Reborn in the 80s: Everyone Falls For Me
Chapter 551 - 550: Mass Release 30

Chapter 551: Chapter 550: Mass Release 30

The original recipe for steamed fish with rice flour was for steamed pork with rice flour, but fish is a bit more delicate.

When the fish was almost marinated, Xu Niannian added a few drops of lemon juice, which, along with ginger slices, helps remove any fishy smell, but lemon juice also enhances the fish’s freshness and fragrance.

After adding the lemon juice and waiting for another two minutes or so, the fish was mostly seasoned by then.

Plenty of water seeped out of the fish from the marination, combined with the seasonings in the bowl, resulting in a lot of marinating liquid.

Xu Niannian poured out all the marinating liquid, then sprinkled on some starch. The starch helps lock in the moisture and also the flavor of the seasonings.

After coating the fish with starch, Xu Niannian started heating the oil. Once the oil was hot, she picked up the wok, stopped heating it, and slipped the fish covered in starch into the scalding oil.

Frying for less than a minute, she quickly scooped it out.

That way, the seasoned flavor as well as the moisture were all locked inside.

The fried fish was then coated with the steamed meat rice flour.

The final step was to coat it with the steamed meat rice flour, which made the pieces of fish look much thicker, like a whole chunk.

Thickly.

In the plate, lemon slices were placed first, followed by pumpkin slices, and finally, the steamed fish was placed on top and taken to the pot to start steaming.

Lemon was put at the very bottom to prevent the overly acidic juice from infiltrating the fish and affecting the texture.

By placing it at the bottom, it could add a fresh aroma and cut through the grease, while the pumpkin slices were to add sweetness, a light sweetness that lay on the surface.

Steaming for about half an hour would do.

While the steamed fish was being prepared, the crispy chicken was also marinated just right.

She had mixed her own marinade using stream water from her space.

The aroma had already filled the entire kitchen, and Xu Niannian, worried that the fragrance from the marinade would seep into the fish, secured the lid of the steaming dish very tightly.

Concerned that it might not be foolproof, she also placed a large bowl over the dish for double protection, which should prevent any cross-flavoring.

Xu Niannian’s marinade was extremely fragrant; even she couldn’t stop salivating, it was so tempting.

Poking into the chicken with chopsticks, it effortlessly penetrated the meat—yes, it was cooked.

Xu Niannian lifted the chicken out, sliced it, and after slicing it, tossed it back into the wok to sauté. She threw in the cilantro and ginger slices to steam and become fragrant.

She didn’t add ginger and garlic in the usual order; she wanted to add them in at the end for stir-frying.

The Crispy Chicken, as its name suggests, has to be somewhat crispy to truly be crispy.

But at the same time, it could not be over-fried, so Xu Niannian had to constantly stir-fry, keep on stir-frying.

She repeated this action, and after about twenty minutes on high heat, it was done.

Unable to wait, she tried a piece. The skin was fried to a crispy texture, and when bitten into, the marinade burst out, piping hot and delicious.

Crispy Chicken is best eaten hot.

Xu Niannian, fearing it would no longer be hot in a short while, hurriedly covered the chicken with a big bowl to keep it warm.

After sautéing the chicken, Xu Niannian started to quickly stir-fry some side dishes.

Stir-frying the side dishes was fast, and several were completed in no time at all, just in time for the steamed fish to be ready.

"The dishes are ready," Xu Niannian called out, and Nanny Zhao immediately came to carry them.

However, someone was even more eager and faster.

And that was the agile Elder Master Jin.

The old master dashed into the kitchen, clamoring, "I’ll do it, I’ll do it, I’ll do it. Nanny Zhao, step aside."

Nanny Zhao, who was pushed aside: "..."

There was no longer any need for her services at home.

She didn’t need to cook, nor did she need to serve the dishes.

Fortunately, she could still mop the floors; otherwise, she really would’ve become unemployed.

Having worked for most of her life, Nanny Zhao still felt somewhat reluctant to give it up.

When the dishes were served, a crowd had already been eagerly waiting.

Smelling the delicious aroma wafting through the air, they all started salivating.

Jin Ruibing couldn’t help but ask, "Mom, can we eat now?"

Ye Qin pursed her lips, "Ask your grandpa."

Jin Ruibing uttered an "Oh" and asked, "Grandpa, can we eat now?"

Elder Master Jin looked at Xu Niannian, didn’t say a word, and kept his eyes on her, thinking since she was the chef, they needed her signal to start eating.

Xu Niannian was suddenly overwhelmed by a sensation of being deeply favored and said very excitedly, "We can start eating now."

Wow, the feeling of giving orders was thrilling.

Indeed, conquering people with gourmet food was her ultimate dream and passion.

Seeing so many people enjoying the food she prepared, Xu Niannian’s smile grew even more radiant.

As soon as "let’s eat" was announced, people at the table began to frenzy over the dishes, especially eyeing the most delicious-looking Crispy Chicken and steamed pork with rice flour.

Xu Niannian’s side dishes were tasty, too, but side dishes are always just that, side dishes; how could they be more appealing than the main courses?

Xu Niannian also began to eat, as she hadn’t had Crispy Chicken in a long while.

The Crispy Chicken’s skin was crispy and crunchy, and marinated with stream water and her special blend of seasonings, it flooded the mouth with a rich marinade taste with just one bite.

The chicken was crispy and refreshing, not greasy at all.

Yum, delicious. Xu Niannian hadn’t tasted it in such a long time that she couldn’t resist having a few more bites.

Then she picked up a piece of the steamed fish.

The piece of steamed fish was thick, and the flesh was tender and fresh, so thoroughly cleansed of any fishy smell that one might not even recognize it as fish.

The fragrant meat was numbingly delightful, and each bite would burst with juices—the locked-in moisture from the marinated fish made the broth rich and flavorful.