Chapter 331: Chapter 202: The Tricks and Secrets of Cooking Oil Braised Large Shrimp! Dundun’s Desire for Revenge! [Seeking Monthly Tickets]
"Oil Braised Large Shrimp?"
Upon hearing the name of the dish, their relatives all revealed looks of anticipation.
It wasn’t that they found the dish unusual; on the contrary, at celebrations for weddings and funerals in the Central Plains, Oil Braised Large Shrimp was a common sight. It was precisely because they ate it often that everyone wanted to compare Lin Xu’s version to the ones typically served at celebrations and see if there was any difference.
Currently, the farmhouse restaurant in the scenic area was managed by Lin Xu’s second uncle-in-law, Shi Wenming. He was a chef for village banquets in nearby towns. With business in the scenic area booming, he had recently taken charge of the farmhouse restaurant.
When he heard his nephew was going to make Oil Braised Large Shrimp, Shi Wenming immediately put down his wine glass and walked over, asking, "What seasonings do you need? I’ll get them ready. Do you want tomato sauce? We just opened a big can in the kitchen, and we have Rice Vinegar too, also freshly opened."
Lin Xu smiled and shook his head. "Second Uncle-in-law, for the Oil Braised Large Shrimp I’m making, I use neither tomato sauce nor Rice Vinegar, yet it will definitely taste better than the versions made with them."
In the Central Plains, the Large Shrimp consumed are usually frozen, not fresh live shrimp. Hence, when making Oil Braise, Rice Vinegar or tomato sauce is often added to create a sweet and sour flavor, which helps mask any unfresh taste and texture of the shrimp. However, in reality, true Oil Braised Large Shrimp doesn’t require these condiments.
Upon learning the method was different, Shi Wenming became curious. "Then how do you make it?" he asked. "May I watch? This doesn’t involve any state secrets from the State Guesthouse, does it?"
As a chef, he was always curious about different cooking methods. Yet the mystique of the Fishing Platform State Guesthouse also made Shi Wenming somewhat nervous, afraid his nephew might disclose secrets that shouldn’t be revealed.
Lin Xu said, "You can watch all you like, Second Uncle-in-law. There’s no secret to speak of here. Even Big Aunt, Second Aunt, and Aunt-in-law, you can all come and watch. This dish is quite simple, and once you learn it, it will definitely be a highlight at family feasts."
Upon hearing how simple it was, the ladies couldn’t sit still. They got up one after another to learn. Even Chen Meijuan was eager to try, but she was worried Shen Baobao might feel uncomfortable sitting alone among the relatives, so she suppressed her curiosity and continued eating with her beloved daughter-in-law.
Old Mrs. Lin watched this scene with a chuckle. "A harmonious family can lead to prosperity in all matters," she mused. "That saying is indeed true."
Before her retirement, she was a high school principal and held considerable prestige in the family. The unity among the Lin Family’s relatives was largely due to Old Mrs. Lin’s management and guidance. One could even say that the Lin Family’s ethos of mutual help and support was established by Old Mrs. Lin. This was also why, as soon as the scenic area began to flourish, Chen Yuanyuan came to work as a ticket seller, Shi Wenming took charge of the farmhouse restaurant, and even Lin Xu’s jobless uncle came to work as a gatekeeper. Relatives, after all, should help each other out like this.
Seeing the relatives gather around, Lin Xu didn’t keep any secrets and began to prepare the Large Shrimp while explaining the techniques. "The shrimp bought today by my uncle are top-grade prawns, also known as Penaeus. They’re large-sized and alive, so they must have cost a fair bit."
"The cleaning of the shrimp involves four parts: cutting the Shrimp Spear, removing the shrimp sac, snipping the legs, and picking out the shrimp line. I’ll explain each step; there are tricks to it."
The so-called Shrimp Spear is the long, straight spike at the very front of the shrimp’s head. When preparing shrimp, this part must be cut off; otherwise, it can easily prick one’s mouth during consumption, leading to oral swelling, bleeding, or even infection. Cutting the Shrimp Spear shouldn’t be done at the part connected to the head, as that wouldn’t remove its base completely, and one would still risk being pricked by the spear hidden inside the head. To clean the Shrimp Spear properly, one needs to cut from under the shrimp’s eyes, removing the eyes along with the antennae and about half the shrimp head.
Lin Xu explained as he demonstrated the technique. After removing the head, he continued down the body, snipping off all the legs. Then he snipped the tail to even it out, also making a small cut between the two fins of the tail fan, which was meant to make it easier to pull out the shrimp line.
After completing these steps, he inserted the scissors into the remaining part of the head and gently picked out the shrimp sac. Sometimes, the shrimp line would come out along with it. This was the purpose of making the cut at the tail. Even if the shrimp line didn’t come out, it wasn’t an issue. He would then make an incision below the second segment of the tail, gently cutting the shell open, and with a pick of the scissors, the shrimp line would come out.
"Remember, it’s the second segment from the top," Lin Xu clarified. "Cutting open this part of the shell will leave the shrimp meat intact. During braising, the shell won’t crack open, and the flavors from the seasoning will penetrate the meat through this opening."
The Large Shrimp needed for Oil Braised dishes are quite large. If not cut open, it’s hard for the seasoning to fully penetrate the shrimp meat when braised with oil; even if it did eventually soak in, the shrimp meat would have long since overcooked.
Lin Xu’s relatives nodded repeatedly as they listened. Even Shi Wenming, the village banquet chef with many years of cooking experience, listened intently. Although he had been cooking for many years, he had always just copied what others did, without truly understanding the reasoning behind the methods.
Now, listening to Lin Xu’s explanation, he understood that to allow the shrimp meat to quickly absorb flavor while keeping the shrimp’s body and meat intact, all one needed to do was cut open the shell at the second segment.
What an incredible trick!
After preparing all the Large Shrimp, Lin Xu set them aside and casually flattered his uncle, saying, "Uncle, these prawns you bought are just perfect. Even the procurement manager at the Fishing Platform couldn’t necessarily buy prawns of such good quality."
Upon hearing his nephew’s high praise, Chen Meide, Lin Xu’s uncle, instantly beamed with joy and said: