Free Web NovelChapter 558: Chapter 492: Isn’t This Clearly Adding Competitors for Myself? (Part 3)
"Daddy, the bean sprouts are picked!"
Weiwei held the freshly picked bean sprouts in her hands, her little face beaming with a "Praise me, please" expression.
"Great job!"
Huang Jun gave a thumbs up, offering the children his sincerest praise.
Then he gently said, "You guys go play outside first, when it’s ready, I’ll call you..."
"Okay okay~"
The two little ones nodded obediently and ran out of the kitchen with their little legs.
Huang Jun smiled, quietly withdrawing his gaze, and began to wash all the ingredients needed for the Zhajiangmian, placing them neatly on the cutting board.
"Chop chop chop..."
The radish, under his exquisite knife skills, gradually turned into fine, even strips, stacked layer by layer on the cutting board, resembling a delicate golden pagoda. Each strip sparkled with a crystalline sheen.
Next, the green garlic and ginger were not spared. With a gentle swipe of the knife, the green leaves instantly turned into fine bits, and the ginger was minced, its unique spicy aroma wafting through the entire kitchen.
The celery, too, was skillfully diced under his knife, with each piece full and satisfying.
The cucumber couldn’t escape either, and was expertly sliced into uniformly fine strips, lying quietly in the bowl alongside the radish strips and celery cubes.
"Chop chop chop~"
He took the pork shoulder, cutting it into segments about 6 centimeters long, then into one-centimeter-thick slices, meticulously dicing them into one-centimeter cubes.
After everything was ready...
He placed his homemade dried yellow paste in a large bowl, added some water, and gently stirred with a spoon until the paste gradually loosened and turned into a smooth sauce.
This step was crucial, as the dissolved yellow paste would cook more easily, blending seamlessly with the other ingredients and releasing a richer aroma.
If not dissolved first, the dried yellow paste would clump up when fried and not release its unique flavor effectively.
After dissolving the yellow paste, he poured a spoonful of salad oil into the pot. The oil spread out at the bottom, forming a thin protective layer, effectively preventing the ingredients from sticking during frying.
He added star anise to the cold oil and simmered it over low heat for 3 minutes, allowing the fragrance of the star anise to infuse the oil completely.
Once the star anise was done, he removed it to avoid affecting the taste.
Quickly, he slid the diced meat into the rolling hot oil in the pan.
Instantly.
The meat and hot oil embraced fervently, producing a continuous, enticing sizzling sound.
He gently stirred the meat with a spatula, ensuring even heating.
As cooking progressed, the meat slowly shrank in the pan, its surface developing a tempting golden crispy layer, while the inside remained tender and juicy.
Then, Huang Jun timely added the dissolved yellow paste, fresh ginger bits, and minced scallions.
As the sauce mixed with the meat, a rich aroma gradually filled the kitchen.
The spatula in his hand moved back and forth in the pot, preventing the sauce from burning and allowing the meat’s deliciousness to blend thoroughly with the sauce’s richness.
As time went on...
The sauce became glossy and inviting, its color deepening with a rich sheen, and the smell grew more aromatic and dense.
Finally.
It was time to serve.
Huang Jun, with a wide-hand gesture, sprinkled the remaining chopped scallions into the pot, adding the final green touch to this delicious dish.
With a few light stirs, a pot of perfectly colored, fragrant Zhajiang was ready.
He transferred it out and set it aside.
Next, he poured water into another pot, patiently waiting for the temperature to rise.
When the bubbling water came to a full boil, he tossed in mung bean sprouts, celery, and green beans together.
After blanching them, he fished out the vegetables one by one with a slotted spoon, placing them on a plate for later use.
He brought another pot of water to a boil, preparing to cook the noodles.
Then he took the rested dough from the basin, gently placing it on a cutting board dusted with cornstarch.
This layer of cornstarch acted like a fine protective layer, not seeping into the dough or affecting the taste, and easily falling away during rolling and cutting, keeping the noodle sheets fresh and non-sticky.
He picked up the rolling pin.
Gently pressing the rolling pin down, he gradually spread the dough outwards, turning it into a wide, thin sheet.
He slowly rolled up the dough from one end, pressing down as he went.
This process was repeated several times until the dough reached an even thickness he found satisfactory.
After flipping the dough, he continued rolling until it reached the ideal thickness of 2.5 millimeters.
Then.
He again used the rolling pin, skillfully rolling up the dough, and carefully folding it to a suitable width, making it easy for cutting and ensuring consistent, aesthetically pleasing noodle width.
Once folded, he picked up a sharp knife.
As the blade slid across the dough, it left behind neat cuts, each exactly four millimeters wide.
Spreading out the top two layers of cut noodles, he lifted and gently shook them, allowing the cornstarch to fall away, leaving only clean, jade-like, fresh noodles.
Meanwhile.
In another pot on the stove, the water was already boiling, and Huang Jun put the prepared noodles into the pot, gently stirring with chopsticks to prevent sticking.
