Chapter 837 Authentic Hot Pot The last rays of the setting sun had just faded when a square table was set up in the Zhou family courtyard, with a dark, fragrant antimony pot in the center.
The authentic hot pot that Zhou Zhe specially prepared was the highlight of the welcome dinner for Lu Qingyang.
The stir-frying of the bottom of the pot is Zhou Zhe Niang's unique skill.
I saw her in the kitchen, sliding a block of white lard into a hot wok. Once the oil was hot, she grabbed a handful of locally produced dried chilies and bright red Sichuan peppercorns and threw them in.
With a sizzling sound, a strong, spicy aroma instantly rose up and filled the entire kitchen.
She deftly added a few spoonfuls of her homemade fermented soybean paste, stirring it constantly with a spatula until it released an enticing red oil and sauce aroma. Then she sprinkled in a handful of minced ginger, garlic cloves, and several spices that Lu Qingyang had named.
The complex aroma has distinct layers, with a spicy yet mellow flavor.
The stir-fried base ingredients were poured into an antimony pot, along with a full pot of bone broth, and then placed on the stove in the courtyard.
Blue flames licked the bottom of the pot, and the red oil quickly began to bubble and boil, its rich aroma wafting on the night breeze.
"Qingyang, sit down! We don't have any fancy dishes, we just want something fresh and hot!" Zhou Zhe warmly invited Lu Qingyang to sit down.
The vegetables for the hot pot were all freshly picked from the field: crisp cabbage, tender lettuce leaves, potato slices still fragrant with the scent of soil, bright red tomatoes... Zhou Xiu served them clean in a bamboo basket.
Zhou Zhe also specially prepared a plate of his own smoked, glossy cured pork, as well as several pounds of fresh pork that he had asked someone to buy from town, all of which were thinly sliced.
"Qingyang, eat as much as you want! Although there are more varieties of dishes than in the city, just enjoy the original flavor. The taste of the countryside is still the same."
As Zhou Zhe spoke, he picked up a few slices of meat with long chopsticks, dipped them in the bubbling red oil, and then placed them into Lu Qingyang's oil dish without further ado.
Zhou Zhe's mother watched from the side, her face beaming with joy, and kept urging, "Eat more, there are plenty of vegetables. These greens were just picked from the ground this afternoon, they're so sweet!"
Zhou Gang went even further, placing a piece of cured meat that he had just cooked on his plate onto Lu Qingyang's plate: "Brother Lu, try this. It's smoked by us, and it smells amazing!"
"It's really delicious, with the original flavor."
This kind of meat is usually reserved for special occasions, only served to distinguished guests.
Lu Qingyang savored the unique smoky and salty aroma of the cured meat in his mouth. The flavor was indeed the same as the northern cured meat he was familiar with, but even more mellow.
He put down his chopsticks, looked at Zhou Zhe, and said with the keen eye of a businessman: "This cured meat has a very unique flavor and will definitely be popular in the city. You could consider raising a few more pigs to make this kind of cured meat. I think there won't be any problem with sales."
Zhou Zhe was picking up a piece of green vegetable with his chopsticks when he heard this and his eyes lit up: "Great idea! Once this season's sweet potatoes are sold, we'll have more money to spare, so we'll catch a few piglets. There's plenty of pig feed on the hillside, and sweet potato vines and vegetable leaves are also good fodder. Raising them would cost too much."
“That’s right, that’s right!” Zhou Zhe’s mother nodded repeatedly, her face full of anticipation. “The pigs we raise ourselves eat grains and green fodder, so the meat is fragrant. When we make cured meat, it can be stored for a long time, and we don’t have to worry about selling it all.”
“That’s exactly the point,” Lu Qingyang said with a smile. “Build a scale, build a reputation, and eventually you’ll have a brand.”
This topic made the atmosphere at the dinner table even more lively.
After several rounds of toasts, Zhou Zheniang seemed to remember something and stood up briskly: "I was so busy talking that I forgot to give Comrade Lu something to try."
With that, he turned and went into the kitchen.
Not long after, a louder, crisper sizzling sound of oil came from the kitchen.
Zhou Zhe Niang came out carrying a rough porcelain bowl, which was filled with freshly fried, golden-brown, crispy pork, with a few dark peppercorns scattered on top.
"Quick, Comrade Lu, try this. It's only fragrant when it's freshly fried!"
The crispy pork was perfectly fried, with a thin, translucent batter coating that gave it an enticing golden-yellow color.
You can see strips of lean meat with some fat inside.
Steaming hot, the aroma of meat, eggs, and the unique numbing fragrance of Sichuan peppercorns wafts towards you.
Zhou Xiu quickly handed over a pair of clean chopsticks.
Lu Qingyang picked up a piece and immediately felt the crispness of the outer shell.
With a gentle bite, a soft "crack" sound rings out as the outer layer splits open, revealing a crispy, caramelized texture. The pork inside remains tender, with the fat almost completely melted in the mouth, adding a touch of succulence. The aroma of the batter and the perfectly balanced numbing sensation of Sichuan peppercorns create a rich and complex flavor profile, making it impossible to resist taking another bite.
"Mmm! This smells amazing!"
“Hehe, my mom’s fried pork is amazing,” Zhou Gang said proudly. “The pork has to be a good mix of lean and fat, the batter has to be the right consistency, and the heat has to be just right. If the oil temperature is too high, it will burn easily, and if it’s too low, it will be crispy.”
"It's mainly because our pork is good." Zhou Zhe's mother smiled modestly, the wrinkles at the corners of her eyes smoothing out. "It's from our own pigs, so it doesn't have those weird tastes. Comrade Lu, if you like it, eat more. There's still some in the pot."
The next morning, after a bowl of hot sweet potato porridge, Zhou Gang excitedly pulled Lu Qingyang out the door.
"Brother Lu, I'll take you to a great place, right by the river, the scenery is amazing!"
The two walked down a path behind the house, half-hidden by weeds, and soon heard the sound of flowing water.
After passing through a dense bamboo forest, the view suddenly opened up before me.
A crystal-clear river meanders through the valley, its water a bright turquoise, revealing smooth pebbles on the bottom and the occasional small fish swimming by.
The morning mist, like a thin veil, enveloped the verdant mountains on the opposite bank. The mountain colors gradually changed from green to dark blue as they receded into the distance, creating distinct layers, just like a meticulously painted landscape painting.
"How about it, Brother Lu? This is pretty good, isn't it?" Zhou Gang asked with a hint of pride.
"It's truly beautiful, just like in a painting." Lu Qingyang exclaimed sincerely. After spending so much time in the city, such pristine natural scenery was refreshing and invigorating.
Zhou Gang was clearly a regular here. He skillfully pulled out two simple bamboo fishing rods and a small iron can containing bait—red earthworms he had just dug up from the riverbank—from a hidden tree hole by the river.
"Come on, Brother Lu, try your luck! The fish in this river are incredibly fresh!"
The two found a flat rock by the bay and sat down. Lu Qingyang was very professional in baiting the hooks and casting the lines.
The river water is cool and clear, and the occasional birdsong comes from the woods, making the valley even more tranquil.
Strangely enough, the float suddenly sank down shortly after the hook sank.
Lu Qingyang subconsciously lifted the rod, and the rod instantly bent into a zigzag shape, the spool being pulled so hard it made a "squeaking" sound.
"Ouch! Oh dear!" Zhou Gang quickly put down his own pole and came over to help.
After a struggle, a crucian carp about the width of a palm was pulled out of the water and was jumping around on the grass.
"A great start! Brother Lu, you're a lucky charm!" Zhou Gang was even happier than if he had caught a fish himself.
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