tanned even more.
Guizhier looked to the left and saw Liu Qianjin holding the braised pork elbow in a daze. Looking to the right, Cai Miao was standing there with an open mind.
I didn't know whether I should entertain him or not.
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