It was 10 o'clock in the morning, and white mist came from the stove. Zhou Wenzhong raised the sheep's lungs and took a look.
"Where's the white noodles?"
"The master gave me 10 kilograms of white flour. I just kneaded some Erhe noodles and steamed buns and there is still some left."
"Bring them all to me."
"OK."
Zhou Wenzhong added water to the basin, kneaded the dough briefly and threw it to Ma Erbao.
"Put this dough in warm water and wash it little by little. Don't work too hard."
"oh."
I opened the lid of the soup pot again and looked at the lamb spine inside. It had already been skimmed with blood twice.
"Someone come!"
"Come on, come on."
"Scoop out all the mutton fat in this pot and pour it into a clean basin."
"Can't you clean it? There's still mutton soup in it."
"After you scoop it out, add cold water to the basin. The mutton fat will solidify naturally. This method is much better than boiling oil in an iron pot. There are no black spots and the bottom does not appear brown."
"Okay. I'm going to find a basin now."
The middle-aged woman got a little life tip and left happily.
Seeing that there was no one around him, Zhou Wenzhong quickly took out the gauze ball and newspaper bag he had prepared in advance, which contained the aniseed ingredients he had prepared.
"Zi la...Zi la..."
"Whose kid! Hurry and find someone to take him aside. Didn't you see the oil burning thing here? Beng will have a blister on his body later!"
"Running around here again! Your father has been looking for you for a long time, and he hasn't listened to you all day long! So what... I'm sorry."
A young woman grabbed the child's ears and smiled apologetically at Zhou Wenzhong. Zhou Wenzhong ignored him and walked away with pepper oil.
Ma Erbao ran over with a ball of noodles and said: "Brother Zhong, I have washed everything you told me. I washed two full basins of noodle soup. I still have a ball of noodles on my hand, which I can't always wash clean."
"That's gluten. Throw it on a plate and steam it."
"oh."
"It's really troublesome not having onions and ginger."
Zhou Wenzhong walked to a basin of noodle soup, poured pepper oil, salt and pepper into it, stirred it for a few times, and then began to pour it along the sheep's lung tube while beating it.
Add a little turmeric powder to a pot of cold water for dyeing, then put the lamb lungs filled with noodle soup and a large ingredient bag into it and cook.
"Hold the lung tube and don't let go, wait for the noodle soup inside to solidify."
"Hey. Brother Zhong, what's the name of this dish you made?"
“Xinjiang’s Mianfeizi.”
"Is it authentic?"
"It's not authentic, because I added aniseed to it, and when I made the mutton oil spicy food later, there was no skin sprouts in it. It's just a makeshift meal, since you haven't eaten this stuff before. As long as it tastes good, you don't care.
Authentic or not.”
Zhou Wenzhong felt that his throat was about to burst into smoke, so he picked up the warm mutton soup on the stove, drank it down in one gulp, burped, and continued to shout.
"Come here, someone! Shave off the meat from the backbone and tail of the lamb, chop it into pieces and put it in a bowl."
"Two people come! Bring over a big aluminum basin! Soak the vermicelli in mutton soup. After it is soft, put it in the pot and steam it for 10 minutes. After taking it out, add the potato starch and some deboned meat to it, and give it a try.
Crush them into pieces and mix them together.”
"You two go get some potatoes and cut them into thick slices, steam them in a pot for 15 minutes and then break them into pieces. You forgot to add potato starch and knead them into balls for me."
"Who is that? Chop up these soaked mushrooms and shiitake mushrooms and throw them aside."
"And you! Stop wrapping your sugar triangles, I still have use for those brown sugars!"
"It's from Lao Bai's family! You don't need to season those fish! Leave that for me!"
"Here comes another person! Brush the griddle on the floor, put it on the fire and moisten the pot twice with mutton oil. Let me moisten it thoroughly! This is a copper griddle. If it is not full of oil, it will definitely stick to the pot after a while!"
"Ma Erbao, come here! The face and lungs have been finalized a long time ago. There is no need to mention it again."
"knew!"
As Zhou Wenzhong issued instructions one after another, the aunts also found the backbone and began to work step by step.
"Go ahead and look at your watch to see what time it is?"
"When I went to the toilet just now, I saw that it was almost 11 o'clock."
"Okay, I want to start working too."
Zhou Wenzhong poured the water into the small fish basin that he had packed and marinated it. He sprinkled the chopped mushrooms with aniseed and salt, leaned over and smelled it, and then added some salt to it.
The chopped vermicelli is mixed with some minced meat and seasoned. After it is steamed, cooled and turned upside down, it becomes a lump of substance similar to sweet potato jelly.
Divide the potato balls into small pieces and press a hollow with your thumb. Pour a spoonful of the fresh mushroom filling inside. Knead it into a ball and press it on the mouth of the soy sauce bottle to make a shape similar to white jade mushrooms.
.
"After the water boils, put it in the pot and steam it for 10 minutes."
"good."
Add some vinegar to the water and drop a few drops of soybean oil. Put the soaked potato shreds and freshly cut radish shreds into the water, blanch them and take them out.
"Fry these two separately for a few times, and then put them on a plate. Remember to arrange them properly! Shredded potatoes are shredded potatoes, and shredded radish are shredded radish. They cannot be mixed together. Pour a few drops of pepper oil on top and serve.
Got it!"
"The vermicelli just now has been cooled. Cut it into rectangular slices, cut them neatly, and pour a few drops of chili oil on them. Present the dish! Again, the most important thing is the presentation!"
"Porridge with millet, brown sugar and corn crumbs, cook it up for me! Just now I saw a small bag of dried dates! Remove the seeds and throw them into the pot for me to cook."
"Who is that! Stop eating secretly. How many times have I seen you! Without realizing it at all, bring me a big plate! Cut the noodles and lungs into strips for me, place them neatly in a circle, and put a small dish of mutton oil and spicy food in the middle.
.Repeat it again, plate it!”
“Is there any more white noodles?”
"No more! Not even the bottom is gone!"
"Knead the dough for me with cornmeal and put it on the stove to wake up. After a while, it will be cut into long flat strips. Collect the remaining deboned meat, vermicelli and mushrooms and other scraps together, and wait for me to mix them.
Then add the flavor. By the way, chop a few Chinese cabbage, wrap them in gauze, squeeze out the water inside, and throw them in to make the filling."
"knew."
Several middle-aged women carried the steamed bun basket and left, turned around, came back with wooden trays in their hands, and began to put plates on them.
"Master, what is the name of this dish?"
"Stir-fried double shredded shredded pork belly and take away the vegetables."
"Master Zhou, the potato balls are all steamed."
When Zhou Wenzhong heard that his name had changed again, from Little Comrade to Comrade, then from Junior Master to Master, and finally to Master Zhou, he understood in his heart that these dishes were well received by the people on the dining table.
"Pour some water into the iron pot, add some salt, soy sauce and brown sugar to adjust the complex flavor. After the water boils, thicken it and pour it on top of the potato balls. Again, the most important thing..."
"It's just a platter! My ears are getting calluses from listening to it."
"It's a bit stickier. The soup is a bit brighter."
"knew!"
"How many dishes are there?"
Ma Erbao counted on his fingers: "Shredded potatoes and radish, noodles and lungs, steamed vermicelli, potato balls, a sweet soup. Four dishes and one soup."
"Okay, I'll make another fish, steam a steamed bun, and make an egg soup. That's exactly 6 dishes and 2 soups."
"Zhuangmo? Is it authentic?"
"It's not authentic. It's just a fool's errand."
"Why is it called egg soup?"
"It means to get out of here as soon as you finish eating. I haven't touched those 20 eggs yet."
"Ha ha……"
"Pour all the remaining mutton soup into a big pot and cook it. Add the remaining noodle soup from washing the gluten just now, little by little. Make the soup sticky for me. Cut the gluten into shreds and throw it to me.
Go in, chop a few cabbage and throw it in, and pour in the remaining vermicelli for me. As long as there are leftovers, throw them all in for me to cook."
Wrap the rolled cornmeal strips in the stuffing, roll them up one by one, press them up with both hands and knead them into a round cake, spread them out and put them in the griddle. Dig a big spoonful of mutton fat into them, and then cover them.
.
"After about 5 minutes, open the lid, turn it over, and keep pouring oil on top with a spoon."
"Okay. I remember it."
While everyone was busy, Zhou Wenzhong took out a large porcelain bowl, beat 10 eggs, and added water to it. He picked up his chopsticks and kept stirring.
After 10 minutes, pour half of the water-added eggs into the soup, then add some starch to the eggs, stir well and pour into the steamed buns.
"Ha...it smells really good."
"Turn over, cover and simmer for 2 minutes, cut into triangles, place on a plate and serve."
"Well, brother Zhong, why don't we keep some?"
"You didn't ask this question until now? Why do you have so much brains? The other chefs never had time to spare. They were already almost full. What a complete mess."
Ma Erbao angrily lifted the steamed bun onto the chopping board.
"Boom! Boom!..."
He picked up the knife and chopped off a third of it in one breath, tore off a piece of newspaper to hold it in his arms, and started chewing it.
"Hoo... hiss... hot, hot, hot! I feel like the skin on my mouth has been burned off."
"Why are you in a hurry? No one is trying to grab it from you."
"Ha ha……"
The chefs looked at Ma Erbao playing tricks and laughed happily.
"Brother Zhong, don't you want to eat?"
"I'm not hungry. Does it taste okay?"
"That's great! Listen to the sound in my mouth, it's clicking. It's so crispy!"
"It looks like it has been deep-fried. Can it be less crispy?"
"Hehe~ The master is here! It won't be good if people see me eating like this. You hold on, I'll hide next to you."
"Um."
Two middle-aged men, a man and a woman, trotted over and asked, "Oh, this is the chef, right?"
Zhou Wenzhong shook hands with him.
"It's the food I cooked. I can't say I'm a great chef."
"You're so humble. You shouldn't be judged by appearance! You can cook well at a young age. It's not easy!"
"Thank you for your praise. Don't you blame me for cutting out two dishes from the eight dishes and two soups you arranged?"
"What did Master Zhou say? Good reduction! Good change! To be honest, I have never seen these dishes before. Great craftsmanship!"
"As long as comrades are satisfied."
"Master Zhou, we agreed in advance. We must accept it."
"Hey. Don't give it to me. We are all friends."
"That's not possible, you must accept it, you must accept it!"
Zhou Wenzhong politely declined a few times, and the other party forcefully handed over 8 yuan.
"Master Zhou, this is just a small thing. You have to accept it."
"What? It's so mysterious."
"Hey, it's not worth much. Our Niujie specialty is 2 taels of broken tea leaves. Don't dislike it."
"That won't work! I'll give you the money."
While Zhou Wenzhong was paying, the host led his wife away and Zhou Wenzhong put the paper bag in his hand into the space.
Ma Erbao, who had been waiting for a long time, walked out from the corner.
"You didn't say anything, did you?"
"No. This 1 yuan is yours."
"I can't take it. He will have to thank me alone later! You don't know, it looks like the plate on the table in front of you has been licked once."
"Take it, don't be angry with me."
Ma Erbao rubbed his hands on his pants, took the money and said: "Brother Zhong, I opened my eyes today. I want you to be a chef without even touching a kitchen knife. Awesome! Hey~ They
I’m very satisfied! How can I explain this matter?”
"Haha...cutting vegetables is so tiring. My abilities lie elsewhere."
"You're talking about those big stuff bags you threw into the stove, right?"
"Not too stupid."
"Aren't you afraid that others will open the package?"
"It's full of powder. It's useless to take it apart. And I adjusted the flavor twice. Are you full? If you are full, quickly pour out the suet in the griddle and pour the remaining oil into the pot.
Add soybean oil, sprinkle salt first, and then add the small fish neatly and fry them. Be sure to control the water on the fish."
"When I'm full, I'll go now."
"Place the small fish neatly and make them into a circle. Leave the pepper and salt on the stove. Sprinkle them after taking them out of the pan. Don't be too troublesome to cook them one by one!"
"knew!"
Zhou Wenzhong felt the 10 eggs in the space and walked happily to the counter of the mosque.