Hidden moth

Chapter 136: Testing Xiao He with Delicacies

"Before the National Day holiday last year, you, Qian Guran, and that little fat guy were hiding at home stewing musk deer legs. I could smell it, it was so delicious! I want to try it today too.

Don't be too wasteful, just get a front leg, fresh and caught on the day, and cook it the same way as last time, using that black pottery pot to stew it..."

Old Man Jiang was a real expert at ordering. The first dish he ordered was musk deer, known as the king of wild game. He Kao and his friends hadn't invited the old man to try it last time, so he made a note of it.

What else could He Kao say? He turned and went upstairs, saying, "Okay, I'll go get the materials now!" He took a few steps and then came back down, saying, "Please, Elders, please temporarily retract your magical powers, otherwise I won't be able to leave."

Normally, once he went up the stairs and disappeared from sight, he could activate the power of the invisible moth, but at this moment he was restricted, which must be because the two masters could sense him.

Li Xiuyuan smiled and said, "Okay, go ahead and leave. We won't watch."

This time, when he went upstairs again, at the corner between the first and second floors, He Kao disappeared. He had first gone to a secret base deep in Gushan Mountain to get some tools, especially a hunting crossbow, and then turned around and appeared in Baima Mountain in the north of the town.

There are musk deer in Baima Mountain.

Over the past two decades, the ecology of the surrounding area has recovered remarkably well, with vegetation now very lush. Apart from those who enjoy outdoor activities, few people venture deep into the mountains.

Wildlife populations have increased significantly, and there are now frequent cases of wild boars entering villages and destroying farmland. The musk deer He Kao caught last time were caught by people nearby in the fields, who then secretly took them to town to sell.

When He Kao was a child, he often went to Baimashan to play, but now many places have changed a lot.

If Old Man Jiang wanted to try wild boar or pheasant, He Kao could easily bring it back. Adult wild boar wasn't very tasty; only the boar's stomach was a tasty ingredient. However, the striped piglets were perfect for roast suckling pig...

Why did He Kao think of these things? Because he saw bamboo partridges in the mountains and several nests of wild boars, but he did not find any trace of musk deer - these things are not easy to find.

The ability of the hidden moth is not omnipotent. It can only teleport to a place it has been to and remembers. He Kao flashed to several places in the mountains, but found no trace of musk deer nearby, and time did not allow him to wander around the mountain.

No wonder Elder Li said that it would be great to be able to have this meal in the evening.

If they couldn't find any musk deer in Baima Mountain, where else could they find musk deer? He Kao thought about it, then turned around and went back to the depths of Gushan Mountain, where he had built his secret cave.

This time, it didn't appear in the cave, but in the mountains outside. After a thorough inspection, he still couldn't find it! He did find a few muntjacs, but put down his hunting crossbow because that wasn't what Old Man Jiang had ordered.

Seeing that he had no other choice, he found a place with good signal and took out his cell phone.

He seemed to have heard that musk deer were now being farmed, and he looked it up online. There weren't many places raising musk deer these days, but there happened to be a farm on the outskirts of Hengzhou, not far from the highway.

He Kao checked the map and instantly arrived in Hengzhou. He had been there before and had chosen the location closest to the farm. He then called a ride-hailing service and headed straight for his destination.

He was lucky; there was some fresh camphor tree meat, but it was supplied to partner restaurants. He Kao persuaded them and finally paid a high price for a front leg, the kind with the skin on.

If you want to make a pot with this stuff, it's best to marinate it for a few hours in advance. He Kao marinated it right after he got home, so it didn't take up too much time and he would definitely be able to make it in time for dinner.

After coming out of the kitchen, washing his hands and refilling the tea for the two elders, He Kao smiled and asked, "One main dish alone is not enough. What other side dishes would you like to have with it? I'll go to the market to buy them."

Li Xiuyuan squinted his eyes as if recalling the taste, then said, "Let's have another plate of razor-sharp anchovies. They don't have to be too big, half a pound each will do. We'll have three for the three of us."

Jiang Daozhen agreed, "Yeah, the razorfish is good, and it has to be freshly caught today."

The old man is very picky about food. This fish cannot be bought in the Pugang Farmers' Market, and fishing has been banned for many years, so it is impossible to catch it even if you want to. Occasionally, wild fish appear in the market and can even be sold at a sky-high price.

Moreover, after this thing is fished out, it is difficult for it to survive even if it is kept in a water tank. It is basically frozen. It is said that it tastes best when it is frozen for about six hours after being taken out of the water.

As to whether this is true, He Kao is not sure.

He Kao had eaten scalloped anchovies before, but that was when he was a child, his grandfather making them at home. He had forgotten where the fish came from, but it was said to be found in the river outside the town.

But even if there is no fishing ban now, He Kao cannot guarantee that he can catch such a rare swordfish.

Li Xiuyuan actually asked again: "Xiao Kao, what are you going to do?"

He Kao: "I've never made this before. How would you like to eat it?"

Li Xiuyuan: "When steaming, cut the tofu into slices and place them under the fish. There are also some special requirements for this tofu..."

Along with the words, a divine thought was sent. It was not a very complicated secret, but just a recipe. Otherwise, He Kao would not be able to decipher it with his second-level cultivation. However, this recipe had many details.

Elder Li specified the white tofu from Guo County in the neighboring province, and also specified the tofu shop. In addition, he also specified the white ginger produced in Tongqiu City in the neighboring province, emphasizing the variety and appearance.

As for the vinegar requirement, it is produced in the nearby Fubo City and a specific vinegar factory has been designated. It may not be found in nearby supermarkets, so the most reliable way to purchase it is to go locally.

In order to help He Kao save time, Shen Min also thoughtfully sent him a navigation map.

This dish didn't require many ingredients; it was a common home-cooked dish, consisting of onions, ginger, and garlic. The ginger was specifically white ginger, but Elder Li's recipe didn't include onions or garlic. He actually asked for leek whites, using leaves instead of onions and roots instead of garlic!
This dish also has another name - Kanli steamed white jade.

Xiebai is also known as wild onion and is very common in the fields around Qiyuan. However, He Kao said with a wry smile, "Senior Li, it's January now. It's the wrong season. Where can I find Xiebai?"

Jiang Daozhen: "No need to call him Elder Li or Senior Li, just call him Uncle Li."

Even calling him Uncle Li wouldn't solve the problem, but He Kao changed the subject and said, "Uncle Li, where can I find Xiebai at this time of year?"

Li Xiuyuan: "You don't know this? You're obviously a bit ignorant! Xiebai is a perennial herb, how come it's gone in winter?"

"If you want me to dig the rhizomes, that's fine, but fresh leaves..." He Kao suddenly stopped talking and nodded immediately, "I understand. I'll go prepare the ingredients right away."

It's not found in the Qiyuan area, but it does exist in the warmer southern regions. For example, in the forest park on the northern outskirts of Nanhua City, He Kao seems to have seen Xiebai (Xiebai), which also grows during this season. When I was a child, I learned a poem in Chinese class that goes, "In the East Market, I buy a fine horse; in the West Market, I buy a saddle; in the South Market, I buy a bridle; in the North Market, I buy a long whip."

Today, He Kao went east to Tongqiu to buy white ginger, west to Fubo to buy aged vinegar, south to Nanhua to pick Allium macrostemon, and north to Guoxian to look for tofu... Not to mention Nanhua, how did he get to the other places?
After He Kao bought a new car, Gao Xue'e sent him out on field trips for over a month, leaving him unable to return to the office. His colleagues thought he had offended Gao Xue'e, but they didn't realize he had been the one who had arranged this.

The places that the hidden moth can reach instantly are places he has been to and can remember, so he has to travel to more places, so he drives around.

Most of the places he visited every day were along the highway, basically within a radius of 500 kilometers with Qiyuan as the center, so He Kao had been to several cities mentioned in the menu.

Even Tongqiu City, where white ginger needs to be purchased, is only 500 kilometers away from Qiyuan. This refers to the driving distance on the highway, not the straight-line distance.

It was impossible for He Kao to pass by the designated store along his previous route, but that was easy to do. He could just go to the nearest location and call a taxi. Fortunately, it was very convenient to call a taxi nowadays.

These are not big problems. The real problem is - where can I buy the freshly caught anchovies today?
Fortunately, He Kao already had experience, so he quickly checked online and found that there were indeed people raising them.

Artificial breeding of razor-sharp anchovy is very difficult and the output is very limited. It is still in the research and trial stage, so it has not been promoted in the market yet. The little output from the farm has been ordered by people.

The artificial breeding base that He had investigated was also a place he could reach, so he used the same trick again, found the place and talked things over, and bought three fish at a high price as requested by Elder Li, and took them home to continue keeping them in the fridge.

This dish cannot be made in a hurry. You have to wait until other dishes, especially the musk deer, are almost ready before putting it in the pot and serving it on the table together.

After finally preparing all the ingredients, He Kao rubbed his hands and asked, "Uncle Jiang, Uncle Li, what else do you want? Tell me everything at once so I can prepare it."

Jiang Daozhen: "It doesn't have to be too complicated. Just the three of us, four dishes and one soup."

Li Xiuyuan: "There are already two meat dishes out there, let's order two more vegetarian dishes. Let's order one each."

Jiang Daozhen: "Then I'll order a dish of winter bamboo shoots. No salt, cut a few slices of fatty ham, stir-fry them in oil, and stir-fry over high heat."

He Kao: "Will bamboo shoots be okay?"

Jiang Daozhen chuckled: "Since you asked, I feel embarrassed to order ordinary bamboo shoots. Let's use these purple jade bamboo shoots and see if they are sold in the vegetable market."

Li Xiuyuan continued, "I'm afraid they don't sell it in the market. You'll have to find a way to dig it up yourself. This thing tastes like it's from another world if it's stale overnight, so you have to eat it freshly dug. Blanch it briefly in boiling water before stir-frying... Quiz, can you do it?"

He Kao nodded and said, "Don't worry, this dish is often made."

He was originally regretting why he had asked such a question. Couldn't he just go get the bamboo shoots? But after a quick look, he felt relieved.

As Jiang Daozhen spoke, he took out a piece of bamboo with skin. It was bright purple in color with bright yellow spots. The bamboo skin looked as crystal clear as jade, as if it had a natural patina.

He Kao had never seen this kind of bamboo before. The small bamboo chair that Old Man Jiang sat on at his chess stall was made of this material. Just now, when he was looking for musk deer in the depths of Gushan Mountain, he happened to see a bamboo forest like this. So he decided to go and dig.

"So, Uncle Li, what's the other vegetarian dish you ordered?"

Li Xiuyuan: "Let's keep it simple and have a plate of fried mulberry leaves, simmered gently."

Fried mulberry leaves are a local home-cooked dish, especially in Wuhu, a neighboring province. It is usually eaten in early spring. The newly grown tender leaves are picked, coated with a thin layer of starch and fried in oil.

There is a layer of fine yellow fuzz on the surface of young mulberry leaves, so they can hold the water chestnuts.

This dish not only tests the cooking skills, but also the cooking time. It is also called - Yellow Buds and Green Leaves from Spring.

The oil temperature should not be too high and the time should not be too long. The starch should be taken out when it is slightly crispy. The leaves are still tender green and taste very good. Although it is a vegetarian dish, it is also suitable for drinking.

The so-called tempura in the overseas country of Sangdao is the cooking technique learned from the Eastern Country in ancient times, but the taste is far worse.

He Kao had learned his lesson this time and didn't ask where to pick young mulberry leaves if the season wasn't right. In the warm and humid southern regions, some mulberry trees bear leaves year-round. There should be some in Nanhua.

Even if Nanhua couldn't find tender leaves suitable for cooking, there must be some in Sawa, right? He Kao had just returned from Sawa and seemed to have seen mulberry trees there.

He Kao: "The dishes are all ready, but what about the soup?"

Jiang Daozhen said to Li Xiuyuan, "You are the guest, you order the soup."

Li Xiuyuan: "As for the soup, let's have something lighter. Let's have some water shield and egg drop soup."

This dish is actually very simple and can be purchased at the nearby farmers' market. However, after Li Xiuyuan finished speaking, seeing that He Kao did not ask any further questions, he paused and added, "The water shield must also be fresh, preferably the freshly picked small red water shield.

As for eggs, wild bamboo eggs are best, not sapling eggs!"

The so-called small red water shield is very tender water shield with leaves that are rolled up and not yet unfolded, so that only the color of the back of the leaves can be seen. Because the back of fresh water shield leaves is red, it is also called small red water shield.

The so-called seedling eggs, also known as hairy eggs, are eggs that can hatch chicks.

Water shield was easy enough; He Kao could just find a scoop and catch it right away, even going to Taigu City to get it for them! As for the bamboo partridges, it was quite a coincidence; he had just seen a bamboo partridge's nest in Baima Mountain, and there were eggs in the nest.

He Kao spent a long time looking for musk deer. He didn't find any musk deer in the mountains, but he did get something in return. He found bamboo partridges in Baima Mountain and purple jade bamboo in Gushan, which was like pre-ordering food.

Although the food was available, it was still very time-consuming to collect eggs, dig bamboo shoots, and pick mulberry leaves, which kept He Kao very busy.

The two elders sat in the main hall, leisurely drinking tea. While He Kao was away, Li Xiuyuan asked, "Old Jiang, do you think this kid is almost ready?"

**
PS: Deer roe deer stewed in black pottery, steamed anchovy with white jade, golden spotted bamboo shoots, green mulberry leaves, and red water shield with egg drop soup. I’ll serve you four dishes and one soup. Please give me your monthly vote!
(End of this chapter)