It has been floating sporadically since early in the morning.
However, it has always been floating sporadically.
Because of the cold weather, the snow did not melt when it fell to the ground, but instead turned into white all over the ground.
Xiao Nianzhi got up with difficulty and went to breakfast...
Yes, go to morning service.
Because it was too cold on the way, I held the sesame cake in my arms for a while.
Then eat it when the other person is still warm.
It's the end of the year and all departments are busy, especially the Department of Household Affairs and the Department of Etiquette. They are so busy that they are almost bursting with sparks.
Moreover, the two departments also borrow people from other departments from time to time.
There is nothing we can do. There are many rituals and sacrifices at the end of the year, and the Rites Department is really overwhelmed!
The minister is shameless every day and borrows people everywhere.
Not only rituals such as sacrifices, but also matters related to the newly appointed queen and the harem, some of which need to be arranged by their etiquette department.
Not to mention Hube.
On the Ministry of Personnel side, after the year-end assessments of officials are completed, they are transferred to their Ministry of Household Affairs.
Year-end benefits for officials, summary of harvests in various places, expenditures...
Minister of the Ministry of Finance, everyone I see lately looks like a stepmother.
Why?
I couldn't laugh at all.
How many late nights has he stayed up?
So, what’s the morning meal?
Roll up, colleagues!
Xiao Nianzhi stood there with a numb face, listening to His Majesty say something from time to time, and then there were officials below who responded.
Then the court dismissed, and His Majesty called for a small court meeting.
Fortunately, Xiao Nianzhi does not need to attend today's court meeting, so she can return to the Yamen with peace of mind.
Maybe you can even catch a fish.
The wedding banquet is in the evening.
So, there is no need to rush during the day.
Xiao Nianzhi also prepared the corresponding gifts early.
What I’m thinking about now is…
On this cold and snowy day, what should we eat for lunch?
After returning to the Yamen, Xiao Nianzhi was thinking about this issue.
Before she could think about it, Yu Jianzheng quietly came back carrying the basket.
Xiao Nianzhi faintly smelled...
The taste of mutton?
Because it hasn't been processed yet, it has a bit of an odor, which is very noticeable.
Even though the other party's basket was covered with an old floral cloth.
As soon as Supervisor Yu came in, he smiled and said, "How about making some mutton soup for lunch?"
The mutton soup cooked by Xiao Nianzhi was delicious and the meat was tender. After eating it once, Supervisor Yu kept thinking about it.
I'm too busy during this period and don't have much chance to eat.
Isn't it time to catch up today...
Yu Jianzheng felt that they would simply drink soup at noon and have a banquet in the evening.
Xiao Nianzhi originally wanted to eat some noodles or wontons for lunch.
We still have dinner in the evening. It’s not okay to eat too much at lunch.
Lamb soup…
It's not impossible.
Xiao Nianzhi felt that she could only eat radishes and drink soup and not eat meat, so that it would not affect her ability to enjoy the wedding banquet food at night.
Moreover, when others brought all the things, I didn’t respond to them, which was a little unsightly.
Xiao Nianzhi responded quickly and stood up to check.
Supervisor Yu is preparing everything, including leg meat and mutton chops.
Adding these two together will make the soup even more delicious.
However, first, the mutton needs to be preliminarily removed.
The mutton is delicious, but it’s too spicy!
This step takes quite a long time.
Therefore, Xiao Nianzhi and Yu Jianzheng started to move first.
Just soak it in cold water. If you think the taste is still too tangy, you can drop some white wine or rice wine to help remove the smell.
Now that the mutton is soaked, there is no need to worry about other ingredients.
You can also cut the radishes later.
Deputy Supervisor Li brought a basket of radishes.
The yield per acre of radish is quite good, and it has good storability. If you dig a cellar and store it for a whole winter, it will basically not rot.
Because of the loss of water, the texture will become rough and less delicious.
However, when it comes to stew, it's actually not bad.
Today's radishes haven't been around for too long, and they store them well here, buried in the ground.
When you hold it in your hand, you can feel the tenderness of the radish.
It must be delicious. If paired with mutton, the soup will be full and the taste will be even more delicious.
Xiao Nianzhi couldn't help but start looking forward to it.
At noon, the snow stopped, and the sun quietly emerged from the clouds, shining on the snow-white earth, slowly returning to its original color.
Although it had been snowing for most of the day, it was actually just a thin layer.
But because there were a lot of rains one after another before.
Therefore, the snow is still quite thick in many places.
Places such as streets that are diligently cleaned only have a thin layer, which will melt as soon as the sun shines.
Xiao Nianzhi was not sure how far the wedding between Zhang Hanshan and Zhou Libai was progressing.
However, it is correct that the banquet is in the evening.
So, just wait.
While waiting, cut the radish into small pieces and blanch them to remove the smell.
Today's green radish is not an oral species improved by later generations.
So the taste is not very good.
If you don't blanch it to remove the flavor, the mutton stewed together may be affected.
Blanch the water, briefly remove the odor, and then stew it together. Without the influence of those miscellaneous smells, the fresh fragrance of the mutton will be better absorbed.
At noon, Xiao Nianzhi took action, with Yu Jianzheng and Deputy Supervisor Li assisting.
Xiao Nianzhi blanches the mutton, stir-fries the spices, and then stews the mutton.
She has done these steps too many times.
A few days ago, I was still in the house, and I made some for my grandpa and let him drink it to replenish his body.
Winter is the time to take supplements.
Mutton can strengthen the spleen and warm the body, replenish qi and blood, and is very good for the body.
However, it is easy to get angry if you eat too much, and it is also important to control this degree.
Grandpa didn't like to drink it in the past. He thought it smelled like raw sheep. In fact, the smell of mutton was not removed, so the drink was not delicious enough.
However, grandpa still likes what Xiao Nianzhi is doing now.
Not only grandpa, but Aunt Yu also likes it very much.
Xiao Nianzhi even brought some to the housekeeper of Prince Wei's Mansion that day.
Then, Yan Xingxuan smelled it with a sharp nose and quietly emo'd it for a long time.
The imperial doctor refused to let him drink it, saying it would conflict with the medicine he was taking.
I can't drink it, but I can smell it, which is too torturous.
Xiao Nianzhi still felt a little guilty about this.
However, she forgot about it the next day.
The radish can only be added to the pot when the mutton is stewed until tender and the strong aroma of the soup comes out.
Because the radish has already been blanched, it is not resistant to cooking.
Therefore, the time of release must be good.
If you put it in early, it will easily rot directly in the pot, affecting the taste and texture of this pot of good soup.
If you put it in later, the radish will be crispy and raw, and the texture will not be very good when you eat it.
No matter sooner or later, it is best to keep the radish at a level where it will not rot.
Of course, this is Xiao Nianzhi's favorite state.
Because of the radish in this state, if you take a bite, the soup inside will explode directly in your mouth, making it full of delicious flavor and making people remember it for a long time.
