Food starts with noodles

"Your father has already driven to pick him up, and Lao Zheng is also very stubborn. His child actually wanted him to go to Guangzhou for the New Year, but he refused.

Originally, Lao Zheng planned to celebrate the New Year with Xie Hailong, but his family was enjoying themselves happily in the provincial capital of the Central Plains, so he was embarrassed to disturb them.

Besides, Xie Hailong's parents were going there too, and Lao Zheng was too embarrassed to be there, so he took the high-speed train back by himself. Now the school is deserted, so I think it's better to let him move here. "

Xu Zhuo didn't expect his father to wake up so early. Since he went to pick up Zheng Guangyao, it would be even better. When making shrimp dumplings later, he would force Zheng Guangyao to let him guide him, so that no matter what level of shrimp he made, Dumplings, everyone should be familiar with it.

While chatting, Xu Zhuo began to prepare for the production.

The first thing to prepare for making shrimp dumplings is the filling, and the most important thing in the filling is shrimp.

There are two types of shrimp used in shrimp dumplings. One is shrimp paste, which is the key ingredient to make the fillings form a ball. In addition to shrimp paste, complete shrimp is also essential.

It can even be said that the soul of the shrimp dumpling lies.

Now that the prawns had been delivered, Xu Zhuo was not polite, and directly poured the prawns out of the foam box, and then began to pick the shrimp lines and peel the shrimp shells.

For Xu Zhuo now, this work is not difficult at all.

Moreover, these are live shrimp, and they are also very large, so it is not difficult to peel them.

Wash the peeled shrimps in clean water, and then use kitchen paper to fully absorb the moisture on the surface.

This step is indispensable, otherwise the taste of the shrimp dumplings will not be perfect.

After it was done, Xu Zhuo took out one-third of the shrimp and prepared to make the shrimp, and the rest would be directly wrapped into dumplings later.

Shrimp dumplings and shrimp dumplings are qualified only if they have whole shrimps. Otherwise, if they are all shrimp paste, they will always feel like something is missing.

Xu Zhuo put the shrimps for making shrimp paste into a small basin, then picked up one and put it on the chopping board. With the other hand, he grabbed a kitchen knife and patted the shrimps. A whole shrimp was immediately turned into mud.

After flattening, Xu Zhuo used a kitchen knife to scratch twice on the flattened shrimp, which could cut off the fascia inside the shrimp meat and prevent the shrimp meat from sticking to each other and affecting the filling.

He scraped with a kitchen knife, put the flattened shrimp meat into the basin, then picked up new shrimps and put them on, and continued to shoot.

You can’t use too much force when you pat the shrimp. Basically, you can just flatten the shrimp. In this way, the shrimp meat will be somewhat grainy or even large, and the taste is better. If it is really smashed into slag, then The shrimp dumplings made are almost meaningless to eat.

After Xu Zhuo flattened all the shrimp meat, he began to season it.

A small teaspoon of salt, half a teaspoon of white pepper, and then mixed it. After mixing it evenly, he grabbed the ball of shrimp stuffing and threw it into the basin.

Throwing is an essential step in making shrimp stuffing. Through throwing, not only can the seasoning and shrimp be combined better, but also the shrimp stuffing will quickly gel.

Only when there is glue, the shrimp stuffing will really hold together, and the shrimp dumplings will be delicious.

After salt is added to the shrimp, the glue will form very quickly, basically five or six times is enough.

After the beating, Xu Zhuo picked up a piece of pork and was just about to continue stuffing when Zheng Guangyao, led by Xu Wenhai, came to the kitchen.

After saying hello, he washed his hands, picked up Xu Zhuo's stuffed shrimp and smelled it, and gave a thumbs up: "Only salt and pepper are added, not bad, the stuffing will be very correct."

After he finished speaking, he looked at the stuffing prepared by Xu Zhuo and said, "Actually, you can use fresh shrimp for shrimp paste, because it only needs to be glued, but when using frozen shrimp, put two egg whites in it before beating, so that it tastes better." It's very close to fresh shrimp."

This is the strength of the master. He does not use the highest-end ingredients everywhere, but knows how to turn conventional ingredients into high-end ingredients.

Take this shrimp paste as an example. If you use fresh shrimp, the limitations are very large, especially in inland cities. If you want to buy large and fresh shrimp, you must either pay a high price or stare blankly.

Frozen shrimp is much more common, and can be bought at any vendor selling frozen seafood, and the price is relatively low.

Between the two, there is only a gap of two egg whites.

It has to be said that the master's experience is really incomparable.

In addition to using egg whites to increase the umami taste of the shrimp paste, no alcoholic seasonings can be placed in the shrimp paste, whether it is white wine, rice wine or cooking wine.

This is also the reason why Zheng Guangyao smelled the shrimp paste as soon as he came in.

The reason for this is mainly that alcohol can destroy the umami substances in the shrimp meat, and while reducing the taste, it will also reduce the taste of the shrimp, so it cannot be used.

After chatting for a while, Zheng Guangyao looked at the pork prepared by Xu Zhuo, looked at Xu Zhuo curiously and asked, "Xiao Zhuo, do you know the proportion of pork used in shrimp dumplings?"

Chapter 1366 Shrimp Dumpling Stuffing

The pork used in shrimp dumplings is actually pig fat.

Pig fat adds flavor and oily taste to the shrimp dumplings, which is the key to the deliciousness of the shrimp dumplings.

In this day and age, although many people are arguing that they don't like to eat pork fat, especially the fat part, it is undeniable that many delicacies will lose their color without the addition of pig fat.

Like this shrimp dumpling.

If only prawns are used in the filling, the taste will definitely not be so good, and the reputation of prawn dumplings will not be as good as the four kings of Cantonese refreshments today.

However, if you want shrimp dumplings to be delicious, it’s not enough to just add fat from pigs, and you have to follow a certain ratio.

Zheng Guangyao is now asking this question.

Although this question is very simple, it is the key to making shrimp dumplings. Whether you are an expert or an amateur in shrimp dumplings, you can ask this question.

Xu Zhuo has skills in his hands, so it's not in vain.

But he didn't answer directly, but pretended to think for a while, and then looked at Zheng Guangyao, and said incredulously: "The amount of fat from pigs should be half that of shrimp paste, right?"

Zheng Guangyao and Yu Peiyong looked at each other, showing a satisfied smile, but then he shook his head: "What you said is not quite right."

Then he explained: "In the traditional method, the amount of fat from pigs is indeed the same as that of dried shrimps, you can use as much pig fat as there are shrimp pastes.

But now, everyone advocates a healthy diet, and if there is too much fat from the pig, the shrimp dumplings will taste a little greasy, so the amount of fat from the pig is usually one-half to one-third of the shrimp paste one. "

While talking about this, Xu Zhuo had already started to do it.

He first removed the skin of this piece of pork with a kitchen knife, and then cut off the thick pig fat under the skin.

Finally, change the knife to cut into diced meat the size of corn kernels. After cutting, take another pot and put it in for later use.

Then, Xu Zhuo set his eyes on the winter bamboo shoots that still had dirt on them.

These winter bamboo shoots are freshly dug out, very fresh and tender, and are the most ideal ingredients for fillings.

He peeled off the bamboo shoots, cleaned them, cut them into cubes, and put them together with the fat of the pigs.

There should not be too many diced bamboo shoots, about one-half to one-third of the fat of the pig. If there are too many, the taste of the shrimp will be overwhelmed, and at the same time, it will appear overwhelming in terms of taste.

After these two ingredients are all put into the basin, start to season.

Put a small spoonful of salt, a small spoonful of sugar, a small spoonful of light soy sauce, and finally a spoonful of cooked lard.

Well, this delicacy not only uses pig fat, but also puts cooked lard in it. Only in this way will the shrimp dumplings taste more delicious.

Although the overall taste of shrimp dumplings is relatively fresh, the ingredients used in this freshness are relatively greasy, so this delicious dish should not be eaten too much, otherwise it is easy to gain weight.

Xu Zhuo used chopsticks to mix the pork fat and diced bamboo shoots evenly, and then put them aside to marinate for a few minutes, letting the ingredients absorb some of the base flavor first.

The ingredients have a base taste, and if they are mixed with the shrimp paste, the taste will be better.

Taking advantage of this time, Xu Zhuo brought a carrot, scraped off the skin, cleaned it, and then began to modify the knife.

Carrot is also an ingredient in the stuffing, but it mainly plays a role in color matching. In addition, the addition of carrots in the stuffing will make the taste softer.

Xu Zhuo took a kitchen knife and cut the carrot into cubes the size of corn kernels.

This amount is very small, just put a small amount in the filling, not too much, if too much, the taste of the shrimp dumplings will be greatly reduced.

The side dishes in the shrimp dumpling are actually very random. In addition to carrots, you can also add a little cooked green beans, so that the taste and appearance will be richer.

But there is one thing, the number of green beans should not be too much, only a little bit can be used for decoration.

In addition to carrots and green beans, dishes such as head vegetables can also be added, but the amount should be less, and the central position of the shrimp cannot be taken away.

After cutting the carrots, Xu Zhuo brought over the remaining shrimps and changed them into big pieces with a knife.

Originally, this kind of shrimp does not need to be changed, just wrap the whole one in, but the shrimp prepared in the Yangtze River today is too big, and the peeled shrimp is about ten centimeters long.

If you have to wrap the whole shrimp in, what you make is not crystal shrimp dumplings, but crystal buns, so you need to change the knife and cut into smaller shrimps.

At least it has to be wrapped in dumpling wrappers.

A few minutes later, Xu Zhuo poured the prepared pig fat into the shrimp paste, and then poured in the freshly chopped shrimp and diced carrots.

Finally, pour a spoonful of sesame oil into it.

For all savory fillings, whether it is bun dumplings or siu mai, etc., sesame oil is actually an essential condiment.

After the sesame oil is added, the filling will become softer, and at the same time, it will neutralize the strong aroma of a little cooked lard, making the aroma softer.

After putting all these in, Xu Zhuo began to mix them with his hands.

When I first made shrimp paste, I used my hands to beat the glue, and when I seasoned the pig fat, I chose to stir it with chopsticks, but now I have to use the method of grasping and mixing.

Grabbing and mixing not only allows all the ingredients to be fully mixed, but also allows the shrimp paste to completely wrap the pork fat, shrimp segments and other ingredients, making it sticky.

Only when the filling is sticky, it will hold together after steaming, and the taste will be better.

Soon, the stuffing was thoroughly grasped and mixed evenly after the pot was poured. The pork fat, diced bamboo shoots, shrimp and other ingredients were all made into a sticky ball under the action of the shrimp paste.

At this point, the stuffing is ready.

Xu Zhuo covered the mouth of the basin with plastic wrap and put it in the freezer of the refrigerator.

Refrigerate the filling before wrapping, which can make the filling more shaped, and at the same time lock the umami in the filling to prevent it from volatilizing at room temperature.

After putting the stuffing in the refrigerator, Xu Zhuo began to prepare the dough.

The dough is the most important thing for shrimp dumplings. Whether the shrimp dumplings look good or not is basically related to the dough.

With a good dough skin, the shrimp dumplings wrapped are thin and transparent, with a smooth and soft taste, without breaking the skin or leaking the soup, it is perfect.

The most important material for the noodle is Chengmian.

The kneaded dough is kneaded and washed repeatedly in clean water, which can be washed into gluten, and the water for washing gluten is clarified, then the excess water is skimmed off, and then dried. The flour obtained is called Chengmian, that is, it does not contain any gluten. of flour.

This kind of noodles has excellent extensibility and smooth texture, so many desserts and delicacies are made with Cheng noodles.

Xu Zhuo unpacked the Chengmian, poured it into a basin, and put a teaspoon of sugar in it.

After putting it away, Xu Zhuo brought another bowl, poured some cornstarch into it, and then boiled a pot of water to prepare the noodles.

Chapter 1367 He Chengmian

Hecheng noodles must be cooked with boiling water. Only with boiling water can the noodles be fully soaked, and the dough that comes out of mixing will be softer.

Cheng noodles are very watery. If you want to make a dough, the water consumption is almost twice that of ordinary flour, so be careful when boiling water, and the amount should not be less.

In addition, the raw powder is not used when kneading the noodles, but sprinkled a little bit when kneading the noodles, which can add a little bit of gluten to the noodles, so that the skin will not break when filling the noodles with shrimps.

But don't use too much raw powder, otherwise the dumpling skin won't be too thin.

When Xu Zhuo was doing it just now, Zheng Guangyao had been watching silently from the sidelines, with a little surprise and excitement in his eyes. Obviously, Xu Zhuo's craftsmanship shocked him.

But Yu Peiyong was much calmer. After all, this grandson-in-law had shocked him time and again, and by now, he was no longer surprised.

In addition, the old man back then was also a very talented person. I saw him wandering around the capital on a bicycle, but whenever it was time to cook, he could always surprise people.

This is probably the talent in the genes of the Xu family.

Yu Peiyong thought so.

In fact, the old man's high talent is true, but Xu Zhuo...

It's just a joke, nothing to show off.

This is also the reason why the old man likes to be high-profile since he was young, but Xu Zhuo has always kept a low profile.

It's cool to be aggressive, although it's cool to pretend to be aggressive, but when facing a master, there will always be a little bit of guilt.

When the water in the pot boiled, the two old men praised Xu Zhuo solidly, and even Xu Wenhai, who was making soy sauce with him, was also praised.

Xu Wenhai blushed a little when he said something about teaching his son well.

At this time, Xu Zhuo naturally wouldn't reveal the true face of the Xu family's tutor, but pretended to be very shy, and accepted the praise of the two old people seriously.

I remember when I was young, when others praised me for being good at learning and being polite, my elders would be happier if I had this expression, so now, Xu Zhuo continues to maintain this shy expression.

This can be regarded as childlike innocence.

After the water in the pot boiled, everyone put away their thoughts and continued to watch Xu Zhuo operate.