Chapter Twenty-Seven: Honey-Glazed Spicy Dried Fish
The other people in the small restaurant also noticed and turned to look at the source of the sound. The high school students were very kind, and one or two of them gathered around and asked, "Little sister, are you hurt?"
They reacted even before Yu Miaoyin. Xu Jiajia was closer to where the broom was, so she grabbed a broom and a dustpan and came over to sweep up the debris. She patted Xiaotangbao's head and said, "It's okay, Jiajia will help you."
Grandma Liang came up too, hugged Xiaotangbao, and told her to be careful not to step on it, "It's okay, little things are safe."
Yu Miaoyin came out of the kitchen and was a little surprised to see Xu Jiajia busy at work. She was touched by the surprise, so she smiled at her and said, "Thank you, Jiajia."
Then she walked over to Xiaotangbao, squatted down, and asked softly, "Are you hurt?"
"I'm not hurt, but I broke your plates and bowls, I'm sorry." Xiao Tangbao was a little down. She wanted to help her older sister, but she didn't expect to make things worse by breaking the plates and bowls.
Will her older sister think she's useless?
"What's the big deal, darling? It's just a few bowls and plates. Your older sister is planning to buy new ones soon." This wasn't just to comfort Xiao Tangbao; she genuinely intended to buy new ones so she could make more different kinds of food. Yu Miaoyin had given up on making some dishes because the bowls weren't suitable.
"Boss, do you need a new bowl?" a boy in the crowd asked softly. It was Liang Hekang.
“Mm,” Yu Miaoyin replied.
Liang Hekang quickly replied, "That's great, that's great. My family specializes in making these kinds of things. We have all kinds of pots, pans, and dishes. If you want, I can sell them to you at cost price. You can come and take a look."
The boss bought their pots, pans, and utensils, so he can make even more delicious food!
"Then I'll add your contact information." Yu Miaoyin added his contact information. "I'll go see you when I have time."
Liang and Kang sat back down to eat as if they had just closed a big deal. This stir-fried chicken drumsticks with king oyster mushrooms smelled so good! The king oyster mushrooms tasted like meat. The diced king oyster mushrooms absorbed the oil and aroma from the chicken. With a gentle bite, the mushroom and meaty aromas of the plump and meaty king oyster mushrooms melted on the tip of the tongue.
The chicken is caramelized and fragrant, with a crispy skin that locks in the juices while remaining tender and juicy. The spiciness of the chili peppers also intensifies. This dish becomes more and more fragrant the more you chew it, making it delicious and especially good with rice.
It smells so good! It smells so good! It smells so good! Liang Hekang screamed in his heart. He couldn't lose Yu's Restaurant, absolutely not!
After calming Xiao Tangbao down, Yu Miaoyin came over to thank Xu Jiajia. She had just helped clean up the broken pieces, leaving the floor spotless as if nothing had happened. Yu Miaoyin was truly touched by the kind-hearted girl.
"Thank you Jiajia for helping with the cleaning. Thank you so much," Yu Miaoyin said.
Little Tangbao obediently said, "Thank you, Sister Jiajia. Hehe, you're just like Sister Yiling, the best sister."
Xu Jiajia was praised by both of them, and she was a little proud, "Hehe, it was just a small thing. I especially want to thank you for making so many delicious things every day. You were my pillar of support in high school!"
"You like my cooking that much?" Yu Miaoyin asked.
"Of course I love it! Just thinking about being able to eat your cooking makes going to school not so bad!" Xu Jiajia said without exaggeration.
Yi Ling added fuel to the fire: "When the homeroom teacher mentioned the monthly exam, she was like she was going to die, but as soon as she heard that she could eat your cooking, she came back to life."
"I had completely forgotten about this, why did you tell me?!" Xu Jiajia said sadly. After sitting down and taking a bite of rice, her sadness seemed to have disappeared.
"Sister Ayin, it's just that you're out of water chestnut cake. Otherwise, I would have liked to buy some more to eat as a snack. Studying in the evening is too torturous," Xu Jiajia said.
"They're all pre-ordered." Yu Miaoyin said, then thought for a while. Since this little girl likes to eat so much, she decided to make some delicious food for them as a way of thanking them.
Moreover, she can make some snacks to eat while watching TV with Xiaotangbao, which will satisfy her cravings.
The sunlight gradually faded, and the sounds inside the small restaurant gradually subsided. Around seven o'clock, Yu Miaoyin pulled up the roller shutter door and bumped into He Li, who had also closed her shop.
Xiao Ran carried her schoolbag. After spending these days together, Xiao Ran was no longer afraid of Yu Miaoyin and Xiao Tangbao. She would even greet people when she saw them. She waved to the two of them, "Sister Ayin, Xiao Tangbao."
Xiao Tangbao grinned, revealing a row of white teeth, "Xiao Ran."
Little Tangbao's eyes darted around, and she guessed, "Are you going to play with Mommy?"
"Mmm." Xiao Ran nodded excitedly and answered with a smile.
"Wow, I want to go shopping with my older sister too!"
"Perfect timing, why don't we walk together for a bit?" He Li suggested. "The two kids have things to talk about. I mainly want to take her to buy some food, since it's almost Mid-Autumn Festival."
Yu Miaoyin put the keys into her bag and agreed, "Okay, I was just about to go to the dried goods store to buy some dried fish."
As expected, children of the same age have a lot to talk about. The two children held hands and talked all the way, about the interesting things that happened at school, and then they talked about how round the moon was tonight.
Xiao Ran said, "The moon is so round because we're getting ready for the Mid-Autumn Festival. I even drew a big, round moon."
"Wow, it must look really good, hehe. I'm so looking forward to the Mid-Autumn Festival, then I can have a holiday!" Xiao Tangbao said. Sure enough, everyone who is in school is looking forward to a holiday.
When they reached the supermarket intersection, the two had to part ways. Yu Miaoyin said goodbye to He Li and Xiao Ran, and took Xiao Tangbao to the dried goods store.
This must be the biggest dried goods store around here. They sell everything: sausages, wood ear mushrooms, walnuts, dried anchovies. Yu Miaoyin ordered some dried anchovies, and when she looked up again, she saw the sausages hanging by the owner, with their alternating layers of fat and lean meat and bright red and white colors. Yu Miaoyin knew at a glance that these were good sausages.
She also bought some sausages to take home.
Once she entered the mall, Yu Miaoyin forgot that her original intention was just to buy some dried fish. In the end, she carried quite a lot of things in large bags. She had just seen snails in the seafood section, and if she hadn't been too full to carry, she would have liked to buy some more.
Back home, thinking about what the two children had said, Yu Miaoyin took out the pickled salted duck eggs. After so many days, she figured they should be ready by now, so she took out two to cook with white porridge tomorrow.
The next morning, birds chirped and twittered, and the high school across the street lit up early. Xiao Tangbao woke up to the aroma of rice.
Getting up early is difficult. Xiao Tangbao rolled over twice, sat on the bed in a daze for a while before getting out of bed, putting on her shoes and washing up by herself, and then came down from the second floor.
"You're awake! We're having porridge today, and your older sister also steamed some corn." Yu Miaoyin brought over the steamed salted duck eggs, peeled them, and cut them in half. The red oil from the yolks dripped down, making Xiao Tangbao's eyes widen. "It looks like the sun, and a melting sun at that!"
This description shows that Yu Miaoyin was amused by the child's innocence and naivety.
Yu Miaoyin handed the other half to Xiaotangbao, and ate the remaining half herself. She picked at the runny yolk with her chopsticks, and a little bit of bright orange-red yolk stuck to the chopsticks. She put it in her mouth and smacked it. It was salty and fragrant, and melted in her mouth. She chewed it carefully and could taste the delicate and soft texture of the yolk. The sandy particles were crushed on the tip of her tongue.
The egg white is a bit salty, which is just right when paired with porridge. The oily and eggy aroma of the salted duck egg will spread on the tip of your tongue.
"It's so delicious! This salted duck egg is salty and fragrant," said Xiaotangbao.
After sending Xiaotangbao to school, Yu Miaoyin took out the dried anchovies that had been soaking for a while, removed the heads and tails, leaving only the middle, and slowly fried them in oil until crispy. Honey-glazed spicy dried anchovies sound easy to make, but there are many steps that need to be controlled, such as how long to fry them, which really tests a chef's skills. Fortunately, Yu Miaoyin has a talent for cooking.
The fried anchovies were crispy and not burnt. Yu Miaoyin scooped them out to drain the oil and started preparing the honey-spicy sauce. To exaggerate a bit, the sauce is the soul of anything delicious. Some people would say this sauce would even make shoe soles smell good, and that's no joke.
After preparing the honey-spicy sauce, Yu Miaoyin poured the dried fish back into the pot, ensuring each fish was evenly coated with the sauce. Finally, she sprinkled white sesame seeds on top before serving. The dried fish, coated with the sauce, looked as if they were covered with a thin, shiny sugar shell.
Yu Miaoyin made quite a lot, and she divided some out for the two little girls. The dried fish looked so tempting that Yu Miaoyin tried one herself.
Although it's fried, it's not oily at all, and it's crispy and fragrant when you chew it. The first bite is a light sweetness, followed by a slow burst of spiciness that blends with the salty and savory flavor of the dried anchovies themselves. You can taste the firmness and slight chewiness of the dried anchovies when you chew them. The sweetness and spiciness intertwine, with a salty and savory base, leaving a spicy aftertaste and a hint of sweetness in your mouth after eating.
Yu Miaoyin was so tempted by the honey-glazed spicy dried fish she made that she ate several before she could stop.
These two high school students will definitely like it; they can eat some during evening self-study to satisfy their cravings. I just wonder if it will tempt others.
After finishing, Yu Miaoyin opened the braising pot, and a rich aroma of braising wafted out. The braised beef, which had been made early in the morning and soaked for several hours, smelled wonderful. Yu Miaoyin took out a small piece, cut off a slice, and tasted it.
The beef is tender yet firm, with a satisfying chewiness, and the aroma of the braising sauce and the beef itself blend together beautifully.
It's delicious, and making this is especially quick and easy. Yu Miaoyin likes it.
Grandpa Xu came over again, drawn by the aroma. "Xiaoyin, what are you making today?"
"I made spicy honey-glazed dried fish and braised beef. I'm planning to make beef noodles." As she spoke, Yu Miaoyin took out the spicy honey-glazed dried fish. "Grandpa, you should try this. I don't sell these. You're in luck."
Grandpa Xu thought to himself, "I'm so lucky! This is God's reward for a foodie!"
The aroma of honey was very strong, mixed with the fragrance of cumin and chili. The amber-colored dried fish glistened with oil. Grandpa Xu swallowed and picked up a small piece and put it in his mouth.
Mmm! These dried fish are fried to a perfect crisp, yet they're also very chewy. The sweetness of the honey and the salty aroma of the cumin and chili are all present on the dried fish, making them more and more fragrant the more you chew.
"It smells so good!" Grandpa Xu gave a thumbs up. He always wondered why he couldn't cook.
If he can cook, then he'll whip up a ton of delicious food every day and eat it every day!
Hey, why didn't God give him a culinary cheat code so that everything he made would taste delicious!
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