Chapter 269: Carp Jumping Over the Dragon Gate
He had actually mentioned before that she wanted to buy firecrackers, but the arrival of Mrs. Pei and others made her forget about it.
Pei Cheng bought quite a lot, including red amaranth, red chili pepper, and all kinds of other things. Xu Qingmeng didn’t recognize many of them.
Yun Sheng and Yun Mo were very excited when they saw it, and the two little guys' eyes were shining. Gu Hongxin had bought things for Chinese New Year before, but probably not as much as this all together.
Xu Qingmeng was also surprised to see fireworks. Although there were certainly not as many varieties as in modern times, it was already very rich in that era.
He followed behind and looked at all the firecrackers, saying angrily, "Why did you buy so many at once? Are you too spoiled?"
"Sister, not much. Isn't this Chinese New Year? It's a rare opportunity!"
"Wan Niang, this only happens once a year." Old Madam Pei also said behind her.
He just said this. Looking at these children, she was afraid that she would not allow them to do so. There are more and more spoiled children in the family.
Xu Qing dreamed that the firecrackers were ready, so she went back to the kitchen to check on her Buddha Jumps Over the Wall. She had not been out for long, but the aroma was already overflowing from the kitchen.
Aunt Rong and the others were making lunch. When Xinting saw her aunt coming in, she looked at Xu Qingmeng excitedly: "Aunt, this smells so delicious and tempting!"
Xu Qingmeng smiled gently. Isn’t it? No one can resist the fragrance of Buddha Jumps Over the Wall, right?
"This is just the beginning. Open it when you have dinner, and you'll know how delicious it is!"
Xinting and everyone in the kitchen no longer dared to imagine how delicious the final Buddha Jumps Over the Wall would be, because just thinking about it was enough to make them drool.
Xu Qingmeng saw that lunch was almost ready and walked out: "Mom, it's time to eat."
Today's lunch was not made by Xu Qingmeng, but by the cook in the mansion. It was also not simple. Although her cooking skills were not as good as Xu Qingmeng's, at least she had learned some basic skills after so long.
After all, they were all good cooks, and it was Chinese New Year, so how could the dishes be simple?
But after having tasted Xu Qingmeng’s cooking yesterday, apart from the two little ones and Pei Cheng who didn’t know, the others didn’t eat much.
He looked at everyone and understood that they were all waiting for the New Year’s Eve dinner in the evening!
Pei Cheng looked at everyone in surprise, "Why aren't you eating?"
Old Master Pei glared at his stupid son and didn't want to pay any attention to him.
Mr. Shen smiled and said, "Isn't this Meng Niang who made a dish called Buddha Jumps Over the Wall? I just smelled the fragrance. The smell came from the kitchen here, so it must be very delicious. Aren't we all waiting for this meal tonight?"
"Buddha Jumps Over the Wall? What is that?" Pei Cheng asked.
"You big rough guy, you'll understand if I tell you! Just eat your meal." Grandpa Pei retorted.
Pei Cheng looked at his father, he really was his father!
However, Buddha Jumps Over the Wall, which was infinitely praised by Xu Qingmeng, really lived up to everyone's expectations!
In the afternoon, especially in the evening, the overbearing smell came from the kitchen. Not only the Gu family, but also several families in the surrounding area could smell it.
However, today is New Year's Eve, and every household is preparing delicious food at home. Naturally, no one will come out to smell the fragrance. The most they will do is mutter, whose house is cooking such a delicious meal!
New Year’s Eve dinner is the most sumptuous meal of the year! This year is also the year with the most Gu family members. Not only the Gu family, Pei Cheng, Mr. Pei, Mrs. Pei, Mr. Shen, but even Zhang Hanzhe and Prefect Kang came in the evening!
Because Pei Cheng went to show off in front of the two of them in the afternoon, and they had also eaten the food made by Xu Qingmeng. Now, after hearing what Pei Cheng said, how could they bear it!
In addition, both of them are single, and their families are all in the capital.
Braised pork is indispensable, and chicken, duck, fish and meat are all available. The chicken is simple, and the soup is stewed with an old hen, which also takes a whole afternoon.
Fish, Xu Qingmeng was dreaming of the classic carp leaping over the dragon gate.
Xu Qingmeng first cleaned the carp, removed the gill tendons on both sides, and then used a knife at a forty-five degree angle to evenly slice the fish.
Add a spoonful of salt, spread the salt evenly all over the fish body with your hands, and marinate for half an hour.
The next step is to prepare the batter. Add two tablespoons of flour, one tablespoon of starch, one egg and a bowl of water into a bowl. After the batter is made, put the fish in it.
The next step is to coat the fish with batter. Xu Qingmeng holds the fish tail and coats the entire body of the fish with batter. After taking it out, she sprinkles a layer of dry flour on both sides of the fish and shakes off the excess.
Pour enough oil into the pan. When it is 70% hot, bend the fish into an arc and put it in. Fry it slowly over low heat.
When frying, use two spatulas to hold down the carp to fix its shape. While doing this, Xu Qingmeng said to Xinting, "At this time, you must fry slowly over low heat and hold down the carp well. The most important thing for this dish is to fix its shape. If it is not fixed well, the soul of this dish will be lost."
"Got it, aunt!"
Fry both sides of the fish until slightly yellow and fully cooked, then you can take it out.
After taking it out, let the fish cool down for a while, then put it back into the pan and fry it a second time. Be sure to use a low heat all the time and be sure not to burn the skin of the fish.
When the fish is fried until deep yellow, place it on a plate with the tail facing upwards.
Then use another pot, pour in a little oil, and simmer on low heat. When the oil is warm, add the minced garlic and stir-fry until fragrant. When you smell the garlic aroma, pour in half a bowl of water, two tablespoons of tomato sauce, two tablespoons of rice vinegar, and a teaspoon of soy sauce, and bring to a boil.
Pour in half a bowl of water starch, mix well, add a little salt, bring to a boil again and turn off the heat.
While the fish is still hot, pour the sweet and sour sauce on the fish and the carp leaping over the dragon gate dish is ready.
The eggs are tiger skin eggs made by Xinting, which are sweet and sour and are also popular with children. There are also braised pork elbows and four-happiness meatballs, each of which is a great dish.
Xu Qingmeng also made glutinous rice balls, which are completely different from the four-happiness balls, but also symbolize prosperity and reunion.
Each one is crystal clear, soft and delicious, making people very appetizing just by looking at them.
Of course, there are vegetarian dishes, meat and fish, and of course some appetizers.
What Xu Qing dreamed of was a piece of jadeite that symbolized peace and wealth, which was actually lettuce, symbolizing good luck, wealth, peace and success.
In order to conform to the custom of eating dumplings during the Chinese New Year, Xu Qingmeng also made four-happiness bags with the dumpling skins, which symbolize good fortune, wealth, longevity and happiness.
Of course, there is also the Jixiang Ruyi dish, which is stir-fried by Xu Qingmeng using shrimps and fresh seasonal vegetables. It is refreshing and delicious.
"Aunt, why is this dish called Jixiang Ruyi?"
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