Abandoned the Immortal Cultivator, returned to his hometown to farm and sing

Chapter 1317, page 1305: Caramelizing Sugar

"Feifei, fill a pot with cold water and put it on the stove. Put the meat in... Yes, put it in cold water, along with scallions and ginger slices, and pour in some cooking wine... Don't cover it, just let the fishy smell dissipate... Turn up the heat and bring it to a boil."

"RuiRui, are you making your pork chops now or... together? Okay, then you go rest outside for a while, FeiFei's will take a while... Want to learn how to mix the filling? Sure..."

"Lanlan, you cut the cabbage leaves... The knife has already cut raw meat... Use scissors instead, cut them into strips, like when you make cabbage soup at home."

……

"Is the water boiling? There's foam? That's good. Take a big spoon and skim it off; that's all the blood and impurities from the meat... Skim it all off..."

"RuiRui, you have those four chopsticks. See that bowl of scallion and ginger water I made? Pour a little into the minced meat... just a little, pour it in little by little... use the chopsticks to stir in one direction, stir all the water into the minced meat... keep it in one direction, don't turn around in the middle..."

"Lanlan cut it really well. It's fine if it's a bit thicker, it doesn't need to be too thin."

……

In no time at all.

Lu Ruicong and Zhu Lanlan have both finished theirs.

We ran up behind the eldest sister, Zhang Yufei, and saw her still struggling with a pot of boiled meat.

Who told her to take on such a difficult challenge? We've only just reached the initial steps.

Zhang Yufei, with a large ladle in her right hand and a basin in her left, stared intently at the bubbling water in the pot.

A few wisps of white foam, tinged with gray, emerged from the bubbling water, were pushed to the edge of the pot by the ripples, and slowly gathered into clumps.

Every time the foam accumulated, Zhang Yufei would pick up a spoon and scoop it up along the edge of the pot, leaving a gap.

Add a layer of foam and half a spoonful of water, then pour it into the basin.

Before the foam was even skimmed off, only half a pot of water remained.

What a bold and spirited girl.

Another spoonful was scooped out. After waiting for a long time, Zhang Yufei's eyes were sore. The foam hadn't gathered into a ball, and there was no more foam coming out of the water bubbles.

It's probably gone.

Zhang Yufei called out, "Auntie, I'm done."

Lu Jiahui was finishing up for the other two children.

Sprinkle some salt into the minced meat and stir it until it becomes sticky.

Remove the chopped cabbage from the water, shake off the excess water, and place it in a draining dish.

Scrub the kitchen knife, scrub the cutting board, and tidy up the messy countertop...

Just as I was busy working, I heard Zhang Yufei shout.

Lu Jiahui quickly wiped her hands and came over, first looking at the pot, then nodded in satisfaction, "Alright, that's considered clean."

Then look at the water in the pot and the basin in Zhang Yufei's hand... Well, she's a beginner, so it's understandable. As long as the pot doesn't dry out, it's considered a success.

However, with so much water in the basin, there was only a tiny bit of foam.

If Zhang Yufei hadn't suddenly become so unrestrained, she probably would have only thrown away two or three pots.

Considering the time again, "So it's skimmed off so quickly? There's not much minced meat left."

Zhang Yufei stared wide-eyed, looking completely bewildered. She had no idea and didn't know.

"It's probably fresh meat. There's not much scum to begin with, and maybe this pig was bled clean." Lu Jiahui didn't take it to heart.

He continued to instruct Zhang Yufei, "Turn off the heat, take the meat out, and put it in a colander to drain the water."

Zhang Yufei obediently turned off the heat and used a slotted spoon to scoop out a bunch of white chunks of meat from the pot.

I must say, this pork belly looks really good after it's cooked. The lean meat is white and translucent, while the fatty parts are even whiter and more translucent, like jelly. The skin is so translucent it's almost yellow.

Even if it's yellowish-brown... it's still just skin.

Lu Jiahui regretted it as soon as she saw it. Sigh, she was just being nosy and forgot to mention stirring it occasionally. Some of the meat pieces were stuck together.

Never mind, let's leave it at that.

"Don't pour the water out of the pot. Put it in a bowl, and you can use it when you stew it later. Don't throw away the dregs."

Zhang Yufei slammed on the brakes, stopping her quick hand that was pouring the pot into the sink.

Zhu Lanlan quickly found a basin for her cousin, put it on the stove, and ran away.

She knew her cousin was unreliable.

Zhang Yufei lived up to expectations; she was indeed unreliable.

She was too exhausted to carry the large iron pot, which was half full of water, from the stove to the sink.

She even poured it into the basin with her other hand.

When I fell, I was completely exhausted.

With a crash, the pot overturned, spilling half of the hot broth, which then spilled all over the countertop that had just been cleaned.

The soup dripped down the sides.

"Oh my god, is it hot?" Lu Jiahui immediately panicked and rushed over to check.

Zhang Yufei was still holding the pot, grinning foolishly, and shook her head with a smile, "Auntie, I'm fine."

She was just weak in her hands, but her legs were nimble. When the pot overturned, she reacted quickly and jumped back without splashing anything.

Even after landing, they still had the mind to pick up the pot again.

There's still some left inside...

Lu Ruicong pushed up his glasses and whispered to his cousin, "God is fair. He took away my cousin's intelligence, but gave her a good physique."

This kid has a mischievous side too.

Zhu Lanlan didn't respond at all.

Of the three little ones, Zhu Lanlan is the smartest; she knew to run away as soon as the basin was put down.

He skipped off to the bathroom to get a mop.

Lu Jiahui helped Zhang Yufei pour the remaining soup into a basin and took the pot to the sink to wash it.

Zhang Yufei grabbed a rag and started cleaning up the mess on her table.

On the ground...

Zhu Lanlan brought back the mop and slammed it on the ground.

With her small arms and legs, how can she be allowed to do chores?

Of course, the older brother should do the physical labor.

Lu Ruicong silently took the mop and began mopping the floor with heavy effort...
-
After finally cleaning up the mess.

Lu Jiahui was so frightened that she refused to let Zhang Yufei touch the pot again.

Zhang Yufei refused, insisting on seeing things through to the end and insisting on continuing.

She used both sweet talk and pleading, and even called her father in as a shield.

Zhang Bowen: ...I dare not disobey my daughter.

Zhang Bowen is mainly in charge of cooking at home, and he knows that everyone starts from scratch.

In the kitchen, with knives and oil everywhere, it's inevitable that some oil will splatter or the soup pot will get burned.

Just be more careful next time; we can't let this dampen our daughter's enthusiasm.

Twenty years ago, Zhang Bowen dreamed that his own child would cook a dish for him, serve it on the table, and then have a couple of drinks with him.

Zhang Yufei is nineteen this year...

Therefore, when Zhang Yufei started working again, she had two adults standing behind her to guide her.

"Next, heat the oil in a wok and stir-fry the meat first."

"What is 'stir-frying'? Have you ever seen stir-frying? It's the same action: heat the oil, put the meat in and stir-fry it. Just stir it however you like, as long as it doesn't stick to the pan or burn, then it's a success."

"Time doesn't matter, just make sure it looks about right. When you see the color change, it's ready to be taken out of the pot."

It's clear that Zhang Bowen is a "good enough" type.

Moreover, who did Zhang Yufei learn her witty and sarcastic remarks from? We've found the source.

The daughter hasn't done anything yet, and the father has already done this whole thing.

Zhang Yufei didn't understand anything before, but then she heard her face change color.

"Dad, don't we need to caramelize the sugar first? How do we caramelize the sugar?"

Zhang Bowen gasped. Was he really going to take on such a difficult technique right off the bat?
You can't even walk yet, and you want to run?

That's really pushing the limits.

I'm not afraid of being laughed at, but Zhang Bowen only started making caramelized sugar when Zhang Yufei was in junior high school.

Previously, whether he was making braised pork or braised spare ribs, he always pursued the original color of the ingredients.

The main problem is that he, being a "Mr. Almost," can't control the heat well and easily burns the food, which is also hard to clean. His wife gets angry if he can't get it right.

It affects the relationship between husband and wife.

“Well… if we’re making it at home, there’s no need for that, right? We can just use dark soy sauce for color.” Zhang Bowen nervously suggested an alternative.

Zhang Yufei wouldn't have it; her stubbornness kicked in, and she insisted on perfection.

Either don't do it, or do it well.

Zhang Bowen couldn't argue with his daughter.

I had no choice but to grit my teeth and stamp my foot, and just go ahead and caramelize the sugar.

Anyway, this isn't the first or second time he's made endless compromises with his daughter.

"You also need to heat the oil in a pan over low heat. Do you know where your grandma keeps the rock sugar?"

I rummaged through the cupboard and found a jar of rock sugar; it was all damp.

Make do with it.

Zhang Yufei sat on the pot, turned on the fire, and heated the pot.

The pan was hot, so I poured in too much oil.

It'll have to do.

"Choose small pieces, three or five pieces will do. Put them in the oil, be careful not to splatter them, let them slide down the side of the pan."

Zhang Yufei spent a long time picking through the pieces, but there were no small pieces; they were all stuck together. After much effort, she managed to break off a large piece.

It slid all the way down the side of the pot...

Crackle! Bang!
The oil in the pan has been heated for too long and is too hot.

It's also possible that the rock candy was too damp and contained moisture.

Anyway, the rock sugar exploded as soon as it hit the pot, splattering oil droplets everywhere.

Zhang Yufei reacted quickly, grabbing a pot lid to shield herself, which startled her and made her scream.

The adults behind them were also calling out.

"Don't just block it, turn off the heat, turn it down to a low flame."

"Cover it first, then weigh it down with a pot lid!"

"No, no, it's easy to catch fire!"

The two instructors couldn't agree, and Zhang Yufei, unsure of whose advice to take, raised her shield and started firing—bang!
Zhu Lanlan reacted quickly, dashing out of the kitchen, yelling, "Grandma, run! Feifei blew up the kitchen!"

Lu Jiahui quickly chased after her, "Mom, Mom, it's okay, Feifei was making caramelized sugar, and the oil splattered."

"Feifei, Feifei, turn off the stove quickly! Your grandpa has diabetes and can't eat sweets..."

This is such a mess...

Zhang Bowen was filled with regret.

With so many people in the kitchen, how could we forget about the old man's diabetes?

No wonder the rock candy stuffed inside got damp.

Sigh, I really can't just blindly listen to my daughter; a pot with burnt sugar is so hard to clean.

Snap~ Snap~
Zhang Bowen was exhausted, his forehead was covered in sweat...
-
The chaotic and nearly catastrophic first-time cooking experience of the three younger generation members, which almost blew up the kitchen, is finally over.

Zhang Bowen and Lu Jiahui felt utterly exhausted, their heads buzzing.

As for the finished product...

Let the old man give his opinion.

How else can we evaluate the centenarian Lu Jingcheng?

They praised it before they even tasted it.

"Wow, look at the braised pork that Feifei made. The color looks perfect, and the sauce has been reduced just right. I love it... without any broth."

Zhang Yufei blushed. The color... the color was mixed with dark soy sauce, a dark blob, not at all like the shiny color of caramel.

She almost blew up the kitchen while trying to caramelize the sugar, but she still didn't succeed, and she forgot that her grandfather couldn't eat sugar.

The old man didn't notice that his eldest daughter's face was flushed; he had already moved on to his eldest grandson's plate.

"Look how thinly Rui Rui sliced ​​the meat; it's roasted to be crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. Even the master chef at Fengzeyuan is only this good."

Lu Rui Cong's face turned red. He hadn't made sliced ​​meat, he had made pork chops.

It wasn't baked, it was pan-fried.

The outside is burnt...it's really burnt.

The meat was pounded too thinly, fried for too long, and not enough oil was used.

He clearly said that even cooking novices could make it, and he watched the live stream more than 30 times, following the instructions exactly. How did it still go wrong?
Lu Ruicong expressed his incomprehension.

Finally, there's Zhu Lanlan.

"Lanlan is so great! Let Grandpa guess, Lanlan made a southern dish for Grandpa, right? Four Happiness Meatballs in soup. Grandpa remembers it. Where in the south can you find this? Lanlan must have learned it especially for Grandpa. Grandpa is so happy."

Zhu Lanlan... is about to cry.

I wasn't moved; I felt wronged.

She wanted to make takoyaki and cabbage soup. Her mother said to use a spoon, like scooping ice cream, to scoop along the edge of the meat filling to make a takoyaki.

She dug and dug, but it wouldn't become round. The more she dug, the bigger it got. She filled and patched it up, and finally, the dumpling became round and bigger...

Zhang Bowen and Lu Jiahui listened from the side, covering their mouths in disbelief.

The old man is so unprincipled; he just praises people blindly.

Grandpa, you're amazing! Every compliment you give hits the nail on the head, plunging those three little ones right into their gut.

If I didn't know you didn't go into the kitchen, I would have thought it was intentional.

Zhang Yufei couldn't keep her composure under her own father's strange smile.

She quickly picked up her chopsticks, took a piece of braised pork, and brought it to her grandfather's lips. "Grandpa, don't just look at it, try it and see if it's good."

"Delicious, definitely delicious," the old man praised as usual.

Then, with the mindset of bravely facing death, I worked hard to mentally prepare myself.

Only then did he close his eyes, open his mouth, and bite off the piece of meat.

It seems even the old man knew that this thing was "probably," "probably," "maybe," or "uncertainly" not very good.

But once the meat enters the mouth...

Chew gently a couple of times.

Perhaps my expectations were too low.

Surprisingly, it was actually quite good.

The pork skin is chewy and slightly sticky; when you bite into it, you first taste the smooth, gelatinous texture.

The fatty meat had been stewed until it lost its heat, melting in your mouth, very fragrant, not greasy at all, leaving only a mouthful of oily aroma.

The lean meat, having absorbed the broth, is tender yet not dry, with a savory-sweet flavor. It's soft yet has a slight chewiness, bursting with meaty flavor, and becomes more fragrant the more you chew.

Chew it a couple more times, and it's not just not bad, it deserves a good review.

The old man swallowed the meat in his mouth, his eyes sparkling. He gave Zhang Yufei a thumbs up and said, "Our Feifei's braised pork is absolutely amazing. The fat is not greasy, the lean meat is not dry, the skin is still chewy, the meat flavor is strong, there is no fishy smell at all, and it is just the right tenderness. None of you are as good as our Feifei."

Hey, why are you still putting down other people?

Well, the old man is the most important person today. He seems very satisfied with this birthday gift. Look at how happy he is; you can even see his back teeth.

Zhang Yufei was also happy.

This time, the praise was different; every word hit the mark perfectly.

His words were substantial; he wasn't just blindly praising someone.

What does this mean? It means she has good cooking skills, her talent is right there, she's a natural-born cook.

It's all her dad's fault, he ruined her life...

Zhang Yufei was delighted and quickly picked up another piece and brought it to her grandfather's mouth, saying, "Grandpa, if you like it, please eat more. Try some more."

This made the other two younger ones unhappy.

You've already tried all of yours, why are you coming back?
The two little ones rushed forward, "Grandpa, Grandpa, try my meatballs!" and "Grandpa, it's my turn now, I'll add a piece of fried pork chop for you~~"

Wow, she's the center of attention.

The old man was overjoyed; this time he even saw breakfast...

(End of this chapter)