Chapter 95: Braising Ingredients
Chapter 95: Braising Ingredients
After making her declaration, Jiang Qiuqiu went on Taotao Fresh and started buying the spices and ingredients she needed in bulk.
To cook such a massive batch of food and do it quickly, she didn’t have many options. Furthermore, in the interstellar era, some dishes had yet to be recreated by the Agricultural College.
After much thought, Jiang Qiuqiu decided to make braised dishes.
Think of spicy and delicious braised duck like Zhou’s something Duck, or the irresistible, can’t-stop-gnawing-on-it flavor of Jue something Wei. The taste of braised meat was refreshing and appetizing, and you could also add vegetables and legumes. Once the braising liquid was prepared, she could make a huge batch at once. Supplying a hundred servings would be a piece of cake.
She ordered spices by the bagful, then all that was left was to wait for the robot delivery.
Jiang Qiuqiu also bought an enormous, deep metal pot to hold the braising liquid.
Since she had paid an extra fee for express delivery, a delivery robot arrived at her door in less than an hour.
"Ms. Jiang Qiuqiu, would you like assistance carrying these ingredients into your home?"
There was no way Jiang Qiuqiu could carry everything herself, so she stepped aside and let the robots in.
Delivery robots were a relatively low-end product line in the robotics industry. They weren’t made with lifelike faces, and their mechanical features were still exposed on the outside.
Yet no matter how many times she saw them, Jiang Qiuqiu was always struck by a sense of awe.
’So this is what humanity becomes after several thousand years of history...’
’The technological leaps are simply incredible.’
After she signed for the delivery, the robots left. Jiang Qiuqiu arranged the spices in the kitchen and began to prepare the braising liquid.
The key to delicious braised duck wings, duck feet, and tofu skin lay in the braising liquid.
The exact notes of sweet and spicy in the final flavor were all determined by the liquid.
The best braising liquids were simmered for years, a creation brewed by time itself. But Jiang Qiuqiu didn’t have years to wait, so she would start with a quick, home-style version!
She put the large pot on the heat, added water, and brought it to a boil. After inspecting the delivered spices, she weighed them out by hand and added them to the pot in sequence.
The process of making the braising liquid wasn’t actually difficult. As long as one controlled the types and quantities of the spices, as well as the heat, everything would fall into place.
As she added handfuls of spices, the once-clear water gradually took on a beautiful, deep brown color. Tiny bubbles tumbled up the sides of the pot. Under the high heat, the spices slowly began to release their unique aromas.
The various aromas intermingled. At first, the scent wasn’t particularly fragrant. Standing on a stool to reach, Jiang Qiuqiu stirred the liquid in the pot with a large ladle.
When the temperature had risen sufficiently, she grabbed a large handful of rock sugar from beside her spice packets and dropped it into the pot.
The small lumps of rock sugar were unnoticeable as they disappeared into the liquid.
Yet it was this minor ingredient that brought a wondrous depth to the dish. You couldn’t taste the sweetness directly, but without the sugar, the meat would be missing a crucial layer of savory flavor.
Once all the spices were in, Jiang Qiuqiu covered the large pot with its lid and lowered the heat.
While the braising liquid simmered, Jiang Qiuqiu took the Gugu Beast Meat and Bibi Beast Meat out of the thermostatic container.
When a braising liquid was freshly made, it was best to braise some meat in it right away. The rich flavors from the meat would infuse the liquid, giving it an entirely new dimension of flavor.
She blanched the extra meat and cut it into small pieces. Then, remembering she still had some potatoes she’d bought earlier, she hunted down a few and tossed them in too.
This wasn’t to help the braising liquid, though. It was purely because she had a craving.
’Oh, how I miss that soft, mealy texture of braised potatoes, infused with a hint of meaty flavor!’
Around three in the afternoon, an overpowering, savory aroma suddenly began to drift through the air.
Mo Chengyu, who was still recuperating from his injuries: ...
’Oh?’
’A new dish, at this hour?’
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