Free Web NovelChapter 1136: Chapter 461: Sturdy as a Stone Lion, Gentle Shake to Shed Water—How Many of These Meatballs Could You Eat?
Not long after, the special effects of the Carnival floated through the livestream, and surprisingly, the one who gifted it was Gao Xiaoshuai, who hadn’t sent a message in a long time.
Along with the Carnival, there was a bold and enlarged message:
"Apprentice, teach those Huaiyang chefs who can’t cook Huaiyang dishes well, so they don’t completely ruin the little goodwill that’s left for the literary cuisine."
In the past, there were many scholars in the Huaiyang region, and the local salt merchants, in their pursuit of enjoyment, as well as to squeeze into the circle of scholars and elevate their social status, desperately played tricks with the dishes.
Using ordinary ingredients to create extraordinary flavors, making the appearance and taste of the dishes reach perfection, over time, formed a light but not bland, elegant yet delicious literary cuisine - Huaiyang cuisine.
During the Qing Dynasty, when Qianlong went to Jiangnan, he was full of praise for Huaiyang cuisine, so much so that after returning to Beijing, he couldn’t forget it, and he invited a batch of Huaiyang chefs into the Imperial Kitchen.
From then on, Huaiyang cuisine entered the halls, transforming from a literary cuisine to a palace cuisine.
At the beginning of the founding of the country, Huaiyang cuisine’s fame was undiminished. Not only did it hold the glory of the "First Banquet of the Founding," but even the annual State Banquet was improved based on Huaiyang cuisine.
However, since the 1980s, the chefs of the Fishing Platform gradually abandoned Huaiyang cuisine, instead, they drew from the strengths of various styles, forming a unique style of State Banquet.
According to different locations, the State Banquet was divided into Tai dishes and Hall dishes.
The so-called Tai dishes refer to the Fishing Platform style, while the Hall in Hall dishes refers to the Great Hall.
Huaiyang cuisine in the Yanjing Region lost the glamour of the State Banquet, and in regions where Huaiyang cuisine originated, like Huai’an and Yangzhou, new local cuisines like Su cuisine, Jinling cuisine, and Benbang cuisine emerged due to local economic reasons.
Broadly speaking, Huaiyang cuisine refers to the collective term for the cuisine of the entire Yangtze River Delta region.
However, due to the fragmented nature of Jiangsu, other cities have launched their local cuisines, so the fame of Huaiyang cuisine has naturally decreased a lot.
Without the support of the State Banquet, with local cuisines crowding it out, and with young people not particularly fond of the fresh and elegant Huaiyang cuisine, preferring the spicy, strong flavors of hot pot, barbecue, and various Sichuan and Xiang dishes, the decline of Huaiyang cuisine was accelerated.
The little goodwill that was left, as mentioned by Grandpa Gao, is actually the past glory of Huaiyang cuisine.
Now, many of the old Huaiyang restaurants have either transitioned into high-end dining places out of reach for ordinary people, or their skills have declined, relying purely on past fame to attract tourists.
The tourists who go to eat mostly come with excitement and leave disappointed.
In short, the deliciousness of Huaiyang cuisine gradually only exists in books, films, and other documentaries; in reality, it’s hard to find a good Huaiyang restaurant.
This sense of disconnection is also the main reason why Huaiyang cuisine is met with mixed reviews.
Gao Daya’s words left Qiu Zhenhua filled with emotion. Huaiyang cuisine, which nourished the entire Yangtze River Delta cuisine, itself is gradually declining.
At such times, the Huaiyang chefs are not making an effort and still perfunctorily serve meatballs to customers.
It’s really quite infuriating, especially since this is an old Beijing establishment, and it seems it’s time for uncle to give it a shake-up. Otherwise, the reputation of Huaiyang cuisine will indeed be completely ruined.
While he was worried, the netizens were having a laugh:
"Haha, finally admitting your identity."
"Who would’ve thought, the old man who used to be like the Sweeping Monk, actually plays around so much in private."
"Quickly ran to Gao Xiaoshuai’s livestream and gifted a few small red flowers to show we’re die-hard fans of Gao Daya."
"When will Gao Daya resume broadcasting? We’re still waiting for you to make an appearance!"
"After all these days, the cover is finally blown. Really want to ask Gao Daya how it feels to be exposed."
"..."
At the workbench, Lin Xu didn’t pay attention to any of this; he continued pounding the diced meat in the bowl.
Finally, when the diced meat became sticky like glue, Lin Xu smeared the meat from his hands back into the bowl and then took a clean tray, brushing it with some lard, preparing to make the Meatballs.
Lard is the flavor secret of Huaiyang cuisine, similar to how sesame oil is for Shandong cuisine, red oil for Sichuan cuisine, and soy sauce for Guangdong cuisine.
After brushing the oil, Lin Xu mixed some wet starch to prepare for wrapping the Meatballs.
This "wrapping" doesn’t mean tying with a rope, but a cooking technique to make scattered granular ingredients clump together.
The specific method is to cover both hands with wet starch, grab a portion of meat slightly larger than a fist, form it into a ball shape in your hands, then toss it back and forth between your hands.
During the tossing, the gaps between the pieces of meat are compressed, which makes the Meatballs clump together from their initially loose form, as if they are invisibly tied together, hence the term "wrapping."
Not only are Meatballs suitable for wrapping; even when making ordinary meatballs or vegetable balls, tossing the balls a few times before frying will elevate their texture.
Because during the tossing, the meat inside will gradually arrange from chaotic to orderly, and naturally, the texture will improve.
As for using wet starch, it is to prevent the meat from sticking to the hands and also to help the Meatballs hold their shape.
The starch coating on the surface of the Meatballs effectively prevents them from falling apart while cooking, without affecting their tender texture.
If starch is added before pounding, the resulting Meatballs will lack a certain texture.
Lin Xu waited for the Meatballs in his hands to become round and no longer feel loose, then placed them on the tray, continuing with the next one.
After making each of the Meatballs, Lin Xu carried the tray and placed it into the refrigerator’s chilling compartment nearby.
