The sour plum soup had cooled down, and Lin Yan asked Zhao Shiyun to help hang it in the well. He planned to bring it to the store tomorrow as a gift, giving one bowl to each diners while stocks last.
Lin Yan threw a piece of malt sugar into the bowl at home and stirred it, then hung it into the well. It was perfect to drink while cooling off after dinner.
Checking the time and getting ready for dinner, Lin Yan walked around the kitchen. There were a few bitter melons, a few eggplants, and a basket of broad beans.
I remembered the stuffed meat that Yu Ge'er mentioned before. At that time, the fruits and vegetables were not ripe, so we only made lotus root stuffed with meat. Now we can make bitter melon stuffed with meat, stuffed eggplant, and broad beans can be made into braised broad beans, salted egg yolk broad beans, etc.
Lin Yan did it right away. He picked up a slender bitter melon, cleaned it, cut it into thick sections, and scooped out the flesh in the middle with a small spoon.
There was still a piece of pork leg at home. Lin Yan went out for a walk. Zhao Shiyun was not at home, probably out to the fields. He returned to the kitchen, planning to ask him to help chop the meat when he returned. He grabbed a handful of broad beans and began to peel them.
After peeling most of the meat, he caught a glimpse of Zhao Shiyun entering the house. He shouted, "Brother Shiyun, come and help me chop the meat."
"Here I come." Zhao Shiyun put down the bucket and washed his hands with water.
The meat was on the chopping board, and Zhao Shiyun picked up the kitchen knife and started cutting the meat.
"What dish are you planning to cook?" He was quick with his hands and finished cutting in no time, then started chopping the meat, dong dong dong sound.
"Make some bitter melon stuffed with meat." After peeling the broad beans, Lin Yan rinsed them briefly and set them aside. Then he saw Zhao Shiyun's face wrinkled like a bitter melon.
He asked curiously, "What's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?"
Zhao Shiyun curled his lips and said, "Your bitter melon is cut so thickly, can it be eaten?"
It turned out that she saw the bitter melon segments he had cut. "Haha, are you still afraid of eating bitter melon? Didn't you enjoy eating it last time I made it?"
"Last time you fried it with eggs, you rinsed it with water, and the bitterness was much less." Zhao Shiyun didn't like bitter melon very much since he was a child. When his grandmother cooked bitter melon, she would always stir-fry another dish on the side.
"Don't worry, I guarantee you'll like my stuffed meat." Lin Yan patted his shoulder. He didn't expect that Brother Shi Yun, such a big guy, was afraid of hardship. He really didn't expect it.
After the meat was minced, Lin Yan minced the scallions and ginger, added some to the minced pork, and added appropriate amounts of salt, soy sauce, white wine, and an egg. He also sprinkled some chili powder. Stir well, stirring in one direction until it was firm.
Then you can start stuffing the meat. Take an appropriate amount of meat filling and stuff it into the bitter melon segments, stuffing a little more at both ends to fill the bitter melon segments.
Pour an appropriate amount of lard into the pot, put the bitter melon segments in when the oil is hot, with the fleshy side facing down, and fry over low heat until the surface is slightly yellow, then turn over and fry until both sides of the bitter melon segments are golden brown.
Add an appropriate amount of water to cover the bitter melon segments, then add a spoonful of soy sauce, cover with a lid, and simmer over low heat until the bitter melon and meat filling are cooked through and the soup becomes thick.
The bitter melon stuffed with meat was ready. Lin Yansheng took a small piece from the plate and asked Zhao Shiyun to taste it. Zhao Shiyun took it with a frown and took a light bite. In addition to the bitterness of the bitter melon, he could also taste the salty fragrance of the meat. The meat neutralized the bitterness of the bitter melon very well.
Zhao Shiyun swallowed it in a few bites and stuffed the rest into Lin Yan's mouth. "It's okay, not as bad as I imagined."
Lin Yan narrowed his eyes and smiled.
Next, make the braised broad beans. Clean the pot and add a spoonful of lard to dissolve. Once the oil is hot, add minced garlic and ginger and sauté until fragrant.
Add the broad beans and stir-fry until they change color and are slightly wrinkled. Then add soy sauce, a little sugar, and enough water to cover the broad beans. Cover the pot and simmer over low heat for about 15 minutes, until the broad beans are cooked through.
Finally, add salt, simmer over high heat until the sauce thickens, sprinkle with chopped green onions and serve.
Zhao Shiyun helped bring the food to the table and invited everyone to eat.
"Wow, Gefu, have you made stuffed meat?" Yu Ge'er's eyes sparkled, and he quickly washed his hands and came over to sit down.
Everyone sat together and started to eat. Yu Ge'er couldn't wait to pick up a piece of bitter melon stuffed with meat and took a big bite. His cheeks bulged. Zhao Shiyun looked at him with his teeth bared, "Isn't it bitter? You eat such a big mouthful."
Yu Ge'er said vaguely: "It's not bitter, it's delicious, my brother-in-law's cooking skills are really good." Lin Yan looked proud and picked up a piece for Zhao Shiyun. Zhao Shiyun took it and started eating it in small bites. Lin Yan watched and laughed. Although the food was not bad, this man was unwilling to eat it in big mouthfuls.
Halfway through the meal, Lin Yan remembered the sour plum soup and asked Zhao Shiyun to fetch some from the well. Yu Ge'er, very considerate, brought over the bamboo cups and filled each person's cup. The sour plum soup, with a hint of sweetness, instantly dispelled much of the greasiness.
After the meal, everyone was a little full. Besides the bitter melon stuffed with meat, the braised broad beans were also delicious. Zhao Shiyun scooped a spoonful of it into the rice and mixed it in. He ate three bowls of brown rice in a row and drank a cup of sour plum soup.
As the sky darkened, the family sat in the courtyard, enjoying the cool breeze while digesting their food. The dishes had already been washed, and the water in the pot had just begun to boil. It would take a while before they could wash up.
There were quite a lot of stars in the sky, and tomorrow's weather should be nice. Zhao Shiyun gently held Lin Yan's hand. Occasionally, a breeze blew, bringing a hint of coolness. Lin Yan leaned on Zhao Shiyun's shoulder, his heart filled with happiness. This simple and warm life was what he had always wanted.
*
The next day, Lin Yan placed a large bucket of sour plum soup on the first table at the entrance of the shop, with several bowls next to it. He planned to let the customers help themselves.
"Young boss, what new things do you have?" Wu Liuhai came over to eat tofu pudding and looked at the extra big barrel in the shop. It was pitch black and he couldn't tell what it was, but there were yellow osmanthus flowers floating on it and a hint of cool air.
Lin Yanzheng came out with a spoon to help customers scoop sour plum soup.
"Hey, I made some sour plum soup yesterday and gave it to everyone for free. Would you like some?"
"Hey, it's free, so I must have some." Wu Liuhai asked Lin Yan to serve him a pumpkin cake, a steamed bun, and a bowl of salty tofu pudding, and he poured himself a bowl of sour plum soup and drank it first.
It was actually a bit hot this morning, but a sip of sour plum soup was surprisingly refreshing. Wu Liuhai finished it in a few gulps, poured himself another bowl, and began to eat his breakfast.
Other customers came in one after another and started drinking. "Boss, do you have this sour plum soup every day?" someone who was not satisfied with it asked with a smile.
"I can't afford to give it away for free every day. It's only for three days, so don't miss out if you want to drink it." Lin Yan replied with a smile, "It will start selling in three days, one cent a bowl. But it will definitely be different from the one we have now, and it will taste better."
"That's not bad, I get three days of free sour plum soup." The customer nodded. "Boss, you don't have any bamboo tubes or anything like that here, so I can't even take the stuff away if I buy it."
Lin Yan touched his chin and thought, this bamboo tube is not difficult to make, but no one in the family has time to make it. If he lets others make it and he collects the money, how to charge is still a problem.
"Okay, I'll think about it."
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