Miao Chu

Chapter 199 Follow
The goose leg was chopped into a very suitable size. If it were a small cherry mouth, it would probably take two or three bites, but Aunt Ma, with her big, lucky mouth that could eat from all directions, was confident that she could eat it all, skin and meat, in one big bite.

She was in a hurry when she served the dishes earlier and only glanced at them briefly. Now that she finally had some free time, she took the time to examine them carefully before putting them in her mouth.

Although Aunt Ma had never seen white jade, she had seen mutton fat. The goose leg, after being cooked, had a skin that was exactly the color of mutton fat, a bright yellow with a hint of white, looking incredibly smooth and firm.

Boiled meat in plain water without any extra seasonings, the meat comes out as simply cooked meat, pinkish in color. Near the bone, the pink is deeper and the meat is lighter in color. There is even a touch of crimson in the bone, which is proof that the marrow is cooked but not fully cooked—it is truly fresh that can be seen with the naked eye.

Aunt Ma swallowed the fresh meat whole, quickly using her teeth, tongue, and chopsticks to spit out the bone in the middle, and then chewed it with skin and meat.

By this time, the goose meat had been left to cool for a while, and the outer layer was even slightly warm.

On a hot summer night, eating a piece of goose that's half-warm and half-cool is so delicious that you don't even need to blow on it.

She bit into the skin first, then the very thin layer of goose fat between the skin and the meat, and finally the goose meat.

The goose skin is crisp and smooth, even with a slight chewiness, and the goose meat is extremely sweet and delicious. This goose is only four months old, very young and tender, with delicate and smooth meat that is not dry, but it is by no means just tender.

The family member who gave the geese as a token of gratitude was not lying. The geese raised by the family member's mother were indeed the healthiest of the healthiest geese. They loved to peck at people, swim, and take walks, which made their skin and flesh firm and chewy.

The combination of tenderness and firmness, along with a particularly thin layer of fat, creates the unique texture of this goose meat.

When you chew it, it bursts with broth.

The soup is made by mixing a very thin layer of goose fat with extremely sweet goose meat juice. The goose fat is so thin and already half-cooled that it is not greasy, but only adds to the aroma. The goose meat has only its own natural sweetness, without any off-flavors. All the sweet meat juice is slowly chewed out, filling your mouth with the aroma and sweetness of meat.

Aunt Ma usually considers herself to have a strong palate, but after taking a bite of goose leg meat, she suddenly found herself drawn to the charm of boiled goose.

—Boiled in plain water, only the original flavor of the meat is visible, yet it can taste so delicious!
As she chewed aimlessly, she suddenly heard someone speaking in her ear. Turning her head, she saw that it was Miss Song pushing a small dish of dipping sauce in front of her.

"The goose flavor in poached goose is quite strong. If you don't like it, you can try eating it with this dipping sauce."

Aunt Ma quickly swallowed the meat in her mouth, then swallowed again, saying, "I can eat it! I can eat it! I never knew that boiled goose could taste so good!"

While talking, he busied himself grabbing more meat.

Zhang Si Niang, who was still chewing meat, heard this and quickly nudged her sister-in-law with her elbow. She then pointed to the small dish of dipping sauce in front of each person and hurriedly made a "dip" gesture. Fearing that her sister-in-law wouldn't understand, she hurriedly picked up a piece of meat for her. The goose meat rolled in the dipping sauce before being put into her sister-in-law's bowl.

This piece, however, is goose back meat.

Aunt Ma naturally took the food that her sister-in-law had kindly offered.

The goose meat dipped in the sauce had a completely different flavor, one she had never tasted before. It had a rich citrus aroma, a salty and sour base, and a bright sourness from the white vinegar that complemented each other perfectly. The sourness was particularly refreshing. Garlic, scallions, dogwood, and mustard seeds each had their own spicy and pungent flavors, the soy sauce was salty and savory, and there was a touch of sweetness at the end.

This sauce is a perfect blend of salty, sour, spicy, savory, and sweet flavors, yet each flavor maintains a delicate balance, with none overpowering the others. It pairs wonderfully with the poached goose.

For a moment, Aunt Ma couldn't tell whether it tasted better plain or with dipping sauce.

Each one is delicious in its own way!
She hesitated, finding it difficult to appreciate. When eating goose meat with dipping sauce, she felt there was no better way to eat it. But after drinking a sip of porridge to cleanse her palate, she realized that eating it plain had its advantages. She could focus on tasting the meat's flavor, which was purer than with dipping sauce.

So, to be fair, she had no choice but to give the goose meat with dipping sauce another chance.

She ate it plain, then dipped it in sauce, and before she knew it, she had finished a large bowl of porridge. She couldn't even rank the order of the two ways of eating it.

At the dining table of the Water Conservancy Bureau on the other side of the front hall, people were also eating.

After a day of arduous work on the river, Wu Gongshi and his men were exhausted and hungry. They couldn't wait for anything else and ate each dish as soon as it was served, devouring it in a flash.

But halfway through the meal, everyone stopped.

Since Song Miao was sitting at the same table with the other women in the kitchen, Wu Gongshi stepped forward, turned around, and called out, "Young Lady Song, Young Lady Song!"

Hearing the voice, Song Miao turned around and saw a group of people waving at her from the opposite side.

"Little Song, Miss Song, please come here for a moment!"

Wu Gongshi raised the bowl in his hand, then looked at the bowl in Song Miao's hand, and mouthed the shape of a bowl.

Song Miao didn't understand what he meant, but she obediently brought her own bowl and chopsticks with her.

As soon as she approached, everyone at the table called her "Young Lady Song".

Wu Gongshi, who was at the head of the table, smiled and pointed to a plate of food, saying, "Quick, this was specially saved for you—go and get it."

When Song Miao heard this, she went to look and saw that the table was already littered with food. The plate was quite large, but it hadn't been touched. On the left was a thick slice of braised goose liver, and on the right was stir-fried goose intestines in soy sauce with bean sprouts underneath.

She asked in surprise, "What does this mean? Why did they specially save something for me? Everyone doesn't need to go to such lengths, just eat to your heart's content!"

Before Wu Gongshi could speak, a student interjected, "Kong Fuyang has already said it! We all know, so Miss Song shouldn't keep it from us!"

Someone else said, "Brother Kong said that when we had braised pig's feet rice last time, he praised the braised pig's feet to Miss Song as the best braised food in the world. Miss Song said that in fact, all kinds of braised food have different braising methods and each has its own appeal. There is no first or second place. Then he asked you which one you liked the most, and you answered that you have loved braised goose liver since you were a child!"

"Exactly! Isn't this braised goose liver today? Quick, grab some! Quick, grab some!"

"We haven't touched this plate, it smells delicious—if you can finish it, you can eat it all, it's fine..."

As soon as he finished saying the word "的", the person unconsciously turned his head to look at the braised goose liver.

The two lobes of foie gras are plump and smooth, and the exterior has been marinated to a deep amber color. They look oily and shiny. They are sliced ​​and stacked in a swirling leaf shape. The exposed cut is so smooth that it is almost like a mirror. The texture is so uniform that there are no air holes. It is half gray and half brown, with a slight sheen of oil. Just by looking at it, you can imagine how delicate the taste must be.

The color of the braising sauce was so beautiful, and the aroma of the braised food was so enticing. Even though they were separated by half a table, his nose seemed to have its own opinions. As he sniffed, he urged his brain: "You can smell it, can't you? Doesn't it smell good?"
My brain couldn't help but respond: It smells fucking good!
After answering, it will think to itself: With Song Xiaoniangzi's skill, she must have eaten countless delicacies, yet she still remembers them fondly. Just how delicious must this braised goose liver be?
Once the thought popped into his head, it wouldn't go away. As he watched, he involuntarily swallowed hard.

Song Miao was surprised.

But she had already remembered what had happened. Seeing everyone's enthusiasm, she couldn't refuse, so she took the serving chopsticks, picked up two slices of braised goose liver, and then smiled and said, "Thank you all for your kind words. I like to eat everything, but although braised goose liver is delicious, I need to save room for other things. Besides, this kind of food is easy to get tired of. Everyone should share and try it, otherwise I might get sick of it and not want to eat it next time." She then raised her bowl, smiled, and thanked them again and again. Finally, she pointed to the plate on the table and said, "Although the main dish this time is boiled goose, the goose intestines, goose liver, goose heart, and the pork belly cooked with it are even more delicious. The rest is not important. The goose intestines are best eaten while they are hot—they are very tasty. If you don't mind the smell of offal, you can try them!"

After saying that, he picked up the bowl and returned to the table.

At first, the group at the Water Conservancy Bureau smiled and watched her go, but as soon as she was out of sight, they all grabbed their chopsticks and were about to descend into chaos.

Wu Gongshi had instructed everyone not to worry about him and not to give way to him, but seeing this scene at this moment, he suddenly felt a sense of panic.

With so many people, how many hearts and livers does a goose have? There's not enough to go around.
With his skills, he certainly couldn't compete with the younger generation, but he was unwilling to rely on his age and official position to oppress others.

Ultimately, it was a matter of living a few more years and navigating the ups and downs of officialdom. Although flustered, Wu Gongshi remained calm. He coughed twice, slammed the chopsticks on the table, and said, "What are you doing? What are you doing! For a scholar to do this for a bite to eat is utterly disgraceful! What kind of behavior is this!"

As he spoke, he called out, "Little Xu!"

The person at the table, Xiao Xu, was picking up his chopsticks when he heard this and exclaimed, "Huh?"

Wu Gongshi said, "You divide it up, divide it by headcount, that's fair!"

He added, "Everyone can get some, so there won't be any fighting this time, right?"

This way it's fair, and naturally, there's no more stealing.

Xiao Xu then found some scissors, cut the goose intestines into sections, and counted the heads, dividing the various foods equally, one portion at a time.

Finally, Wu Gongshi was able to sit down and enjoy his stir-fried goose intestines with black bean sauce.

A piece of sausage with a strong wok hei (wok aroma) flavor; when you eat it, the outer layer has a strange, powdery texture.

That "powder" is the sweet powder that comes with the sausage itself; you have to bite through it to enjoy the chewy texture underneath.

It's crisp and crunchy, with a chewy yet slightly springy texture, yet it's also very easy to chew, making a satisfying "crunch" sound. Surprisingly, the inside is still tender, and the outer skin is coated with black bean sauce, which is salty, savory, and fragrant. The aroma of black bean sauce blends with the sweetness of the sausage, creating a rich and satisfying flavor profile. All the flavors are delivered directly, and yet, the bottom is served with mung bean sprouts, which are refreshing, crisp, and tender, balancing out any saltiness or richness...

Braised goose liver has a different texture. Once it enters your mouth, it requires no chewing at all. Just gently press your tongue and upper palate together and apply a little force, and it will slowly melt into an extremely smooth and delicate texture. It is salty, savory, sweet, and rich, with the aroma of oil and braising.

Such delicious ingredients are perfect with plain congee, making it not sticky at all and incredibly refreshing. They go perfectly with the tangy and crisp young ginger and the crunchy pickled lettuce... they're an absolutely perfect match.

While eating with great satisfaction, Wu Gongshi secretly cheered for himself!

—What a clever response!

It's even worthy of being written into a play to praise it. He even came up with a title for the play, which rhymes perfectly: "Old Wu Cleverly Takes Goose Liver Sausage!"
***
Little did Song Miao know that such a grand drama would unfold after she left.

But as soon as she returned to her seat, she realized something was wrong.

—On the table in front of him was half a plate of braised goose liver.

She had barely sat down when Aunt Xia across from her said anxiously, "Madam likes foie gras, why didn't you say so earlier!"

"Exactly! If we had known, we would have put this plate in front of my wife much earlier!"

"We don't need their food, we have enough here! Wife, please eat more—we don't really like it!"

"I'm not really used to it either! Everything is delicious, except for this foie gras... uh..."

"It's so smooth!"

"Yes! It's too slippery and too greasy! Although it tastes good, it's not as good as the other dishes!"

Song Miao was both amused and exasperated. She quickly explained that she liked to eat many things, and that eating too much foie gras by herself was not good, as it was greasy.

After a lengthy explanation, everyone finally believed her and gave her the two largest, plumpest, and most delicate pieces before scrambling to divide the rest among themselves.

The meal was eaten slowly. Towards the end, the table was filled with the crunching sounds of everyone eating pickled lettuce, pickled ginger, pickled scallions, and so on. Even though they were already full, they would play with these things, and could sit for a long time with half a bowl of porridge in their hands.

Finally, after they had almost finished eating, one of the men boldly asked, "My lady, how exactly is this poached goose made, and what about the dipping sauce? If I want to learn how to make it myself, is it difficult? Is there a secret recipe that can't be passed on to others?"

Song Miao smiled and said, "It's not difficult. Actually, the most important thing about poaching is the ingredients. Once the goose is good, everything else is easy. There's no need to be too strict about the method. Small geese like this are rare. What you can buy outside are mostly large geese, which are best for braising or stewing. Roasted goose is even more delicious. It's just that it's hot today and the goose is tender, so I chose the poaching method."

It also explained in detail how to do it.

"It would be best to cut the neck as well, so that the hot water can go in and out, and cook it even better."

"...Tuck the goose's two webbed feet inside its belly. When it comes into contact with hot water, the webbed feet will stretch out on their own, making the goose's belly bigger from the inside, so it can be better soaked in water and heated. Although it's a small detail, if everything is done well, it's hard for the meat not to be tender!"

"The dipping sauce is simple, but the salt-cured old Li Mengzi is very troublesome. It has to be old. If it hasn't been cured long enough, the sourness and astringency won't be fully transformed, and it might even taste bitter. The taste will be wrong, and it will become a completely different thing."

She counted them one by one, naturally not revealing everything, but just picking out a few at random, which left everyone at the table speechless, marveling at how much intricacies were involved in what seemed like a simple dish.

Suddenly, someone whispered, "Wife, once this new canal is finished, are you going back to the capital? Actually, opening a restaurant or tavern in our Huazhou would be a great idea!"

As soon as she said this, someone nearby spat at her, saying, "What nonsense are you talking about? I'm afraid you've lost your mind. Who would go down such a lowly path? What are you doing coming all the way from the capital to Huazhou!"

After spitting, the man looked at Song Miao, his face flushed, and said, "Wife, I've been working in the kitchen for a month or so now. What do you think of my character and work? Am I presentable?"

“My lady, you run a stall in the capital, but I don’t know if you need an assistant? My children are all grown up, and I have brothers in both my own family and my husband’s family, so I’m not afraid of being away. I’m willing to come to the capital with you, sign a ten- or twenty-year contract, and work under your patronage. I’ll be diligent in everything I do, and I won’t need to be paid. I just don’t know if this will work out.”

Upon hearing this, everyone at the table, including Aunt Ma and Zhang Si Niang, held their breath and looked at Song Miao, as if they would all pounce on her as soon as she opened her mouth.

(End of this chapter)