The Lucky Wife of the Era Married a Rough Man With Space
Chapter 210: hot pot
A culinary dream bloomed in Xu Ying’s mind, a symphony of flavors she yearned to bring to life. Fried fish balls, braised fish, pickled fish, sweet and sour fish, in the ultimate winter comfort – fish hot pot. The mere thought made her mouth water. "Mom, wait for me at home! I'm going out. We're having grilled fish hotpot later!" With a determined glint in her eye, Xu Ying hopped on her bicycle, pedaling towards the nearest meat store.
As she arrived ther she shout loudly "Comrade , do you have any Hairy belly?" as she called out, her voice echoing in the bustling shop as she searched eagerly. The salesperson, a picture of polite confusion, simply blinked. "Hairy belly? What's that?"
A sigh escaped Xu Ying. The chasm of culinary knowledge between her and this era was vast. Hot pot was unknown, and hairy tripe, a cornerstone of this dish, was an alien concept to this era . "Okay Do you have cow entrails, or pig entrails?" she rephrased, hoping to bridge the gap.
The salesperson’s eyes narrowed, scanning Xu Ying’s attire, then her bicycle parked outside. This young woman, seemingly well-to-do, was asking for scraps? Cow and pig entrails were considered cheap, foul-smelling waste.[Read More Here]
Xu Ying, however, remained unfazed. They simply didn’t know what they were missing. Once she introduced them to the wonders of braised intestines , they’d be begging for more.
With a hot pot base already secured from her space inventory, Xu Ying bought all the scrapes from the store. The salesperson, still visibly repulsed, reluctantly presented the cow and pig entrails to her . Xu Ying, with a wide smile gracing her lips, took them. "And a pound of beef, two pounds of mutton, two pounds of pork belly, and a chicken, please.Also Do you have any seafood? Shrimp, perhaps?"
The salesperson's surprise grew. Beef and mutton, especially around Chinese New Year, were expensive. This girl was not only buying "waste" but also splurging on prime cuts! The salesperson was utterly baffled.
"We have shrimp," she finally managed, "just shipped in this morning, very fresh."
Xu Ying's eyes lit up. She adored prawns. As she Inspecti the fresh, vibrant crustaceans, she ordered three kilograms. As her family didn't eat blood, she opted for duck intestines instead of duck blood .
Her meat haul was finally completed, so she dashed off for vegetables. Lettuce, a hot pot essential, along with lotus root, winter melon, and various soy products. With mushrooms, greens, and kelp already at home, she rounded out her purchase with a selection of fresh vegetables. Laden with ingredients, she pedaled home, as a culinary conqueror returning with her spoils.
"Why did you buy so much?" her mother exclaimed, a look of disgust creasing her face as she eyed the entrails. "And these pig and cow guts, they’re so smelly and hard to clean!"
Xu Ying, ever the charmer, wrapped her arms around her mother. "Mom, please help me wash them! I promise, in my hands, these will be absolutely delicious!" Her mother, unable to resist her daughter's endearing plea, finally relented.
"Little sister, what can I do to help?" Xu Ying's sister-in-law, her belly now visibly rounded as five or six months old , bustled over to the kitchen.
Xu Ying smiled warmly. "Sister-in-law, you just rest and supervise . Let my eldest and second brother handle everything." She turned to her brothers. "Brother, please find two stove racks. If we don't have two, help me build a simple stove with a rotary head. And two iron pots, please, washed them properly. Second brother, you can help me wash these vegetables and slice the lotus roots, winter melon, and potatoes."
"Dad, can you kill two big fish for me?" she continued, then turned to Shitou, her nephew . "Shitou, go to our grandparents' place and tell everyone to come over for dinner in an hour. Invite Third Uncle too!" Shitou, his eyes sparkling at the promise of a feast, nodded eagerly. "Okay, Little aunt , I'll be right back!"
While her father expertly cleaned the fish, Xu Ying began preparing a mushroom chicken soup. This milder broth was for her grandparents, who couldn't handle spice, and for her pregnant sister-in-law. Meanwhile, Xu's mother grumbled good-naturedly as she tackled the pig liver, an easy task compared to the stubborn cow and pig stomachs.
In mere moments, the fish were ready. Xu Ying, after a quick rinse, began her artwork. First she sliced the fish, marinated it in white wine, then heated a splash of oil in a pan and added garlic, ginger, and chili which sizzled in the hot oil, filling the kitchen with an intoxicating aroma. And with a touch of sugar, then the hot pot base, stirred until it boiled. Finally, the marinated fish, followed by water. Once boiling again, the hot pot was ready for the side dishes. For dipping sauce , Xu Ying presented a rich sesame paste and a fiery chili oil sauce from her spatial reserves.
"It smells so good!" Xu Jingjing burst into the Xu household, her nose twitching at the tantalizing scent of spice mingling with chicken broth. Her mouth watered as she practically floated into the kitchen. "Yingying, what deliciousness are you cooking today ? I could smell it from all the way here! I'm so hungry! I just saved some money to eat your cooking at the state-owned restaurant, but then you quit! Are you crazy? Why leave a good job at a state-owned restaurant for a factory canteen? You can't tell which one is better?" Xu Jingjing, adopting a stern, adult demeanor, began to lecture Xu Ying.
Xu Ying merely blinked, a playful groan escaping her lips. "I'm working hard for my dream," she declared.
Xu Jingjing was dumbfounded. "Your dream is to cook in a cafeteria?"
Xu Ying shook her head. "No, that's not quite right. My dream is for more people to eat my cooking. I worked at the state-owned restaurant for ages, and pretty much everyone there had already tasted my food. Moving to the canteen means more people can experience it. State-owned restaurant food is expensive; only well-off families can afford it. By working in the canteen, I can make sure more people get to enjoy my food. Seeing everyone happy because they're eating my cooking, that's what makes me happy."
Xu Jingjing twitched an eyebrow, utterly baffled by Xu Ying's unconventional logic. "Help me take this out, don't just stand there staring at me ." Xu Ying handed a pot of fish soup to Xu Jingjing.
Xu Jingjing's eyes widened and forgot her previous anger as she inhaled the fragrant steam. It was exquisite, but... was there enough fish for everyone?
Xu Ying followed, carrying another pot of fish soup into the main room. Xu Jingjing, entering behind her, gasped at the sight of the abundance of meat and vegetables. "What are you planning to do with all this?"
"Cook it and eat it! This is called hot pot," Xu's mother explained, a mischievous twinkle in her eye. "It's perfect for Chinese New Year! See how red the soup is? It means we'll have a prosperous year!" Xu Ying watched her mother, thoroughly amused.
"How do you eat this?" Xu Jingjing, never having encountered such a dish, looked utterly bewildered.
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"What do you mean, how? Just dip the things in the soup and eat it!" Third Uncle Xu’s booming voice preceded him.As he entered the room, his eyes widening and a greedy swallow catching in his throat at the sight of the crimson fish soup. He'd just returned from a trip to another province and had seen people enjoying this very dish!
Third Uncle Xu wasted no time. He deftly picked up a slice of beef with his chopsticks, dipping it into the simmering broth. After about a minute, he retrieved it, dunked it in Xu Ying's expertly prepared dipping sauce, and, under the curious gaze of everyone, offered it to his mother. "Mom, try it. This is called hot pot. I saw people eating it when I was away in another county ." He then turned to the milder chicken soup. "I've had a toothache the past few days, so I'll stick to this. Once my tooth feels better, I'll join you with the spicy one."
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