wavenovel Chapter 42: Full of Surprises
Chapter 42: Full of Surprises
In Chinese cuisine, the order of serving dishes is generally from cold to hot, because cold dishes can be eaten slowly and don't spoil easily.
For hot dishes, the key is to maintain a balance of heat and freshness.
It's best to share hot dishes as soon as they're served.
For the third dish, Lu Yuan chose Sichuan peppercorn chicken.
This dish is a very popular Xinjiang dish in later generations, but it is not very popular in inland areas at present.
There are similar practices in the Chengdu Plain area, but there are still some differences.
In fact, Lu Yuan, as a professional chef, prefers Cantonese poached chicken.
However, Lu Yuan was worried that Xu Jianguo and the others wouldn't be used to the taste, so he opted for the Sichuan peppercorn chicken, which has a more northwestern flavor.
The ingredients used are Jingning chicken, the most famous chicken in northern China. It has firm meat and little fat, and like Qingyuan chicken, it is a top-quality chicken.
When Pingping brought the Sichuan peppercorn chicken to the table, everyone's eyes clearly held a greater sense of anticipation.
"Sichuan peppercorn chicken!"
Following Pingping's explanation, everyone saw the chicken shredded into strips on the plate.
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The chicken skin is golden and translucent with a slight sheen of oil, the chicken meat is white, tender and firm, and the oil is slightly coated on the chicken, without being greasy or cloudy.
The dish was served to Xu Jianhua, who was seated to the left. Without hesitation, Xu Jianhua picked up a piece and put it in his mouth.
The refreshing numbing sensation instantly fills the mouth, followed by a subtle spiciness that is incredibly satisfying.
The chicken is savory and flavorful, soaked in the spicy and numbing broth, and the more you chew, the more you can taste the natural aroma of the free-range chicken.
Unlike his second brother, Xu Jianhua was a man of action, not one to comment. He immediately picked up another large mouthful with his chopsticks.
Seeing Xu Jianhua's reaction, everyone knew this dish was definitely good.
After the turntable spun around once, the 11 mouths gradually got into the zone, experiencing a slight numbness, a refreshing aroma, and a satisfying sensation – these were their most direct feelings.
Xu Jianguo gulped down a mouthful of lemonade and let out a long sigh:
"The numbing sensation is so satisfying! This Sichuan peppercorn chicken lives up to its name; it's truly an eye-opener!"
This was a dish that Xu Jianguo had never eaten before, and he thoroughly enjoyed this unknown delicacy.
Xu Jianhua has completely lost the arrogance he had when he first arrived and has been completely impressed by Lu Yuan's skills.
Just as everyone's taste buds were recovering, Pingping brought out the fourth dish.
"Vinegar-soaked jellyfish head".
This is a famous dish in Shandong cuisine.
Jellyfish is also one of the few seafood ingredients that can be used on land.
Because jellyfish is poisonous, it needs to be pickled, dehydrated, and detoxified.
This process, in fact, allows people inland to enjoy this delicious dish.
Jellyfish is also common in banquets in northern China, but it is mostly prepared by shredding jellyfish skin and making a cold salad.
Jellyfish head is rarely eaten, and jellyfish head with aged vinegar, a traditional Shandong dish, is even rarer.
Sure enough, Xu Jianguo picked up his chopsticks, eager to try it out:
"This is another dish I've never tried before, Third Brother, hurry up and turn it around, don't dawdle!"
Xu Jianhua sat at the lower seat, and every dish was served from his table, which made Xu Jianguo anxious and kept urging him to hurry up.
Xu Jianhua didn't care about him. With the experience from the previous dishes, he knew that once the plate was turned around, there was no turning it back.
So Xu Jianhua first picked up a large mouthful with his chopsticks, then took another bite and put it in his mouth before loosening the turntable.
Jellyfish head with aged vinegar is a very clever dish, where you can enjoy the mellow aroma of Shanxi aged vinegar and the crisp and refreshing texture of jellyfish head.
Grandpa Xu is getting old and his teeth aren't very good, so he closed his eyes and slowly chewed on the jellyfish head.
But it was precisely this slow and deliberate way of eating that allowed him to fully appreciate the exquisite nature of the dish.
After swallowing the food in one gulp, the old man put down his chopsticks and sighed softly.
The feeling of wanting to eat a lot but not being able to eat too much was extremely distressing for him.
He didn't eat much of the first few dishes; being able to taste more delicious food was what made him happiest right now.
"All four cold dishes have been served; now we'll begin preparing the hot dishes!"
Zhenzhen said something at the right time, and everyone realized that with the two girls serving them, they only needed to focus on eating.
I didn't ask for anything at all, whether it was adding water or anything else, someone immediately took care of it.
Even when the three children accidentally spilled something, someone cleaned it up promptly, making the meal very worry-free for the three sets of parents.
Grandpa Xu noticed that the four cold dishes were neatly arranged at the four corners of the turntable.
In the traditions of the older generation, this is called "four pillars pressing down on the table," signifying that one should yield to others while eating, and emphasizing personal cultivation.
Grandpa Xu increasingly felt that this chef was a person of great refinement.
How well a dish is cooked depends entirely on the person's character and upbringing.
To cook a dish properly and skillfully is called "accumulating knowledge and experience before unleashing its full potential."
However, Lu Yuan didn't think that way. He simply ordered the dishes based on the number of people. Old Master Xu was just overthinking it.
"Braised Yellow River Catfish with Garlic!"
The catfish, half a meter long, was on a huge plate that Pingping couldn't hold, so Lu Jie helped her place it on the turntable.
In the northern frontier, no feast is complete without fish.
Lu Yuan didn't have many sea fish to use, so he could only use local river fish.
The Yellow River catfish was the best ingredient he could find; it was a top-quality ingredient unique to the middle and upper reaches of the Yellow River.
Currently, due to limitations in fishing equipment, there are still many fish remaining in the Yellow River.
In the 21st century, the number of wild giant catfish has declined sharply and they have been listed in the Red List of Endangered Animals.
Regarding catfish, some rumors have circulated in later generations that it is the dirtiest fish.
This is actually a misconception. The dirtiest one is the catfish, which is commonly found in Egypt and Thailand.
Because catfish look very similar to catfish, they are mistakenly believed to be dirty, but this is not the case.
Lu Yuan put a lot of effort into preparing this catfish.
Instead of chopping the half-meter-long fish into pieces, he left it in its original shape, just for the sake of a beautiful plating.
Seeing the imposing catfish bowing before him, Old Master Xu was in high spirits and shouted:
"What a pity!"
Xu Jianjun thought there was something wrong with the fish and immediately asked, "Dad, what's wrong?"
The old man picked up his chopsticks, sighed, and said:
"What a pity I didn't bring any wine! Such delicious food deserves a big toast!"
Xu Jianjun nearly stumbled and fell, while his mother glared at the old man and said:
"Still drinking? Have you forgotten what the doctor said?"
The old man laughed heartily and said, "I haven't had any, look how nervous you are!"
After saying that, the old man picked up a piece of fish and put it in his mouth.
The fish meat is tender and boneless, smooth and succulent, with a savory and sweet aftertaste and a rich sauce flavor.
Garlic is the best way to cook catfish.
There is a common misconception about garlic, with many people believing that it has a foul odor.
In fact, garlic is one of the ingredients that best brings out umami flavor. It is used extensively as a side dish in Western cuisine, which shows its unique charm.
Cooking catfish with garlic is a very clever combination.
Garlic can suppress the earthy taste of catfish, allowing it to release its umami flavor to the maximum extent.
The garlic, cooked for a long time, absorbs the flavor of the catfish, making each bite unique.
Looking at the five dishes already on the table, Xu Jianjun completely understood why Lu Yuan wanted a 1000 yuan deposit.
Each of these five dishes uses exceptional ingredients.
He's now feeling a bit scared, since the meal was originally arranged to take care of both his daughter and his father.
If my two younger brothers also become popular, we'll probably have to come to this far-away place for meals more often in the future.
However, starting with Sichuan peppercorn chicken, the kids stopped liking it.
After all, it's a child's taste; adults don't really like overly salty and savory flavors.
Lu Yuan also considered this issue, so for the sixth dish, he decisively served a classic internet-famous dish.
"Sweet and sour pork! This dish has a sweet and sour flavor, perfect for kids!"
When Pingping brought the dishes to the table, she added that Lu Yuan had arranged this in advance.
Even for young guests who come with their parents, Lu Yuan has to take their feelings into consideration, and sweet and sour pork is a dish that is perfect for them.