Chapter 249: Chapter 174 This soup is too delicious! Xiaoxu, can you let your parents come to Beijing? [Seeking Monthly Ticket]_2
A novice like him, with no cooking foundation, attempting a wok flip would likely result in splashing hot oil all over himself, or worse, performing a "Heavenly Girl Scattering Flowers" and scattering ingredients across the entire kitchen.
Better not risk it, Lin Xu decided. Cooking is enjoyable, but safety is paramount.
He decided against any fancy wok-tossing and focused on pan-frying the fish. Once both sides were golden brown, he poured half a pot of boiling water directly into the wok.
The secret to making a Milk Soup when stewing fish lies in pan-frying the skin first and using boiling water. With these two steps, one can generally achieve a thick, creamy white fish broth.
After adding the water, Lin Xu placed a knot of scallion and a few slices of ginger into the wok and began to stew.
"You didn’t add Sichuan peppercorns," Shen Baobao, watching intently, noticed her Xu Bao had only added Scallion and Ginger, omitting the Sichuan peppercorns, and couldn’t help but point it out.
Lin Xu said with a smile, "You don’t put Sichuan peppercorns in stewed fish; it would overpower the delicate, fresh flavor of the fish."
Soon, the boiling broth in the wok turned creamy white. Lin Xu skimmed the froth from the surface with a spoon. He let it stew for about twenty more minutes. Once the soup had transformed into a thick, milky broth, he added the previously blanched tofu. He turned down the heat a bit and continued to stew.
After about ten more minutes, when the tofu in the wok began to quiver, it signaled that it was thoroughly cooked and ready to be served. He used chopsticks to remove the Scallion and Ginger from the pot. Then, he added salt and White Pepper for simple seasoning. Finally, he carefully carried the wok and poured its entire contents—fish and tofu—into a large serving bowl.
This Stewed Crucian Carp with Tofu was now ready.
This dish used minimal seasonings—only salt and White Pepper. And the only aromatics were Scallion and Ginger. But as long as the fish was sufficiently fresh and the tofu was blanched beforehand, one could create a Stewed Crucian Carp with Tofu so delicious it could even surpass the skills of a restaurant chef.
"Wow, this tastes incredibly fresh," Aunt Liu praised, but an inexplicable sense of job insecurity pricked at her. With a son-in-law who could cook this well, might she end up unemployed? She resolved to find time to enroll in culinary classes through a domestic agency. She was determined to improve her culinary skills. She needed to demonstrate her value to continue working for the Shen family.
Lin Xu was oblivious that his simple act of cooking had inadvertently spurred Aunt Liu into a competitive mode. He said to Shen Jiayue, who was ready to sneak a taste, "It’s just finished. Be careful, it’s hot."
"Okay!"
Shen Baobao scooped a small piece of tofu into her mouth. Her eyes widened in surprise as she tasted it. "Wow, this tofu is both fragrant and savory; and it has a rich, beany flavor that melts in your mouth. Your cooking is incredible! Will this dish be on the menu when your new restaurant opens?"
"It will."
"Then I want to eat it every day! YES! This flavor is absolutely amazing!"
「Soon」
The Shen family’s lunch commenced.
The whole family gathered around the dining table. All eyes were fixed on the Stewed Crucian Carp with Tofu placed in the center. The milky-white soup exuded a rich, savory aroma, instantly whetting everyone’s appetite.
"Grandma, Xu Bao specially cooked this Stewed Crucian Carp with Tofu for you. Let me serve you some," Shen Baobao said, ever thoughtful in her grandmother’s presence. She picked up a small bowl and served a generous portion of soup and tofu.
"It’s made by Little Xu? No wonder it smells so fresh! Quick, quick, let me have a taste." The old lady accepted the bowl, spooned a little soup, blew on it gently, and eagerly brought it to her lips. "Hmm, this is wonderfully fresh! Your skill is truly excellent," she exclaimed.
After savoring the soup, she tried the tofu. It was also incredibly delicious, not at all like the tofu she usually ate.
Lin Xu explained to her, "Grandma, this tofu was blanched in hot water before being added to the fish soup for stewing. Does it taste different from usual?"
"Is that so?" Grandma remarked. "No wonder it tastes different! All of you, try it. Little Xu’s cooking skills are truly excellent. He can make even a simple dish like crucian carp and tofu so delicious. You all must have a taste!"
The old lady was overjoyed. The more she observed her grandson-in-law, the more pleased she felt. He was also so capable of earning money—truly flawless in every aspect.
Lin Xu added, "Besides blanching the tofu, I also used lard. Otherwise, this soup dish would be too bland; it wouldn’t have this rich, aromatic flavor."
At the mention of lard, his mother-in-law, Han Shuzhen, became animated. She said to their relatives, "I used to be quite resistant to lard, but after tasting Little Xu’s cooking, I’ve grown to love its flavor more and more. You all must try this; it’s completely different from the usual dishes!"
Director Han had practically become an ambassador for lard. This piqued the relatives’ curiosity further, and they instinctively reached for their bowls and spoons to serve themselves some.
Upon tasting the flavor of the Crucian Carp soup and the texture of the tofu, they couldn’t help but shower it with praise.
"This soup is truly delicious."
"It’s so fresh! Savory and fragrant!"
"The tofu is delicious too—soft and tender, without any unpleasant beany taste!"
"I must tell our housekeeper when I get back. From now on, we’ll make Stewed Crucian Carp with Tofu this way. It’s simply too delicious!"
While everyone was savoring Lin Xu’s culinary creations, Shen Guofu, without a word, opened a bottle of Moutai that had been stored in their home for nearly twenty years. In his eyes, this bottle of Liquor, valuable enough to be traded for a small car, still couldn’t fully express the immense joy he felt. His daughter had found such a perfect partner! In such a joyous atmosphere, he felt he absolutely had to casually down about half a jin of it.
He filled the glasses for Shen Jiayue’s uncles—the husbands of her paternal and maternal aunts, as well as her maternal uncle—and other male relatives one by one. Then, he raised his own glass and downed its contents in a single gulp.
When one is truly happy, even strong Liquor goes down more smoothly.