Datang First Chef

Chapter 57

There are many ways to cook fish, but there is only one way that is suitable for shad, and that is steaming.

It is not unreasonable that this fish can become the three delicacies of the Yangtze River. The meat is tender and delicious, and it also has medicinal effects of tonifying deficiency and Qi, clearing heat and detoxifying. Adding too many seasonings in the cooking process will destroy the fish itself. Taste, excessive seasoning is never a good thing, artificial MSG is very different from natural deliciousness.

He said that there are three ways to cook shad, not braised in brown sauce and steamed and stir-fried, but three different steaming methods.

Zhongheiyang Duanduan is sitting outside the kitchen and waiting. There are also many people in the unopened store. They are all locals who voluntarily signed up to participate in the tasting event. How to determine whether the dishes suit the taste of the locals is of course to go deep into the masses gone.

It is not enough to do this work only once, and it needs to be done many times. Mo Wenyuan estimates that when there are more than a thousand people who taste it, he will know which cooking method is most suitable for the taste of Jiangnan people.

The simplest method of steaming fish also has different methods. Modern people divide it into two categories according to the region. Cantonese steamed fish and Jiangsu and Zhejiang steamed fish. The steaming method of the northerners is not included in it. There are too few areas that are close to rivers and seas, and the steaming method cannot form typical regional characteristics.

In addition to these two, Mo Wenyuan added the steamed fish method commonly used by people in the Tang Dynasty, using hot oil as the topping.

He processed the three fish in no particular order of quality, neatly shredded the ham, scallions, and ginger slices on the back of the fish. Putting the shredded ham was Mo Wenyuan's unique recipe. The ham was marinated by him himself. There are salty ones, some fat ones, and some thin ones. At this time, he chooses to use fat ham, which has a lot of white parts, and the kind that can force out oil stars during the steaming process.

Every famous chef has his own little habits when cooking. If all the dishes are cooked according to the same procedure, the final product will be no different from the finished product of the assembly line factory.

Mo Wenyuan is very obsessed with adding ham. Besides, he also likes to go to the lard net. In the past, his master laughed and scolded him for making the dishes "greasy".

Fish from Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces are steamed with seasonings, mushrooms and bamboo shoots first, to ensure that the flavor of the ingredients can penetrate into the dish during steaming, while Cantonese-style steamed fish is steamed half-cooked before cooking, which can ensure the taste of fish and white meat to the greatest extent.

The method of the Tang Dynasty is a little more complicated. First, put the fish in a steamer and steam it on high heat for a few minutes, then pour out the fishy juice in the steamer, pour wine on the belly of the dried fish and steam it over low heat. Drizzle with hot oil.

The three dishes of fish were prepared and plated in no particular order, and the plates were laid out in a row on the trolley and pushed out.

……

The diners in the lobby can't wait long ago. Mo Wenyuan's name has been spread from the two capitals to the south of the Yangtze River. The locals have many opinions on him. Special features; some have no special opinions, just watch the excitement when they have nothing to do; some have been to the two capitals, tasted delicious food, and have endless aftertaste...

People have thousands of thoughts, and there are thousands of expressions on their faces. When the steamed fish is pushed out, the fragrance penetrates into the nasal cavity, and many people have expressions of "melting ice and snow", looking squarely at the young man.

The person who tried it was given a dried soybean in advance, and whoever thought the three fish tasted the best would throw the soybeans into the bowl in front of the fish. , I hate that I am not from Jiangnan, and the taste is unrepresentative.

"Please please please."

There is a waiter behind each fish, and the fish is picked up with serving chopsticks. One is to ensure cleanliness, and the other is to worry that the diners will be too loud, and half of the fish will be gone with one chopstick.

Those who came first ate the soft belly of the fish, and those who came later ate the fish head at the corners. It only took a cup of tea, and the three fish were clean and only the skeleton was left. Resentment, wanting to swallow the whole fish.

Diners who try food are faced with the difficulty of choosing. What is really difficult to judge is not whether it is delicious or not, but whether it is delicious or better. The food of people in the Tang Dynasty is slightly rough compared with the foodie era after a thousand years, and their adjectives for food are also different. It's very barren, there are only three kinds of "delicious", "delicious" and "excellent". No matter which of the three kinds of fish they ate just now, they are worthy of the name of gourmet, and they are deeply entangled.

Or follow the most primitive feeling.

"Ding-dong-"

"Ding-dong-"

The dried beans made a dull sound when they fell into the clay bowl. After the sentimental person chose his favorite dish, he said "tsk tsk" twice, as if he felt sorry for the other two fish. Smiling, he even gave a bottle of exquisite soy sauce as a gift, but the thin-skinned neighbors insisted on refusing to accept it, saying that eating delicious food at Mo Xiaolang-jun's place is just eating and drinking, how can you still accept gifts after eating?

After sending away the invited testers, Mo Wenyuan looked back at the results, and found that the Tang Dynasty cooking method with shredded ham and hot oil had won an overwhelming advantage.

"Sure enough, it's because the smell of meat is stronger?" I had a vague expectation of the result. Modern people generally lack oil and water. Although the steamed taste is delicious, it is not as real as oil. The citizens can't stop the smell of meat.

Zhong Hei Yang was not very happy. He felt that the cooking method in Jiangsu and Zhejiang was the best. After pouring hot oil, he was suspected of overwhelming the guests. Of course, it does not mean that Mo Wenyuan did not do well, but gourmets strive for excellence and the original taste of the ingredients.

"Baa baa baa baa baa baa baa!"

Too bad to eat!

"Not everyone has your sharp tongue." Mo Wenyuan laughed dumbly, "Cooking is particular about local conditions, and the public wants to enjoy the meat flavor, so I will make this flavor. If you want to eat steamed, I will steam it for you alone. "

The middle black sheep just gave up.

……

When Li Sanniang and Mo Wen went far to the south of the Yangtze River to expand the territory, Zhao Erniang, the puppy Mo in Chang'an, was not idle. They were busy with two things. One was to help Mo Wenyuan who could not return to Chang'an in time to grow mung beans, and the other was to harvest green beans. Manage the soy sauce business.

Mo Wenyuan wrote a long letter to his home, detailing how to take care of mung beans down to any tiny point, from seed selection to planting methods. When Mo Xiaogou received the letter, he thanked Li Sanniang for chasing him After reading "Thousand Characters" and "Ji Ji Pian", if he couldn't even understand Mo Wenyuan's letter, where would he put his face?

He opened the origami letter, and Zhao Erniang stood beside Mo Xiaogou, and the two studied together.

"Land: Flat terrain, moderately fertile, and well-drained land is the best." Mo Xiaogou said, "This is not difficult. The land given to us by the saints is all flat terrain. Last year, I told the old farmer that this year we should Plant new species from Tianzhu, even if the land is not fertile enough, it has been fertilized and can be planted just right."

For unknown reasons, almost all the comprehensive agricultural books of the Sui and Tang dynasties were lost, so that later generations did not know much about the agricultural development of this dynasty. It can be inferred that the development of fertilizers in the Tang Dynasty has reached a considerable height.

For example, the farmers around Chang'an City are proficient in the technology of manure accumulation, so that the fields are always fresh.Common fertilizers include manure and green manure, with the former being more fertile.

Li Sanniang not only hired old farmers to farm the land, but also bought cattle. The most commonly used manure around Chang'an is cow dung and human dung. I got enough manure to make thirty truckloads of manure, which is enough.

Looking at the method of sowing, Mo Wenyuan, who was talking on paper, did not dare to direct the skilled old farmers to try to replant and interplant. What's more, he didn't know whether the mung beans in the Tang Dynasty were different from the modern mung beans. He only estimated according to the data. After checking the distance between seeds, I asked the farmer to help me to see if the planting method was correct.

Nongjiazi: "Isn't it the way to grow soybeans?"

Mo Xiaogou also said the same thing after reading it: "Is the method of planting beans similar? This method is not much different from that of soybeans." He was always taken by old farmers in the village when he was young. Chasing the spring breeze, even though it has been a long time, the method of growing soybeans is still in his mind. At that time, he ate beans to satisfy his hunger, can you remember?

Zhao Erniang said cautiously: "Look again, is there any difference with the method of growing soybeans? This is the bean seed that Da Lang bought from Tianzhu. If the plant dies, you are the only one to ask."

Mo Xiaogou didn't know whether to laugh or cry: "I'm also worried that something might go wrong. I've read the letter more than ten times, and you read it too. Isn't it the way to grow soybeans?" The two made sure that everything was safe before telling the old farmer how to plant soybeans.

"alright."

The old farmer heard Mo Xiaogou say that Mo Dalang bought the mung beans from the people of Tianzhu, and he looked at them differently. He believes in Buddhism. Land, the combination of the two, has to be in awe, and bluntly said that the beans will be planted well.

The growth cycle of mung beans is about two months. I think that when Mo Wenyuan returns to Beijing in two months, he will receive a large amount of mung beans!

……

Li Sanniang's restaurant has not yet opened, but it has already gained a reputation in Yangzhou. Local people say that the food is delicious. After tasting it, they feel shocked. They don't know the price of the dishes.

The bystanders couldn't sit still after hearing this, and asked curiously: "The restaurant hasn't opened yet, so how do you know the food tastes good?" He also said, "Li Sanniang first arrived in Huaiyang, didn't you just bluntly say that you would not go to the restaurant with the flavor of the two capitals? It is concluded that it can't do well in Huaiyang, so why have you changed your mind now?"

The person who was accused was thin-skinned and left without responding. The person who knew the inside story said: "He is very lucky. He was invited by the restaurant to try it, and he came back with a bottle of soy sauce."

"You don't know this person. He doesn't like the people in the north. Before he went, he was very sarcastic about the restaurant's dishes. He was picky about the bones of the egg, and even the delicious ones were stinky. He didn't know how to go to the restaurant to finish eating. Red in the face, red in the face, running away in embarrassment, and can't say anything bad again."

"so smart?"

"It's that good." He rambled, "Hey, it's not when I can go to the restaurant to try the food. I wanted to go a few times before, but there were too many people going with me, so it's not my turn. Next time I have to go earlier go."

"Then call me next time, and I'll go with you."

Several people were chatting in the tea shop, and there were others besides them. Wei Wen drank tea steadily and said nothing. Sitting beside him was Qin Weishan, a fish merchant he knew well.

Wei Wen is one of the best cooks in Huaiyang, and Qin Weishan is not a top fish merchant. There is no fish merchant in ten miles or eight towns with more ships and better export products than him.

This person is not only the leader in the local fish market, but also transports processed fish products to cities further north for sale. He has a wide range of friends and is very capable.

"How?" Qin Weishan asked, "Mo Dalang cooks food better than you?"

"Haven't tried it, it's hard to compare."

"Aren't you afraid that the reputation of Li Sanniang's restaurant will surpass that of Wei's restaurant?"

"If he has good craftsmanship, it doesn't matter if he surpasses it. If his craftsmanship is not good, no matter how famous he is, he can't surpass him." Wei Wen is very free and easy. Like Mo Wenyuan, he is a crazy cook. Fame and fortune have never been in his mind. Know how to hone your skills.

The more people Qin Weishan met, the more he admired Wei Wen. All the people in the world are eager to compete for fame and fortune, and only those who are detached with the unity of mind and spirit can achieve indifference.He couldn't help but think of Wei Wen's appearance when he was cutting the fish, wiping the blade of the sharp knife, looking at where he cut the knife, cutting into pieces, and putting it on the plate. Sharp knives and fish constitute the four-square world, and he is the master of the small world.

Concentration of the spirit is rare in the world.

So Qin Weishan said: "Mo Dalang must not surpass you."

Wei Wendao: "Having never tasted his dishes, it's not easy to draw conclusions. If he can be praised by others, Mo Dalang must have merit."

"However, I also have self-confidence. The fish I cook is no worse than anyone else's." He is very arrogant. Anyone who has researched to the extreme in a certain industry is very arrogant. Even Mo Wenyuan only looks gentle. , or someone questioned the dishes he made, no one can pull back that "axis energy".

Qin Weishan admired Wei Wen's momentum: "I heard that Li Sanniang's restaurant invites many people to try it every couple. I'm afraid they are studying the new menu on Jiangnan. Tomorrow, I will find someone to reserve two seats. Let's go together."

Wei Wen nodded and said, "Good."

……

The next day, Mo Wenyuan sharpened his knife and rushed to the rice field eel. He wanted to make the famous dish of the local cuisine, shredded eel with oil.

This local dish has the characteristics of thick oily red sauce, and the eel shredded oil is used to the extreme. Soy sauce is used more, and sugar is added. You can feel the sweetness in your mouth when you eat it. It is sweet and not greasy. It's not too much, even people who don't like sweets in modern times don't like its taste, let alone the Tang people who are short of sugar.

It is the nature of most people to like sweets.

Swamp eel has a long history of eating in our country. In The Book of Songs, there is a saying "Shi Yuyai, scorpion and tuna fafa", and tuna refers to swamp eel.

People in the Tang Dynasty even regarded rice field eel as the top grade of fish, and it often appeared in banquets as a delicacy to entertain guests.

The price of eel is higher than that of ordinary fish, not because of the low yield, but because it is hard to catch.As we all know, rice field eels live in the silt layer, and the mud can be found in various places such as rice fields, grass bushes, streams, etc. It takes a lot of effort to find its traces, not to mention whether the rice field eels are slippery or not, and they cannot be tracked by skilled hands. .

In the generation of Huaiyang, there were people who made a living by catching rice field eels.

The Zhonghei alpaca brought the eel and Mo Xiaoyuan back to the store, and the two big bamboo frames were stuffed to the brim, hanging on both sides of the Zhonghei sheep. , carrying more things than mules and horses.

It is worthy of being a fine sheep.

The eel drills in the mud, and its skin is very dirty. It must be washed before eating. The helpers in the store are used to scalding the eel with boiling water. After pouring hot water, a layer of white mucus will appear on the slippery body. Just flush and it's clean.

This method is clear and quick. The only problem is that it affects the taste of the eel. The scalding water destroys its skin and makes the surface meat cooked in advance.

It doesn't matter if the skin is good or bad when cooking at home. Mo Wenyuan must strive for excellence in cooking. He uses the most primitive method to wash the rice field eel, washing it first with water, then rubbing salt grains on its body, and then washing it with water.If the body of the eel is not clean, it will form white foam when rubbed with salt, and it will be clean when there is no foam after rubbing.

After washing the rice eel, he began to shred it. At this time, the guests invited to taste the food had already entered the door one after another, and Wei Wen and Qin Weishan were the first to bear the brunt.

Zhongheiyang knew Wei Wen, and he remembered that the fish dishes made by this man were delicious, comparable to Mo Wenyuan.Zhong Heiyang is very kind to skilled cooks, a good cook is a treasure in the world, so he bleats a few times as a greeting.

When Wei Wen saw the middle black sheep, his first reaction was not that it was Mo Dalang's mount, but "Good sheep!" His eyes sparkled.

"Skin, body shape, front legs, hind legs..." He walked around the middle black sheep a few times while chanting, and boldly touched the middle black sheep with his dead eyes. Qin Weishan heard that Mo Wenyuan was not ordinary. The sheep were about to be scared to death by his audacity.

Wei Wen also blamed it for the pity: "Such a good sheep is used as a mount?" Of course it should be killed and eaten!

Middle black sheep: ==

He was very familiar with Wei Wen's eyes, and the other party's mind must be full of daring thoughts.

Qin Weishan hurriedly grabbed Wei Wen, the lunatic cook, and apologized to the stunned Li Sanniang and the others: "I'm sorry, this person is a lunatic, and he made a rude move because he was curious about Mo Dalang's sheep. I'm sorry, I'm sorry. .”

"No no, it's fine."

Li Sanniang muttered, why does she think that this person is similar to her own son?

Zhongheiyang was enraged, turned his ass to Wei Wen, and went to find Mo Wenyuan. Wei Wen watched him go away, his eyes were full of pity.

Qin Weishan: Are you still a pity that you went?

……

"Baa baa baa baa baa!"

When the black sheep in the middle rushed into the kitchen like a cannonball, Mo Wenyuan was chopping ginger and spring onions. The granules he chopped were finely chopped, and when fried in oil, the juice produced was more than that of other ginger.

"What's the matter?" His hands were still busy, but his mouth was concerned about Zhong Hei Yang, who was filled with righteous indignation.

"Baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa and the baaing and baaing!"

"Wei Wen is here?" Mo Wenyuan recalled the other party's craftsmanship, and a struggle arose. The last time he only ate the fresh fish made by Wei Wen, but he ranked the other party's craftsmanship as the number one among the fresh fish eaten in the Tang Dynasty. It is the chef who knows no better than the level of his peers.

"Baa baa baa baa baa!"

The middle black sheep danced and tried to sue: He treated me as an edible sheep and wanted to cook me!

Mo Wenyuan paused suspiciously for a moment, and his thoughts suddenly went back to a few years ago. He bought the black sheep because he was tempted by his charming quality, and wanted to take it home to make a fish belly Tibetan sheep.As luck would have it, he has become a member of the family.

He could only pretend to comfort him: "Really? Then he really has vision."

Middle black sheep:? ? ? ! ! !

How fat to death, what did you say?

Mo Wenyuan: "A cook would want to cook you to prove that you are a peerless sheep!"

After saying this, he ignored the black sheep, and began to add oil to the hot pot and wait for the fried shredded eel. After the shredded eel was cut, he put it in a bowl to marinate. Mix them together, and evenly wrap each shredded rice field eel.

Shredded eel and minced garlic and shallots were put into the pan together, only to hear a "crash -" sound, and countless tiny oil bubbles appeared on the pan.

Stir-frying is the most powerful way of cooking. People outside the door can hear the oil sizzling. Wei Wen not only heard it, but also smelled the charming aroma of eel shreds. His rock-solid face finally Showing a surprised expression, many times the chef can judge the quality of the dishes by relying on the smell. The smell of the squid eel is excellent.

Qin Weishan said: "Just smelling it makes my mouth water. Mo Dalang really has real skills."

Wei Wendao: "Yes." He began to fidget a little, stretching his toes desperately in the shoes, wanting to rush into the back kitchen to see how Mo Wenyuan cooks.

This sound should be the addition of oil and stir-fry, smelling the smell and adding minced green onion and ginger, but it is impossible to make this sound if an ordinary big cauldron is used, the wall of the cauldron is too thick.

Is that an iron plate?Probably not, he speculated that Mo Dalang created a pot between a tripod and an iron plate.

Wei Wen: I really want to see it, I really want to see it, I really want to see it, I really want to see it...

He could hardly hold back the eager desire in his heart.

……

In the kitchen, Mo Wenyuan was still frying the shredded eel. When the shredded eel was half cooked, he poured in the leftover rice wine, soy sauce, and a little bit of sugar in turn.

The salt and starch used for thickening are added last. The starch is extracted from the tubers, which makes the soup thicker and wraps the shredded eel more tightly.

Seeing that the vegetables were almost cooked, Mo Wenyuan fished out the vegetables and put them on a plate. The remaining emerald green and white scallions were piled up on top of the shredded eels in a sharp corner, and then poured hot lard——

Different from ordinary fish, rice field eel has many and thick meat heads, no small fish bones, and is very elastic to chew. It is not so much fish, but more like meat. After frying, it exudes a meaty aroma that pork does not have. The last hot lard, Simply the finishing touch.

Zhongheiyang salivated, and even forgot the resentment he had just complained. When Mo Wenyuan put the plate in front of his eyes, he couldn't lift his head from eating, mobilizing his whole body to savor the exquisite shredded eel.

Shredded eel must be eaten while it is hot. Mo Wenyuan raced against the clock to push the dish out. He deliberately searched for Master Wei Wenwei in the crowd, and the eyes of the two met in midair.

Wei Wen's eyes were friendly, and he was full of desire for new food that he hadn't seen before. Mo Wenyuan also returned his eyes full of respect, and put his favorite dish on the low table in front of him.

The cooking quality of each plate of shredded eel is the same, but the quality of the meat itself is slightly different. The plate in front of Wei Wen is the highest quality.

The appetites of people at the other tables were inflamed by the aroma of shredded eels, and they couldn't even take care of the meal sharing system. As soon as the dishes were served, it was up to whoever had the sharpest chopsticks.

While eating, he muttered: "It smells so good!"

"It's a little sweet?"

"I've never eaten such delicious shredded eel!"

Wei Wen also took a bite first, the hot lard on the shredded eel made his tongue recede, the bones of the eel had been removed long ago, leaving only a mouthful of firm meat, accompanied by the saltiness of soy sauce and sugar, The sweetness is not heavy but it makes people appetite. The thickened sauce is firmly on the head of the meat, unlike ordinary juice that will slide down into the breast plate.

Chewing and chewing, the tight meat gradually loosened and swelled in the mouth, and the earthy smell of rice field eel was dispelled, replaced by the aroma of rice wine.

Wei Wen also bought rice wine from Li Sanniang Restaurant in Chang'an. It is not only used for small servings on weekdays, but also added as a seasoning to dishes. Mo Dalang is indeed very talented. A few drops of wine can make the fish smell better .

Two consecutive mouthfuls made him wake up from the charming fragrance of eel shredded eel, and began to evaluate it in an objective way. The first thing that attracted Wei Wen's attention was the thick juice hanging on the shredded eel, which was between ordinary Between liquid and sauce.

He was a little hesitant to ask Mo Wenyuan how to make this juice. For many chefs, the way the dish is made is a secret.

Mo Wenyuan looked at his eyes and said proactively: "This is Gorgon juice, the method was taught to me by an old man who is good at making Luoyang water mats."

"Just add some tuber powder to make the sauce thicker."

Seeing that he took the initiative to communicate and express his kindness, Wei Wen also opened up the chatter box, and after a while, he even entered the kitchen with Mo Wenyuan.

Qin Ulsan:? ? ?

The cook's friendship is so strange.

……

Wei Wen is similar to Mo Wenyuan, the guy who eats always carries it with him, the knife tied to his waist can be seen when his coat is opened, and there is even a small bottle of sauce in his pocket.The kitchen knife he uses is different from that of Mo Wenyuan. Wei Wen was born in making fish meat, and the knife he is good at is narrow and long.

Mo Wenyuan's apprentice Zhou Miao is also a good fisherman, and Wei Wen's knife is different from his.

There are still rice field eels left, lingering in wooden barrels, and Wei Wen is a bit picky about its quality, so he decided to hand-preserve the rice field eels first, so that the meat will be softer and richer in water.

Boil hot water in a tripod, and after the water boils, milky white steam gushes upwards in a straight line, and the eels are hung on the steam in bags to smoke them with heat.

"This method can be used not only for eel, but also for other fish." He said, "If the quality of the fish is uneven, steaming it can improve its taste." Even all kinds of fish are smoked for more time. inform.

Mo Wenyuan nodded repeatedly. He is not a fish chef, and he has a good eye for picking fish, but he still needs the help of Zhongheiyang to find the freshest and highest quality fish.Regarding how to maintain its freshness, he knows some methods, but the effect is mediocre. Wei Wen told him that the most accurate time can only be obtained through years of continuous experimentation. He is not stingy with the exclusive knowledge he researched, and Mo Wenyuan exchanged ideas generously.

The meat quality of the eel has been significantly improved. Wei Wen took the knife from his waist and cut it into fine pieces. His cutting method is similar to that of cutting fish sticks, and the knife he used has never been wet.

The rice field eel cut by him has reached the quality that can be eaten raw.

Eel segments, garlic cloves, ginger, scallions, spices from the Western Regions, rice wine and soy sauce were added to the cauldron in turn, and Wei Wen also threw two leaves of Mo Wenyuan's eyes into it.

The wooden lid is put on the tripod, and the fire is changed to a simmer and simmered slowly.

"Steamed eel with garlic." He said, "Try it."