Datang First Chef

Sauerkraut has a long history in China. "Zhou Li" mentioned a kind of food called 菹. pickling method.

Most of the food that can be recorded in "Qi Min Yao Shu" is not very popular. In Chang'an City, few people pickle cabbage. In comparison, there are more people who use traditional winter storage method to preserve cabbage. Mo Wenyuan's pickled vegetables are just trying ,He has two ideas, one is to serve the delicious sauerkraut on the table, and the other is to prolong the storage time of wombat. For Tang people, dishes that can be stored for a long time are very valuable, especially wombat is cheap , every family can afford it, and it is also very good to be able to eat dishes with strong flavors that can be served with pancakes in the cold winter.

Zhong Heiyang was not very clear about his thoughts, he only knew that the sour smell made him want to turn his head and sneeze, but when he couldn't bear it physically, his saliva was not controlled by his body and kept pouring out.

Why does the sour taste make him greedy?

Seeing the black sheep secretly swallowing, Mo Wenyuan shook his head. He rolled up his sleeves and washed his hands, and fished out a watery cabbage plant from the vat.The cabbage leaves are still yellow, and the isolated air fermentation in the vat did not damage its color and appearance. Except that the leaves are soaked in water and the stalks are softened, the young cabbage from the same beginning is the same.

With a knife in his hand, he cut out a plate of cabbage. The light yellow cabbage leaves were broken from the white stalked lotus root. The latter was full of water and made a creaking sound when chewed.

"Have a taste?" He tempted the black sheep and asked.

Taotie is nothing like a sheep except for his appearance. He likes to eat delicious food, but he has a special liking for meat. Delicious vegetables are always available, but a meal without meat is like having never eaten. , Straight up.Therefore, Zhongheiyang actually doesn't like cabbage.

But since he smelled the sour taste, there was a clear line between womb cabbage and sauerkraut in his heart. The former tasted very bland, and he would never eat it unless Mo Wenyuan made soup with cabbage, while the latter, The taste is questionable, but worth a try.

He nodded firmly, with a serious expression, which is similar to Jing Ke who "the wind is rustling, the water is cold, and the strong man will never return".

"Creak", "creak", "creak", the cabbage was chewed with its stalks and leaves, the protruding sheep's mouth rotated clockwise, and the lips almost couldn't cover the snow-white front teeth.

The sauerkraut must be sour. After the first bite, the juice splashed from the white stalk, some fell on the surface of the teeth, and some fell on the tip of the tongue.The acid water went down the gap between the teeth and stayed on the surface of the gums. The red flesh shrank suddenly, and he finally saw what acidity is.

The sour taste didn't bother him.

There was a gurgling brook under his tongue, and the body fluid kept gushing out. After swallowing half a cabbage, he realized that he was even hungrier.

It didn't look like he had eaten a small half of Chinese cabbage, but it was clearly eating Jianwei Xiaoshi tablets, which whetted the already hungry Taotie's appetite.

"Is it delicious?"

"Baa baa baa baa baa baa baa!"

very delicious!

……

Sun Wukong arrived as promised, wearing a tiger skin skirt, very fashionable.He was originally an explosive character, but under the tempering of Master Iron Blood, his temper turned out to be much better. When the weather is good, he lays lazily on the rocks to bask in the sun, and he has the demeanor of a slow loris.Even when talking to Mo Wenyuan, he was not too hurried, even if he scratched his head, he was still a gentleman among monkeys.

The food for the New Year's Eve dinner was placed on the low table one by one. In addition, he also sent two cans of pickled cabbage and reeds. Not to mention the sauerkraut, the gourmet Taotie has already identified it, and the reeds are even more refreshing. Crispy and delicious, Li Sanniang and the others can eat two more bowls of rice with the sliced ​​reed.

The white radish used as raw material is the autumn radish planted in September. It is big and full of water. It is heavy in the hand. It is divided into two and cut from the middle. It is very solid. The radish meat is not fleshy or empty. Raw, only such a good radish can guarantee its taste to the greatest extent.

Mo Wenyuan sliced ​​a [-]-jin reed. The slices were not thick, and they were twisted and placed in the sun to allow light to pass through. The bright sunlight penetrated through the heart of the radish, and the striped texture could be seen, and the strands drilled vertically toward the center.Flakes are easier to taste than cut into strips, and can also ensure that the largest area is in contact with the water.

It stands to reason that pickling raw radishes with wild pepper water is the easiest way to taste. However, peppers were only introduced to China in the Ming Dynasty, and it is not known where they are now. Mo Wenyuan can only use local spices instead.

In the Tang Dynasty, there were also many spices in the local area. Among them, the most frequently used one was cornel, which means "there is one less person planting cornel all over the place".This plant has many other names, some are called "Aizi" and some are called "Yuejiao".The fruit of dogwood is called "cornus", which is a small red oval fruit. Mo Wenyuan smashed the thin skin with his teeth and licked the pulp. He found that the taste of cornus was sour and slightly pungent. Water can barely replace the wild pepper water.

Put dogwood water, granulated sugar and white vinegar in order in the clay pot, and finally put the tender and raw reeds into it, seal the lid with thick paper, and leave it for a few days to become a great delicacy.

Sun Wukong has never eaten this kind of food, but first there is Su Buddha jumping over the wall, and then there is a New Year's Eve banquet dish with full color and fragrance. He is full of expectations for the two cans of sealed starters. He took the dishes away and said "Farewell".

Mo Wenyuan watched him go away, and then stretched out his hand to touch his chin: "Sun Dasheng is very polite." However, in the stories of havoc in the Heavenly Palace that have been circulated among the people, he is not like this. The common saying is that monks rarely use the phrase "arrogant" Such connotations of praise and derogation describe him.

Zhong Heiyang laughed beside him, and he said, "With Master Sanzang as the master, even if you want to be arrogant, you can't be arrogant."

"Why?"

Have you never seen Master Sanzang's frankness in transforming demons, dancing his Zen stick with vigor, even more powerful than subduing magic pestles? I have seen him transforming wild boar demons. When I first saw him, I was moved by emotion and reasoned , Buddhist scriptures, all in the belly of the master.

Then?

It's a pity that the wild boar demon is a guy who doesn't know how to praise, his head is like a stubborn stone, smelly and hard, not only forcing the content of the scriptures out of his ears, but also clamoring to eat Master Sanzang.

Doesn't it poke a hornet's nest with a clamor?Even Sun Houzi couldn't allow the little-known monster to insult his master, and was about to attack the golden cudgel, but his golden cudgel was not as fast as Master Sanzang's Zen stick.

Mo Wenyuan: Huh?

Zhong Heiyang fell into the memory, and his words were exquisite, giving people a sense of being there: the Zen stick fell from a high place, and hit the monster's head with a speed that was as swift and violent as Mount Tai. The power of a thousand pounds, Sun Houzi saw it, and he would definitely think of Wuzhishan, which suppressed him for 500 years.

What happened to the wild boar demon?

The middle black sheep gloats: What else can I do, if I don’t want to give up my life to enter the Buddhist gate, I will be passively converted, and I will be killed by Master Sanzang once?

Mo Wenyuan suddenly felt a wave of respect for Tang Sanzang who only heard his name but didn't see him: Master Xuanzang is indeed the ruthless man among ruthless people!

……

Sun Wukong turned two somersaults and returned to his master and brothers. Tang Seng was a little displeased with his going to Chang'an to buy food. Caring too much about the quality of life and engaging in cross-regional purchasing?If Sun Wukong hadn't used Guanyin Bodhisattva as an excuse to say that he also ate the offering, Tang Seng would never have agreed.

But since he agreed, he would not say anything more. When Sun Wukong left, Monk Zhu Bajiesha was busy lighting a fire to boil water, using hot water for dry food, while Master Sanzang was sitting on a relatively flat stone with his eyes closed, meditating.

Zhu Bajie was looking forward to the food Sun Wukong brought back, so he threw himself beside him with a greedy smile and said, "Brother is back?"

"It's hard work to bring multiple plates of food? Why don't you let me collect it for you?"

Sun Wukong got along with him for a long time, but he didn't know that Zhu Bajie was delicious, so he said, "I'll keep it in my sleeve, so don't worry about it." He added, "Since it's the New Year's Eve banquet, we have to eat it on that day. What's the point of taking it out now? .”

Tang Sanzang opened his eyes and said approvingly, "That's very true." He is as elegant and handsome as in folklore, and has a perfectly shaped bald head. His aura is also very Buddha, and he can set off the stone slab as a lotus stand.

Sun Wukong said: "Mr. Mo Xiaolang also gave us two jars of small dishes, saying that they can be eaten with steamed cakes and clear porridge. Master, how do you think I open the jars?"

"What content?"

"The words are reed and womb."

"can."

The sealed jar was opened, and he took out a small bowl of juicy and sour radishes. The master and apprentice ate steamed cakes with hot water. Among them, Zhu Bajie was the best eater. He sandwiched a few slices of white radish with two large steamed cakes, Open the bloody mouth, crunch a few times, and half a pancake is gone.

The sweet and sour juice penetrated into the wheat noodles, the hard cake shell was softened by the water, and the crisp radish was divided into countless pieces by the teeth, lingering between the lips and teeth, so the bland dry food had a wonderful taste, even Tang Sanzang didn't know it Use a large pancake in between.

Pickled radish is really a good appetizer.

Master Sanzang stretched out his chopsticks to pick up the radish again, but the tip of the chopsticks touched the bottom of the empty bowl, and he was strangely silent.

Sun Wukong understood the master's heart better. He opened the jar and fished out a few pieces of reeds. Master Sanzang's eyes flickered, and there was a strong emotion in his chest: "Monks should not be distracted by foreign things."

"It's just reeds. It's not an expensive dish. How can it be called a foreign thing? Last night, I boiled a big pot of soup with reeds and salt."

This……

The balance in his heart was tilted, and Master Sanzang held out his chopsticks firmly, holding his face still.

One slice, another slice!

Buddha, why is reed so delicious!

Buddha: You ask me, who do I ask?

……

After seeing off Monkey King, Li Sanniang’s family officially ushered in the Spring Festival. The activities to celebrate the Spring Festival in the Tang Dynasty were no different than those in modern times. In addition to having a reunion dinner on New Year’s Eve, they also had to participate in local New Year activities.Li Sanniang, Mo Xiaogou and the others are relatively old, past the age at which children can play wild without any scruples, and Mo Wenyuan happened to be within the age limit.Even if he took the initiative to ask to stay at home to help clean up and prepare New Year's dishes, he was thrown out by the adults in the family.

In the courtyard, Mo Wenyuan looked at Zhongheiyang who was also kicked out. He was still holding the ghost mask that Li Sanniang had stuffed into him, and Zhongheiyang had a similar mask tied around his not thick neck.

"We can only go to the street?"

"Baa baa baa baa baa." Seems to be.

It was also a coincidence that Mo Wenyuan and the others were kicked out. The exorcism team just walked to the gate of Guangdefang, and one person and one sheep wobbled into the team.He is a well-known person in the local area. Since he had a black sheep at home, he has been followed by a black sheep everywhere. Over time, everyone in Chang'an knows that Mo Da, a tofu boy with the ability to subdue demons and demons, has raised a spirited sheep. And judging by his appearance, don't treat him as a food reserve!

The cook doesn't eat sheep, and this alone can make everyone remember the black sheep.

At the end of the line are all children and teenagers from Guangde Square, some are older than Mo Wen, some are younger than him, and some are of the same age. When they saw him, they greeted him warmly: "Mo Da, you come too La?"

"And bring the sheep?"

Mo Wenyuan is very popular in the local area, and children from other people's families will attract jealousy, but he does not belong to this rank. In the hearts of his peers, he is a hero who subdues demons and demons, and is an object of reverence. The object will also share all kinds of food with them, which is even more likable.

"Yes." He buckled the mask on his head, and helped the little black sheep to put on the mask as well. His round eyes came out of the holes, and the big eyes were full of dissatisfaction.

Zhongheiyang kicked his hooves and said, what kind of exorcism did he participate in?

Exorcising exorcism and exorcising are traditional events during the daytime on New Year's Eve in the Tang Dynasty. People wear various masks and sing and play musical instruments while wandering in Chang'an City. The procession travels from the outer city to the palace all the way. Washing in the air, mixed with singing.

"From the original to the closing of the door, when I saw a group of devils, one of them, He Lunton, stood straight up and squatted down..."

Everyone can sing "Expelling Nuo Ci".

What Heiyang is dissatisfied with is the meaning of exorcising Nuo. Nuo refers to epidemic diseases and also refers to demons and ghosts including Nian beasts. The little ghost's ritual made his austerity drop a lot. How could the middle black sheep with high self-esteem allow his dignity to be trampled on?

His Doudou eyes were full of unhappiness.

Mo Wenyuan keenly noticed the mental activity of Zhonghei Sheep. He touched the sheep's head, rubbed his ears into a mess and said, "Jen Ren, I'll make some delicious food for you when I go back."

Good, delicious?

The black sheep in the middle shook his head violently, no no no he can't be bribed, he, he wants to raise the price!

After thinking about it, I started to baaaaaaaaaaaa: I, I not only want delicious food, but also order food!

Mo Wenyuan was very tolerant: "Just a little bit, a little bit, I'll cook as many ingredients as you bring back."

……

After exorcising Nuo, Mo Wenyuan went to watch people set off firecrackers. Fire and medicine had been born in the Tang Dynasty, but they had not yet entered the lives of ordinary people. Tube.

People in the backyard put firewood, hay, dead trees and leaves in a patchwork order, and the blazing flame on the torch was a little bit on the combustibles, and the fire was "flying".The open courtyard is decorated with a fire, and it is full of vitality.

The bamboo joints were prepared a long time ago and thrown into the fire. There is air in the bamboo joints. After heating, the heat expands and contracts, and the hot air breaks through the bamboo slices, making a crackling sound. After leaving the other children, with their hands in their sleeves, they sat firmly on the Diaoyutai.

Seeing that there was no childish look of excitement on his face, Zhong Heiyang thought that Mo Xiaoyuan was born extraordinary, completely different from a sniffling child, and proudly puffed out his chest.

This is what a chef should look like!

……

Before the sun reached the highest point, Mo Wenyuan wandered off to his house, and a fire was set up in the backyard of his house. Li Sanniang and the others were throwing the broom that was broken the previous year into the fire. It is said that they burned the broom at home , can make the warehouse worthwhile for the coming year, and it can be regarded as a relatively interesting little tradition in the Tang Dynasty.

Li Sanniang couldn't help Mo Wenyuan: "You came back too early."

"It's all about those guys. After I set off the firecrackers, I was fine, so I brought the black sheep back." He waved the mask on his hand, "It's not that you don't know me, Ma'am. I'm happier than running around the street. Stay in front of the hall."

Li Sanniang murmured in her heart, it's not that she wanted you to rest after a busy year, but it's a pity that Luohua deliberately flows ruthlessly, and Mo Wenyuan himself doesn't want to rest at all.

The season has entered the deep winter, and the north wind outside the house is blowing, making people's faces hurt. The stove in the kitchen is turned on, and the charcoal used is the best charcoal that can be bought on the market. It has no smell at all. Compared with the outside, the house can be said to be as warm as spring.

Mo Wenyuan is very precautionary and alert to carbon monoxide poisoning. He has long told his family members that as long as the stove is turned on, there must be a gap in the window or door.

"The ancients wrote in Miscellaneous Notes that although a charcoal fire is warm, it will also release poisonous gas. The poison is weak and can be dispersed by the wind. However, if the doors and windows are sealed and people stay still in the house, inhaling the poisonous gas can cause death. "

The three members of the family already believed Mo Wenyuan's words, and regarded him as the most knowledgeable person, and heard that a wealthy family disappeared quietly in winter, and compared this matter with Mo Wenyuan's words, they were even more convinced. As long as the stove is lit, don't forget to open the windows and doors.

Mo Wenyuan does not allow people who are not skilled enough to intervene in cooking. Li Sanniang and the others can only cook some home-cooked dishes, and they are busy with business on weekdays, so they can't meet Mo Wenyuan's requirements. He is like a dictatorial tyrant , kicked everyone out uncharacteristically, and danced around the stove by himself.

Everyone in the family is familiar with Mo Wenyuan's style, and they don't try to stay and help him. They know that they are just adding to the chaos, so they might as well take advantage of him to cook and clean up the yard quickly.

When the smell of the food wafts out, they will lose their fighting spirit and just want to eat and sit by the low couch to feast on.

Zhong Heiyang has stayed at Mo Wenyuan's house for so long, and he has the self-consciousness of a snail girl. He joins the big cleaning. He is different from the human race. He is gifted with supernatural powers. Using spiritual power on cleaning is a bit like killing a chicken with a sledgehammer, but he himself willing.Zhong Heiyang took a deep breath and then slowly exhaled the carbon dioxide. The breath from his mouth turned into a small whirlwind, wandered around the room, and then swept the yard, rolled up dead branches and leaves, and piled them up neatly into a pile. .

Don't take it too easy!

Li Sanniang and others saw this formation for the first time, and they looked at each other in blank dismay: "This, this, this, we don't need to clean it?"

"Probably... so?"

A thought popped up in the hearts of the three at the same time: it is too convenient!

……

Mo Wenyuan is still a person with a sense of ritual. New Year's Eve only comes once a year, and he thinks that he will always cook something different from the usual dishes.For the main event, he already had a plan in his mind. He had done vegetarian Buddha Jumping Wall for Guanyin Bodhisattva Sun Dasheng before, so why can't he eat the super luxurious version of meat Buddha Jumping Wall?And compared to vegetarian dishes, he is most comfortable with meat dishes.

It is also a test for chefs to be able to do a good job of Buddha jumping over the wall, especially for cooks of Fujian cuisine.

Mo Wenyuan is a chef of Shanghainese cuisine, but he is very talented and open-minded to learn. He has dabbled in many cuisines in the world, and some special dishes are better than those of professional chefs in this cuisine. Like Buddha jumping over the wall is him The specialty dishes.

His way of making Buddha Tiaoqiang is slightly different from that of ordinary Fujian cuisine cooks. He makes good use of seafood while adding traditional Shanghai cuisine cooking elements, and his knife skills are even more perfect. Could it be that this will not allow his improved Buddha Tiaoqiang to gain a foothold in Shanghai.

There are many raw materials for this dish. Even some seafood is considered a luxury in modern times, not to mention the Tang Dynasty when resources were scarce. If there is not a kind of black sheep fresh express, he cannot meet the most basic cooking needs.

Sea cucumbers, abalones, shark fins, scallops... many expensive seafood are lined up on the chopping board. Taotie has brought his ability to go to heaven and earth to the extreme. Long Jiuzi has a natural advantage in the sea, and there are a lot of scallops and other things. , It is difficult to find the part with the best quality, but the water is close to him, and the clumsy fish can't tell whether he is the leader or the predator, so he pointed out the direction accurately.The fat and tender scallops are hidden in the shell, and the trembling and fresh interior can only be seen after opening.

Even Mo Wenyuan was overwhelmed by their quality after drying the scallops. They were bright yellow in color, complete in shape, without cracks, and very big, even top-quality scallops.

Dried scallops were placed in the water dripped with sake, and after a short time, they were full of water, and became smooth, white, tender, and full of elasticity. You can see it shaking like a slime when you poke it with your finger, and the back surface is poked out by your finger. The hole disappeared in an instant, and returned to the perfect shape from the beginning.

The small carving knife fluttered between his fingers, and he skillfully scratched the cross pattern on the surface of the scallop. He did not know what delicate technique he used, and the flesh-pink inner part bloomed layer upon layer in front of them like petals.

He put the thinnest tripod in the house on the stove, and when the oil was almost hot, he threw the scallops to fry. Perhaps because the ingredients were too elastic, he jumped in the tripod like a ball and hit the wall. Fall back into place.

It can be said to be very flexible.

Pushed by the spatula, the scallops are fried to form a layer of burnt yellow edges. The soft inside gradually becomes hard, and the flowers bloom bigger. The lard has been inhaled inside, and the aroma of spices is stored inside the scallops. Just take a bite You can feel the incomparable power hidden in the small body.

After frying the scallops, he put the ingredients aside and started to deal with others.

Abalone, sea cucumber and other seafood were all caught overnight by Zhongheiyang from Fuzhou and other places. Mo Wenyuan kept the food illustrations of later generations in his head, and he knew where the seafood was the most delicious. Taotie followed his guidance and ran to the sea near Fuzhou , to salvage.

Taotie's tongue is even more sensitive than Mo Wenyuan's. He can tell whether there is too much salt or too little salt and whether the cooking time is enough after he licks the food cooked by the other party. His exquisite judgment is also used in the selection of ingredients. He never salvages only the freshest and best.

Even if he is serious about the ingredients, he and Mo Wenyuan are a perfect match.

……

After cleaning the house, Zhongheiyang felt a little bored, so he waved his thick hoof and stood outside the kitchen door. The "tyrant" Mo Xiaoyuan in front of the stove did not allow laymen to interfere with his holy place, so it's okay to wait outside.

He inhaled and exhaled, the sheep's nostrils were not small, and they opened and closed even more.

In the room, Mo Wenyuan was processing the square legs. The square legs were made by himself. Farmers on the outskirts of Chang’an sent fat pigs that had been grated. Compared with uncracked pigs, this pig has a gentler temperament and more tender meat, so it can be fed casually. If you eat some food, you can grow very big. What's more commendable is that there is no fishy smell on the pig, so it is perfect for curing ham.

He used the traditional Jinhua ham marinating method, and added a few spices according to his personal preferences. The square ham showed an attractive red color, and the white and yellow meridians covered the surface of the ham. The seemingly bulky kitchen knife fell on Mo Wen. In Yuan’s hand, he played with flowers. The square steamed ham block was divided into thousands of fine wires. What’s even more commendable is that the thin wires are stacked together one by one to maintain a square shape. appearance.

The shredded ham is pasted on the bottom of the earthen pot, and it is simmered slowly. The smell of wine penetrates into the shredded ham, and the umami flavor of the soup and seafood penetrates deeply from top to bottom.

The essence of Mo Shifo Tiaoqiang is the outermost layer of shredded ham, which is simply the supreme delicacy in the world.

Fotiaoqiang requires a long time of stewing. During this period, he cooked other big dishes, such as boiled chicken, braised pork, and Tang Zhongluo balls, which were placed in various containers in order.

Suddenly, Mo Wenyuan heard strange noises coming from the door, like rattling teeth, or scratching the wall with nails.He heard a lot of strange noises, felt hairy in his heart, and couldn't help opening the door to find out.

Mo Wenyuan: =mouth=!

Li Sanniang & Mo Xiaogou & Zhao Erniang & Zhong Heiyang: = mouth =! ! !

Three people and one sheep lined up one by one from top to bottom, sticking to the wall with indescribable movements. For example, Li Sanniang, with her hands on the wall, her face is only a thin line from the earthen wall. She has the highest status in the family. The one closest to the door, Mo Wenyuan lowered his eyes to look at her nails. The color of the nails was slightly peeled off from the impatiens, and the fine red powder was stuck on the wall. It seems that the main force of the noise that damaged his ears just now was Li Sanniang.

Facing her son's dead fish eyes, Li Sanniang smiled sarcastically, quickly retracted her fingers, and stood dignifiedly.

Mo Wenyuan: "..."

too late.

Looking at the other people and the sheep, they have different postures. Zhao Erniang's hair is disheveled and her expression is awkward, while Mo Xiaogou is the same as Zhongheiyang.Mo Wenyuan said that he can understand the drooling of Zhonghei sheep, because the oral structure of sheep is different from that of humans, and it is easy to store saliva, but it is too sloppy for adults to drool like this.

He sighed deeply and said, "Help me serve the braised pork and chicken in vain first."

Oh!

Three people and one sheep couldn't help cheering, it's great!