SWDnovel Chapter 116 Autumn rains fall continuously, lamb offal warms the stomach
Chapter 116 Autumn rains fall continuously, lamb offal warms the stomach
Chapter 116 Autumn rains fall continuously, lamb offal warms the stomach
This lovely little cabbage I've painstakingly raised is probably going to be eaten by some pig.
He picked up another piece of lotus root and bit off the string hard, as if he were biting off some kind of unwanted thought.
But the thought was quickly suppressed by the delicious taste filling my mouth.
This Su Mu's craftsmanship is unparalleled, beyond compare.
He seems alright. Although he's currently a menial servant, his demeanor is better than that of many sons of dukes and marquises in the imperial court.
Moreover, this kid is unfathomable. Even His Majesty and the Emperor Emeritus have high regard for him, and he can even make those two lords linger around the stove.
If it really works out—
A ridiculous yet alluring thought suddenly flashed through Fang Xuanling's mind.
If this kid becomes our son-in-law, then we can eat as much osmanthus lotus root, fried chicken, crab roe rice, and all sorts of other novel foods that we've never seen before as much as we want.
No more waiting anxiously for my daughter to bring home leftovers!
Once this thought popped into my head, it grew wildly like weeds, impossible to suppress.
But this identity is a big problem.
Although Fang Xuanling didn't care about social status, the Tang Dynasty valued marriage between people of equal social standing.
That kid is just a kitchen helper now, without even a proper official position. If word gets out, the spittle of the entire court could drown him.
We need to get him an official position!
It doesn't need to be a big position; even a sinecure will make things much easier once you have a rank.
Fang Xuanling stroked his beard, a calculating glint flashing in his shrewd old eyes.
The autumn rains continued incessantly, one after another, soaking the entire palace in a cold, damp atmosphere.
The old osmanthus tree in the backyard of the imperial kitchen had just finished blooming, and its leaves were scattered and stuck to the muddy bluestone slabs.
Su Mu squatted by the well, with three large wooden basins in front of him.
The basin didn't contain any fancy ingredients, but rather the wastewater that the imperial kitchen usually dumped directly into the ditch.
Sheep tripe, intestines, and lungs were piled up there, looking sticky and not very appealing.
"Pot, you smell bad."
Little Sizi pinched his nose, stood under the eaves, wanting to come over but not daring to, his little face scrunched up.
"It smells bad now, but it'll smell so good you won't be able to walk away in a minute."
Without even looking up, Su Mu sprinkled a handful of coarse salt into the basin and poured in half a bottle of vinegar.
Reach in with both hands and rub vigorously.
If you want this stuff to taste good, there's no other trick than washing it.
Scrub off that mucous membrane, wash away that fishy smell, and all that's left is its natural freshness.
I scrubbed it three times and rinsed it five times with clean water.
The originally grayish-brown sheep tripe turned snow-white and translucent, and the sheep intestines lost their slippery feel, becoming very dry.
The large iron pot on the stove had been heated for a long time.
Su Mu didn't add any oil; he just poured in the washed lamb offal.
With a hissing sound, water vapor rose up.
He quickly stir-fried the offal in the pot to dry out the remaining moisture until the surface of the offal turned slightly yellow, then scooped in a large spoonful of mutton fat.
As the mutton fat melted, its unique aroma instantly diluted the damp chill in the courtyard.
Sauté scallions and ginger in a pan until fragrant, then pour in two large buckets of boiling water.
It must be boiling water!
Only when the water is boiled over high heat can the fat be emulsified quickly, resulting in a soup that is as white as milk.
With the pot lid on, Su Mu turned around to work on the dough on the cutting board.
This is semi-fermented dough, so it's soft.
He held a small bowl in his hand, which contained a prepared oil paste. He poured hot rapeseed oil over Sichuan peppercorn powder and salt, and the aroma was so strong it was almost pungent.
Roll out the dough, spread the oil paste on it, roll it up, and cut it into pieces.
He pulled both ends together, pressed down with his palm, and then pressed hard into the pile of peeled white sesame seeds.
A round, plump sesame seed cake dough is now ready.
Su Mu heated the specially made hanging oven until it was scorching hot, then wet his hands with some cool water, held the bottom of the sesame seed cake, and with a snap, stuck it to the inner wall of the oven.
After making these dozen or so sesame seed cakes, the rain outside started pouring down even harder.
Crunch!
The courtyard gate was pushed open, and three figures, looking rather disheveled, squeezed in.
Leading the group was Ji Shimin, followed by Fang Xuanling and Wei Zheng.
None of the three carried umbrellas, and their thick official robes were half-soaked, clinging heavily to their bodies and looking extremely cold.
"This awful weather is freezing!"
Li Shimin didn't stand on ceremony. He went straight to the stove as soon as he entered the house, rubbing his hands together in front of the firelight. "Su Mu, hurry up and get something hot. My teeth are chattering."
Wei Zheng was so cold that water droplets clung to his beard and his face turned blue. He wanted to say something about the proper conduct of a ruler, but after opening his mouth, he sneezed and obediently squeezed to the stove.
Only Fang Xuanling, while warming himself by the fire, glanced at Su Mu from head to toe.
The look in his eyes wasn't like he was looking at a cook, but more like he was looking at a rare object.
I've been thinking about this kid at home for the past few days, and the more I think about it, the more I feel that he's a promising talent. Now that I've seen him in person, my mind is racing with ideas.
"You guys are just lucky."
Su Mu used an iron hook to lift the pot lid.
boom!
A thick, white steam, carrying an overpowering aroma of meat, wafted directly at the three of them.
The soup in the pot was so white it was almost blinding.
Shredded sheep tripe and intestines tumble in the soup, while dark red blood clots float among them, along with thinly sliced sheep lungs that have soaked up the broth and look incredibly tender.
"This is----"
Wei Zheng sniffed, the aroma making his Adam's apple bob, but after seeing what was in the pot, his brows furrowed again. "Sheep offal?"
This kind of food was eaten by commoners in Chang'an; nobles considered it dirty and disliked its lingering fishy smell.
"Stop standing there like that."
Su Mu took four large bowls and lined them up in a row. "In this freezing weather, nothing warms the stomach better than a bowl of mutton offal soup."
He sprinkled a handful of finely chopped green garlic shoots at the bottom of the bowl and added a little salt.
The key point is that small jar.
Su Mu scooped up a little grayish-white powder with a small spoon and sprinkled it into the bowl.
"What is this?"
Li Shimin was curious.
"White pepper powder, a wonderful product from the Western Regions, is the best for dispelling cold."
The scalding hot mutton soup was poured into the bowl.
The garlic sprouts and pepper powder that were originally at the bottom of the bowl were instantly released with their most intense aroma!
It wasn't just the aroma of meat; it was a complex flavor with spiciness and the fresh scent of herbs, hitting you right in the head.
Li Shimin picked up the bowl, ignoring the heat, and took a big gulp.
The broth is fresh at first, followed by a slight tingling sensation from the pepper, which burns down the throat and explodes into a warm feeling in the stomach.
"ha--!"
Li Shimin let out a long breath, the paleness from the cold instantly fading, replaced by a rosy glow. "That feels so good! Damn, that feels so good!"
Seeing that the emperor had drunk it, Wei Zheng stopped being coy and took a sip from the bowl.
Once you start pursing your lips, you can't stop. Your previously tense shoulders relax, and you sink into that warmth.
"The pancakes are ready!"
Su Mu used iron tongs to take the sesame cakes out of the oven one by one.
The freshly baked sesame seed cakes puffed up like small steamed buns, with a golden and crispy layer of sesame seeds on the surface that crumbled at the slightest touch.
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