Free Web NovelChapter 1154: Chapter 467: Sweet Potato Balls Are Delicious, But Beware of Burning Your Mouth! Stuffed Carp with Hidden Depths! [Monthly Ticket Requested]
Lin Xu lifted the carp out of the pond.
As winter approaches, the carp have stored enough fat to get through the season, so the fish are quite plump and firm now.
Once the carp is scooped out, remove the scales and make an incision from the back.
First, remove the internal organs, then sever the backbone at both the head and tail. Next, use the tip of the knife to remove the spine from the carp, and take out the rib bones.
With that, the fish is now boneless and spine-free except for the head and tail.
Once this is done, begin preparing the fish head.
When slicing the back, it’s crucial not to cut into the head; otherwise, the stuffed meat might fall out.
Use a knife to cut along the pectoral fins forward, removing the gills and teeth, and the fish is properly prepped.
Place the fish into a basin, sprinkle with Sichuan peppercorns, add some chopped scallion and ginger, then drizzle with light soy sauce and rice wine, evenly coating inside and out.
He’s planning to braise the fish later, so marinating it now helps enhance the flavor and reduce fishiness, making it taste even better.
With the fish marinated, the sweet potatoes in the steamer are also cooked through.
Just as Lin Xu took the steam tray out of the steamer, Shen Jiayue and Chen Meijuan returned with Dundun.
"Wow, such a rich sweet potato aroma, are you steaming sweet potatoes to eat, Xu Bao?"
Chen Meijuan changed into slippers, glanced towards the kitchen, and said with a smile:
"After eating glass noodles meatballs, you must be craving sweet potato balls again, right, kid?"
"I am a bit craving, just happened to have sweet potatoes at home, so I steamed some and plan to fry them later... Mom, do you want to give me some pointers?"
"I wouldn’t dare to give pointers to an expert like you."
Though teasing her son, Chen Meijuan washed her hands earnestly and joined Lin Xu in the kitchen, peeling the sweet potato skin together.
Peel the steamed sweet potatoes and put them into a basin, using a rolling pin to mash them into a paste.
Add some soaked sweet potato starch to increase stickiness, so they won’t fall apart when deep-fried.
Besides sweet potato starch, other starches or glutinous rice flour can be used to increase stickiness, but in moderation; too much will compromise the melt-in-the-mouth texture of sweet potato balls.
Shen Jiayue came in, curiously looking at the mashed sweet potatoes in the basin and asked:
"Can this sweet potato paste be eaten directly?"
Chen Meijuan said:
"Yes, it can be made into stir-fried sweet potato paste, similar to Sanbuzhan, with a rich sweet potato flavor and a delightful sweet taste... Would you like some, Yueyue?"
Shen Jiayue nodded heavily.
Just hearing it sounds delicious, like Sanbuzhan.
Occupied with stirring the sweet potato paste in the basin, Lin Xu said to the girl:
"I’ll make some for you next time. This batch has sweet potato starch, not suitable for stir-frying. Next time, I’ll use some smoked sweet potatoes to make it for you; it’ll be great."
Mix the sweet potato with starch thoroughly and set aside to relax.
Then take the washed eggplant, first remove the stem, then cut the eggplant into continuous slices.
Continuous cutting involves slicing the eggplant until three-quarters deep, then lifting the knife, and after seven or eight millimeters, slicing another piece, cutting all the way through.
This results in an eggplant with connected slices.
Place meat stuffing in between, coat with batter, fry in an oil pan, and crispy, delicious eggplant fritters are ready, also known as eggplant boxes in some places.
This delicacy can be eaten directly or put in a pot, cooked with sauce like braised eggplant, making it savory and palatable.
As he sliced, Chen Meijuan put some flour in a plate and applied it to each eggplant slice.
Shen Jiayue watched in surprise:
"Mom, why do we use flour?"
"To make the stuffing adhere more securely, preventing it from escaping while frying. My first attempt resulted in eggplant slices and meatballs separately. Even with batter protection, the stuffing escaped, and asking neighbors revealed the trick of applying it inside."
"This feels very similar to lotus root fritters."
Lin Xu replied:
"Made in the same manner, it’s not too difficult."
Once the eggplant is sliced, Chen Meijuan finishes applying flour and begins filling the eggplant with stuffing.
"I’ve got it; you focus on making the batter, son... Is there more meat stuffing left? Are you planning to make something else?"
"I intend to stuff the leftover meat into the fish belly; the carp has just had its bones and spines removed. Later, I’ll make a unique braised fish to try."
Watching closely, Shen Jiayue glanced at the basin with marinated carp, looking shocked and amazed.
All the bones are removed? So can we eat it happily later?
Judging by her expression, Lin Xu knew what she was thinking:
"The large bones are removed, but there are still intramuscular bones, the Y-shaped ones. Be cautious while eating, as most throat-sticking incidents involve these Y-shaped bones; the straight ones and rib bones are less risky."
"Oh... I’ll be careful."
Can’t eat fish carefree, such a pity.
Shen Jiayue pouted, feeling a bit less joy about today’s meal.
Lin Xu said:
"When I’m free, I’ll make a bone-free fish for you, taking fish meat out, keeping fish head, tail, and skin, and stuffing meat back in, recreating a complete fish; the taste should be nice."
"Can it be done this way?"
