Traveling back to 1977

Chapter 74 If there aren't enough dishes, make up for it with rice
Zhang Wenliang and Captain Yang didn't go inside; they simply moved their chairs outside to bask in the sun, sitting and smoking while watching Chen Fan work.

After gutting and cleaning the organs, Jiang Lili brought out large bowls and basins from the kitchen, while Chen Fan categorized the different parts and placed them into bowls.

The two large square tables that were moved out of the house were soon filled with bowls and plates of all sizes.

Captain Yang clicked his tongue, still criticizing, "With Xiao Chen's skills, he's no match for a master craftsman."

Accountant Liu nodded in deep agreement, “If you’re too meticulous, you won’t be fast enough.”

The custodian, Huang, also said, "Liu Jujiang can prepare six or seven tables of dishes in just over an hour from preparation to serving. With his method, he can probably only prepare one table."

Zhang Wenliang offered a different opinion, "But it's delicious."

The three people beside him were stunned for a moment, then nodded vigorously in unison, "That's true!"

With Jiang Lili's help, Chen Fan quickly prepared the side dishes.

However, another problem arose: there weren't enough pots.

I don't know what the first batch of educated youth were thinking. There was only one stove in the kitchen, and when there were many people, they couldn't do anything except cook rice.

Now Chen Fan is going to cook, and he can do all kinds of dishes, including braising, stir-frying, stewing, frying, and boiling, all with just one pot?

There was a pot for cooking pig feed in the back, but that was in the back; he couldn't possibly run back and forth between the two places.

I definitely want to renovate this kitchen when I have the chance.

From now on, I'll be the head of the household here, so how can I not have a decent kitchen?
Chen Fan shook his head, deciding not to think about things that were too far away for now; dealing with the immediate problem was more important.

Fortunately, there weren't enough pots, but there were plenty of bowls and plates, and even several clay pots of various sizes.

After a little thought, Chen Fan knew what to do.

First, prepare all the vegetables that need to be steamed, put them in the steamer basket, and then take them to the back to steam.

The other dishes were prepared in the kitchen.

In addition, he also put up a few bricks at the kitchen doorway.

The four people watching the play were discussing it the whole time.

"There are four ways to cut a single white radish?"

"Diced radish, diced cabbage, diced cured meat, chopped garlic sprouts, chopped ginger, and rice mixed together? What kind of cooking is this?"

"Ah, I know that, steamed rice with salted fish. And you add shredded ginger, garlic sprouts, and chopped chili peppers?"

"Huh? What are you doing bringing these mud bricks over here?"

The group exchanged bewildered glances. Captain Yang clicked his tongue, "Could this be a last-minute attempt to salvage the situation?"

Zhang Wenliang looked up and laughed from ear to ear, "Hahaha, this meal is interesting, so interesting!"

The custodian, Mr. Huang, said with a smile, "It's all because you came suddenly without any preparation. If you had told him half a day in advance, he wouldn't have had to go fishing at the last minute and set up a stove on the spot. At least the fish and the stove would have been ready."

Zhang Wenliang was still laughing, "That's what makes it interesting."

He then turned to the three of them and smiled, “This is just like when our militia goes on field training exercises. We fish, build stoves, and cook on the spot. That’s how we make the food more interesting.”

Captain Yang pointed at him and said with a laugh, "You're just being sarcastic."

Zhang Wenliang was still trying to justify himself, "I'm not trying to be mean, it's just that I can't really help him. How about I make him some fish soup, so you can at least have some rice with it?"

The three of them waved their hands together, their disdain evident.

Aside from those who specialize in cooking, how many men in this entire brigade can actually cook? And even if they could, Zhang Wenliang certainly wasn't one of them!
While they were talking, Chen Fan didn't stop working.

After the small stove was built, he put a clay pot on it, lit it, and stuffed it into the stove.

Only then did he exhale a long breath, raise his hands with a serious expression, and say, "Start the fire, start the stove!" Jiang Lili pursed her lips, trying her best to suppress her laughter, and lowered her head to go into the kitchen.

Then came the sound of the spatula hitting the iron pot.

The lid of the earthenware jar next to it was lifted, and a small steamer was placed on it. Each time a dish was cooked, it was put into the steamer, and the hot water in the earthenware jar would keep the dish warm.

Before we knew it, it was around four o'clock in the afternoon. Chen Fan called out, "Time to get ready for dinner!"

Counting from the courtyard wall toward the kitchen, Chen Fan is currently living in room number 1, Jiang Lili is living in room number 3, and the other two rooms are empty, so the dining table is set up in room number 2.

Accountant Liu and custodian Huang carried the square table inside, and Jiang Lili quickly set out the bowls and chopsticks before starting to serve the dishes.

Before long, a table full of dishes was placed in front of everyone.

Chen Fan introduced with a smile, "Fish head soup, braised fish pieces, stir-fried fish slices, steamed fish slices, fish in a casserole, and this one, I don't know if you've ever had it, is pickled cabbage fish."

Thankfully, the fish was big enough, and we added a lot of side dishes, otherwise we wouldn't have been able to make so many dishes.

Zhang Wenliang looked at the dish. Underneath a layer of fish slices were many diced pickled vegetables, and the fish was sprinkled with dried chili peppers and chopped green onions. Then, a layer of hot oil was poured over it, making it look so delicious that it made his mouth water.

He looked up at Chen Fan. "You brought kimchi just to make this?"

Chen Fan nodded with a smile, "Yes, there's also food."

rice?
The four of them became much more interested. Could kimchi be used in cooking?
Although Jiangnan doesn't have the same kind of sauerkraut as Northeast China, it does have its own kind of pickled vegetables. These pickled vegetables are also sour. You just need to prepare some sour brine in a small jar, put the cleaned vegetables in, and they'll be ready to eat in three to five days.

It usually contains chili peppers, white radishes, carrots, and cowpeas. Some also use pickled cabbage and bok choy, but only a few leaves are added at a time, which is completely different from the jars of pickled cabbage from Northeast China.

Since there was no sauerkraut, Chen Fan used kimchi to make sauerkraut fish, which also had a unique flavor.

Looking at the sauerkraut fish, the group couldn't help but feel their mouths water, but before they could even say "let's eat," no one touched their chopsticks.

Besides several fish dishes, there were also local common dishes such as stir-fried garlic sprouts with cured pork, stir-fried pork skin with cabbage, stir-fried pork cracklings with red cabbage, and hand-shredded cured fish. In total, there were eight dishes and a soup, as well as three casserole dishes on the table next to it.

Chen Fan walked over and lifted the lid, and a rich aroma rose up, quickly filling the entire room.

A simplified version of Yangzhou fried rice, a pot of braised rice with preserved fish, and a pot of mixed braised rice.

Chen Fan pointed to the three pots of rice and laughed, "There are diced kimchi in all of these. If there aren't enough vegetables, we can only make up for it with rice."

Zhang Wenliang shook his head and sighed, "You call this not enough food? Even a rich man's daughter's wedding isn't as lavish as this. And your meal isn't simple either; it's clearly something only a wealthy family would eat. We're no match for you; all we know is sweet potato rice."

Chen Fan chuckled. Actually, the dishes on this table used mostly fish. As for the others, he only cut off a small piece of cured pork and a small piece of cured fish. The rest were all vegetables. He did use three or four ounces of rapeseed oil, so the total cost was indeed not much.

But with 8 dishes, 1 soup, and 3 pots of rice, it looks quite sumptuous.

Zhang Wenliang suddenly looked up. "Hey, where's Xiao Jiang? Call her over to eat with us too."

Although everyone tacitly kept their distance from her, she had been busy all day, so they couldn't just not invite her to eat, that would be disgraceful.

Chen Fan chuckled and said, "It would be awkward for her, a girl, to sit at the same table with a bunch of us guys, so I prepared a separate meal for her so she can eat by herself."

Captain Yang looked at him and asked seriously, "Are you really prepared?"

Chen Fan laughed and said, "How could this be fake? Why don't you go and get it checked?"

Hearing this, Captain Yang said no more.

Chen Fan then took his seat, and after some polite exchanges, they began toasting each other.

On the other side, Jiang Lili was sitting in the kitchen, holding a large bowl of Yangzhou fried rice in her hand, with three dishes and a soup in front of her.

A bowl of pickled fish, a bowl of braised fish, a bowl of stir-fried red mustard greens with cured pork, and finally a large bowl of fish head soup. She could see clearly that Chen Fan had prepared these dishes separately for her while cooking, rather than separating them from the bowl.

She smiled with every bite she took, her lips constantly curving upwards, unable to stop laughing.

(End of this chapter)