20demayo Chapter 147 Making Pig Skin Aspic
Chapter 147 Making Pig Skin Aspic
Zhao Shouyi, as the emperor, possessed supreme power and a noble status, but he was once just an ordinary cook. Although his status is different now, his love and dedication to cooking are still deeply imprinted in his heart.
It was the dead of winter, and the weather was unusually cold. Zhao Shouyi suddenly had a whimsical idea: he wanted to cook a unique and delicious dish for his beloved empress. So, just as dawn was breaking, he excitedly took his young son to the bustling market.
The market was bustling with activity, teeming with people and filled with a dazzling array of stalls. Zhao Shouyi led the young prince through the crowd, carefully selecting the necessary ingredients. In no time, they had purchased a large basket full of fresh pig skin. Next, the father and son went to a spice shop and carefully selected some high-quality braising spices. With that, all the ingredients needed to make the pig skin jelly were finally ready.
Just as the two were happily preparing to head home, they suddenly spotted a roadside stall selling candied hawthorns. The strings of glistening, tempting candied hawthorns instantly caught Zhao Shouyi's eye. He stopped, smiled, bent down, and softly asked the little prince beside him, "My darling, look how beautiful these candied hawthorns are! Tell Daddy, which flavor do you want? Daddy will buy you some!"
The little prince blinked his bright, lively eyes, thought for a moment, and then answered in his childish voice, "I want fruit-flavored candied hawthorns because they're sweet and delicious, and they look really pretty!" Hearing his son's innocent words, Zhao Shouyi laughed heartily and readily bought two skewers of fruit-flavored candied hawthorns from the vendor, handing them to the little prince. Finally, the father and son held hands and happily returned to the palace.
As the bitterly cold winter arrived, the entire Xinghua Village seemed frozen in the frigid air. Most villagers chose to huddle at home to escape the biting wind. Some sat around a warm stove, leisurely cracking open fragrant melon seeds; others hugged cups full of hot water tightly, trying to draw some warmth from them; still others simply hid under thick quilts, not even showing their heads, as if trying to completely isolate themselves from the cold outside.
On this freezing midday, a heated argument erupted from inside the Su family's house. It turned out that the Su couple were arguing over what to have for lunch.
Old Su frowned and said impatiently, "Why would we eat aspic on such a cold day? That stuff is freezing cold, it'll only make you colder!"
The woman standing nearby quickly and patiently explained, "Husband, can't you be reasonable? I went to the market specifically to buy all the pigskin. We can't just leave it unused, can we? What else can we do with it but make it into aspic?"
However, Old Su remained unmoved and stubbornly shouted, "I don't care about any of that! I just want to eat dumplings! Steaming hot dumplings, a bite fills your mouth with fragrance, and after eating them you feel warm all over. Then, a bowl of hot dumpling soup, oh my god, that's what happiness is!"
Upon hearing this, the woman's temper flared up, and she retorted irritably, "Fine! Since we disagree, let's each cook our own meals! Whoever cooks can eat, and no one should bother anyone else!" With that, she turned and stormed into the kitchen to prepare her ingredients.
"No way! You're my wife! You have to cook for me!" Old Su retorted loudly, his face flushed red with anger, his eyes wide, and his cheeks puffed out like a frog's. Actually, Old Su rarely cooked for himself. He didn't even know how to mix simple dumpling filling, let alone stir-fry or cook. That's why he so confidently demanded that his wife cook for him.
The woman, seeing Old Su's expression, was both amused and annoyed. She couldn't help but roll her eyes at him and said irritably, "Fine, fine, whatever you say, we'll make dumplings for lunch today! But tonight, when I'm not busy, I'll make you some delicious pork skin jelly to try." Hearing this, Old Su's tense face instantly relaxed, revealing a satisfied smile. He nodded repeatedly and replied, "Okay, okay, it's settled then!"
Meanwhile, in the backyard of the Ni Chang Pavilion, Ye Beichen and Su Yuning finally met. At this moment, Su Yuning was wearing a floral apron and sitting on a stool in front of the cutting board, skillfully wrapping dumplings. Without saying a word, Ye Beichen walked over and sat down next to her, picked up a rolling pin, and began to help her roll out the dumpling wrappers.
"Yu Ning, I'm so sorry. It was all my fault before. I shouldn't have misunderstood you like that. Please forgive me." Ye Beichen apologized to Su Yu Ning with deep remorse as he rolled out dumpling wrappers. He lowered his head slightly, not daring to look Su Yu Ning in the eye, and his hands fidgeted nervously with the rolling pin.
Upon hearing this, Su Yuning stopped making dumplings, looked up at Ye Beichen, a gentle smile blooming on her face, and waved her hand lightly, saying, "Oh, it's alright, let bygones be bygones. But... how do you know the truth?" She then stared curiously at Ye Beichen with her large, bright eyes, awaiting his answer.
Ye Beichen raised his head, met Su Yuning's gaze, and answered earnestly, "It was my second sister-in-law who told me. That day she explained everything to me in detail, and I realized that I had wronged you, so I rushed over to apologize to you."
"I told you, now that I'm with you, I'll treat you with all my heart," Su Yuning replied with a smile, making sure to finish wrapping the dumplings in her hands. The young couple then exchanged a smile, their affection growing stronger.
In the magnificent and resplendent imperial kitchen, numerous chefs were busily preparing delicious dishes for the royal family. Just then, Emperor Zhao Shouyi entered, carrying a basket of fresh pigskin. Upon seeing him, the chefs immediately rushed forward. One of them respectfully said, "Your Majesty, let me help you process these pigskins and make them into a delicious dish." However, Zhao Shouyi smiled and waved his hand, declining the offer: "No need for that. Today I wish to make pigskin jelly myself. You may all return to your duties."
The chef was somewhat surprised upon hearing this, but he quickly nodded and replied, "In that case, Your Majesty must be careful not to hurt yourself." After saying this, he turned around and went back to the stove to continue his work, making all kinds of crispy and delicious fried foods.
Zhao Shouyi skillfully placed the pig skin into a pot filled with cold water and added a suitable amount of cooking wine to remove any unpleasant odor. After boiling for a short while, he quickly scooped out the pig skin and carefully rinsed it with warm water to remove any remaining impurities. Next, he picked up a sharp cleaver or a small spoon and meticulously scraped away the fat from the pig skin bit by bit, ensuring that every part was thoroughly cleaned. After completing this step, he cut the pig skin into even small cubes, sprinkled in a little salt and white vinegar, and then rinsed it repeatedly with lukewarm water. Only when the water was clear and transparent after the final rinse was he considered to have completed the task and could proceed to the next step.
Zhao Shouyi gently wiped the water droplets from his hands, walked to the stove, and steadily placed the iron pot over the fire. Once the bottom of the pot was slightly heated, he added diced pork skin, three times the amount of water, and carefully prepared spices such as scallions, ginger, and star anise. He then added a pinch of salt for seasoning and finally poured in a suitable amount of fragrant soy sauce for color and flavor. After everything was ready, he covered the pot and slowly simmered it over low heat. About half an hour later, a rich aroma wafted from the pot; the pork skin had become tender and flavorful, and the broth had thickened. At this point, Zhao Shouyi nodded in satisfaction, turned off the fire, and ladled the cooked pork skin and broth aside to cool naturally.
After the pork skin jelly had completely cooled and solidified into a gel-like state, Zhao Shouyi gently poured it into an exquisite porcelain basin. Then, he gazed quietly at the basin of crystal-clear, jade-like pork skin jelly, a satisfied smile on his face.
"Your Majesty, when will we finally be able to enjoy this delicious pork skin jelly?" The young chef standing to the side asked the emperor with wide, round eyes and a face full of curiosity.
Zhao Shouyi replied with a smile, "Don't rush, don't rush. Let it sit overnight before taking it out, cut it into thick slices, and then dip it in the fragrant and spicy garlic paste. Only in this way can you fully enjoy its flavor."
Hearing this, the greedy young chef couldn't help but ask with a smile, "Your Majesty, when we enjoy this tomorrow, will I be fortunate enough to taste some of this tempting aspic?"
Zhao Shouyi readily nodded and replied, "Haha, of course. I'll definitely save a portion for you tomorrow so you can also taste this delicacy."
"Thank you for your great favor, Your Majesty!" Upon hearing this, the young chef was overjoyed and quickly bowed repeatedly to express his gratitude, his face beaming with undisguised excitement.
As night fell and the lanterns were lit, the palace was brightly illuminated. The Emperor, Empress, and the adorable young prince sat around the dining table for their meal. The table was laden with a dazzling array of dishes, making one's mouth water. Besides fragrant white rice, there was golden, crispy fried fish, tender on the inside and golden on the outside; fragrant fried lotus root slices, crispy and delicious; tempting fried eggplant slices, soft and chewy; tender and juicy fried mushrooms, leaving a lingering aftertaste; tender fried chicken strips; and fragrant fried peanuts. In addition, there were several refreshing vegetarian dishes, such as stir-fried potato shreds, each strand distinct and crisp; stir-fried bok choy, vibrant green and nutritious; stir-fried broccoli, bright green and healthy; and stir-fried bean sprouts, crisp and refreshing, with a unique flavor.
"Empress, come and try this fried fish. I guarantee it will be absolutely delicious!" The Emperor, with a broad smile, picked up a piece of fragrant, golden-brown fried ribbonfish and gently placed it into the Empress's bowl.
However, the Queen merely glanced at the fried fish in the bowl, then without hesitation placed it back into the Emperor's bowl, saying somewhat impatiently, "I have no appetite for such greasy food. Nowadays, I prefer light and delicious dishes." With that, she frowned slightly, seemingly showing no interest in the fried fish.
Just then, the little prince, blinking his big, round eyes, stared at the plate of golden-fried ribbonfish and muttered, "Wow, this ribbonfish looks so tempting! It must taste delicious. I really want to try fried fish." As he spoke, he reached out his little hand to grab the ribbonfish from the plate.
"No! You absolutely cannot eat it!" The Emperor and Empress spoke up almost simultaneously, their tone unusually firm.
Hearing his parents' firm refusal, the little prince deflated like a punctured balloon. His lips trembled, his eyes reddened, and tears welled up. Then, he burst into tears, sobbing and crying out in distress, "Waaah...you all bully me! You won't even give me this delicious fried fish! You don't love me at all, sob sob~"
Seeing the little prince crying so sadly, the Empress immediately took him into her arms with heartache and gently comforted him, "My little darling, it's not that your father and mother are deliberately preventing you from eating this fried fish. Look, although this ribbonfish looks delicious, it has so many bones. It would be very dangerous if you accidentally swallowed one. Our little darling is still too young. When you grow up a bit and can handle these fish bones yourself, your father and mother will definitely let you enjoy all kinds of delicious food, okay?"
Just then, the Empress Dowager walked steadily towards them. Her face was stern, her expression unusually serious, and she harshly criticized, "How can you two, as adults, be so lazy! My dear grandson wants to eat fish, so let him eat it! What's wrong with you helping to pick out the bones? This shirking of responsibility is utterly speechless!"