Free Web NovelChapter 578: Chapter 499: One Rotten Apple Spoils the Whole Barrel (Part 2)
The children listened attentively.
Undeniably, Huang Jun’s words were like a key, unlocking their curiosity about the world of cooking, inspiring them with anticipation for each step and sparking a desire to start experimenting on their own.
Huang Jun continues to move among the children, personally correcting and demonstrating techniques for making stuffing, sharing the joy of creation with them.
As the meat filling absorbed the water, becoming translucent, he carefully assisted the kids in mixing batches of fragrant oil into the meat filling, ensuring that each morsel was evenly coated to lock in the delicious flavors and juices.
When the meat filling displayed an enticing gloss and texture, Huang Jun guided the children to the next task—adding chopped scallions and vermicelli.
He gently reminded them, "The scallions are best mixed in fresh right before wrapping. That way, their aroma and crispness are preserved. If you mix them too early, they’ll release water, making the stuffing’s texture far less appealing."
Once all the kids were done, Huang Jun smiled as he moved to the next teaching segment: "Now, let’s tackle the third step, which is preparing the secret ingredient that makes the thin crisp both crunchy and aromatic—batter water."
With that, he picked up a spoon from the table and said, "Now, remember this golden ratio—it’s crucial. One spoonful of flour, followed immediately by two spoonfuls of water. We’ll stir slowly until the batter becomes smooth, with no lumps. Then, continue adding water, three spoonfuls, four spoonfuls... until you reach eight spoonfuls."
"Kids must remember this ratio. Using the same spoon, one spoon of flour to eight spoons of water. Only then will the batter water make the thin crisp clear, light, and crunchy. If the batter is too thick, the crisp will look like a little fatty, not very pretty; too thin and it won’t hold its shape. So, we need to master the ratio to create perfect crisps."
"Hmm!"
The children nodded in understanding.
Huang Jun continued, "Now the dough has risen, and we move to step four: wrapping the risen dough. Let’s take it out, knead it to release air, roll it into strips, and divide it into evenly sized pieces. If you’re unsure, use an electronic scale to weigh them. Each piece should weigh about 25-30 grams!"
As soon as he finished speaking.
The children eagerly plunged into the task with gusto, giving their all in the air-releasing exercise, carefully rolling the dough into strips, and cautiously cutting it into individual pieces.
But...
The beginners’ handiwork inevitably looked inexperienced, with pieces varying in size, arranged rather clumsily.
Unperturbed, the children quickly recalled Huang Jun’s advice, turning to the electronic scale, hoping to use technology to standardize the weights of these "little fellows."
Yet, faced with fluctuating figures on the scale, their brows furrowed, feeling somewhat at a loss...
Why didn’t they learn about this beforehand, and no one had taught them how to deal with it...
"No worries, kids, face issues courageously."
Huang Jun patiently guided with a smile, "If the pieces are too heavy, gently pinch off some dough; if too light, add a little more dough, then re-knead them to make their sizes uniform."
Upon hearing this, the children instantly understood, and proceeded to adjust the weight of each piece per Huang Jun’s instructions. Before long, the pieces, initially uneven, became comparatively more consistent and pleasing to the eye.
"Wow, you all did a great job!"
Huang Jun nodded in satisfaction, then led everyone to the next step, "Now, pick up a piece, press it flat with your palm, then rotate and flatten it into a circle. Scoop a spoonful of the meat filling onto the center, and like when making dumplings, pinch the edges to ensure the filling doesn’t leak. This forms a fried bun. Next, let’s repeat this process to turn all the pieces into tasty fried buns!"
All the children eagerly rolled up their sleeves, brimming with a confident smile:
"Dumpling-making is my specialty; I always help my mom a lot!"
"Me too, my grandma always praises my dumpling skills!"
"Who doesn’t know how to make dumplings? I’m excellent at it! And mine look super beautiful..."
"..."
In a flash, the older group of children were all standing tall, proudly declaring that making dumplings was a piece of cake for them.
Even the younger children, normally slightly immature, were not to be outdone, rushing to proclaim their proficiency in dumpling-making.
Witnessing this scene, Huang Jun listened to their innocent, boastful words, feeling the "fried bun-making" task was not much of a problem.
We’re all set!
Still...
But as he observed the children’s creations, the smile on his face gradually faded, replaced by a complex emotion.
Where were the promised "dumpling masters"?
This is it?
He momentarily realized his trust was misplaced.
Before him, the fried buns were utterly diverse, offering a humorous spectacle.
Some stretched into elongated shapes, some flattened into squares, others were rounded without rhyme or reason, and there were even those with such peculiar shapes, words simply couldn’t describe them.
