Soon, the golden oil in the pot turned into a ruddy shrimp oil from the shrimp heads.
This shrimp oil then re-fried the shrimp shells and Large Shrimp, making the already ruddy shells even more brilliantly red and enticing.
Once both sides of the Large Shrimp were fried, Lin Xu added a ladle of Rice Wine to the pot.
He then added a large bowl of water, one and a half small spoonfuls of salt, and a handful of Crystal Sugar, according to the amount of Large Shrimp in the pot.
Finally, he put in a handful of minced ginger and then covered the pot to let them braise.
High heat should not be used for braising, as it would overcook the shrimp meat. Low heat was sufficient.
"Aren’t you adding scallions, Xiao Xu?" Second Aunt Lin Hongxia asked.
"No, adding scallions would create an unpleasant scallion odor. Minced ginger alone is enough."
"It looks so simple. I’ll try it when I get back."
"I’ll try it too. If I learn this, I’ll have an extra signature dish for the family."
"Xiao Xu, teach us a few more dishes while you’re home these few days. My colleagues have been teasing me lately, saying that my nephew works at Fishing Platform, yet I can’t even fry Potato Strips properly."
"Me too. They always say the Potato Strips I cut are thicker than my fingers."
"My Potato Strips always turn mushy; they break apart as soon as I fry them. What should I do, Xiao Xu?"
"Xiao Xu, is there a trick to cutting strips?"
Lin Xu looked at his aunts, both maternal and paternal, chuckled, and said with a smile, "Just use a shredder. Buy one with small holes. After shredding, rinse the Potato Strips several times with clean water to remove the starch. This way, they’ll have a crunchier texture when fried and are less likely to turn mushy... The most important thing is to fry a smaller portion at a time."
Seeing his relatives interested in this dish, Lin Xu promptly took two potatoes, deftly peeled them, cut them into fine strips, rinsed them twice with clean water, and drained them.
Next, he prepared some dried chili segments and chopped scallions, and cut some green and red pepper strips.
Then he set up the wok and began to cook.
He poured peanut oil into the wok and, before the oil was hot, added some Sichuan peppercorns. Once they were fragrant, he fished them out and then tossed in the dried chili and chopped scallions.
After frying until fragrant, he added the Potato Strips, stir-fried them a couple of times, then drizzled half a spoonful of vinegar along the edge of the wok.
"The earlier you add vinegar, the crunchier the Potato Strips will be. Also, if added early, the acetic acid evaporates, leaving only the vinegar’s fragrance in the dish, making it taste even better."
He quickly stir-fried for a minute, then added a bit of Light Soy Sauce, followed by salt and a little sugar for seasoning.
Finally, he put in the cut green and red pepper strips.
He continued to stir-fry for thirty seconds to evenly coat the Potato Strips with the sauce.
He then removed it from the heat and plated it.
"That was quick! It’s ready already?"
"This kind of professional stove has intense heat, which is ideal for stir-frying. If you’re cooking at home, try using smaller portions and heating the oil more thoroughly; you can still achieve a good stir-fry effect."
Lin Xu then dished out the Potato Strips onto several plates.
Second Uncle-in-law Shi Wenming and Second Aunt Shi Hongxia immediately took them to serve to the other relatives.
"Come try, come try! Xiao Xu just whipped up these Potato Strips. The smell alone is making me drool!" Thɪs chapter is updatᴇd by 𝔫𝔬𝔳𝔢𝔩·𝕗𝕚𝕣𝕖·𝘯𝘦𝘵
The relatives waiting to eat the Large Shrimp hadn’t expected such a pleasant surprise.
After placing the plates on the dining table, everyone tried the Potato Strips and immediately began to praise how delicious Lin Xu’s cooking was.
Liu Zhengyu tried some and said with a smile, "Cantonese cuisine values wok hei. A stir-fried dish lacking wok hei is a failure. I didn’t expect Lin Xu to achieve wok hei even when casually stir-frying a plate of Potato Strips. His skill is truly exceptional."
Next to him, Zeng Xiaoqi took a big bite. "Delicious, delicious! I was planning on boasting to Boss Lin later to get him to treat me to crawfish. I didn’t expect to taste his cooking ahead of time!"
She had just said it casually, but when Chen Meijuan at the next table heard it, she immediately instructed Lin Hongqi, "Since Reporter Zeng wants to eat crawfish, Hongqi, go buy some after your meal. There are a lot of us today, so buy plenty. Let everyone try Xiao Xu’s crawfish."
She hadn’t yet tasted the crawfish her son made. This was the perfect chance to satisfy her craving.
Upon hearing crawfish was on the menu, Shen Baobao, who was eating Scrambled Eggs with Earth Skin Vegetables, immediately said, "Mom, you haven’t tasted the crawfish Xu Bao makes! It’s super fantastic! Ah, just thinking about it makes my mouth water!"
"Then tonight, let Xiao Xu make it for you. Have him make plenty, so my daughter-in-law can eat to her heart’s content."
Shen Baobao immediately rested her head on Chen Meijuan’s shoulder and said coaxingly, "Thank you, Mom. You’re so good to me."
Watching this harmonious mother-in-law and daughter-in-law relationship, the relatives all had knowing, aunt-like smiles on their faces.
Who would have thought that a daughter-in-law from Beijing would be so sensible. She was already calling her ’Mom’ so naturally right after getting engaged.
In contrast, back in their hometown, many wives for whom a high bride price had been paid wouldn’t even address their mothers-in-law properly half a year into the marriage. They’d call her ’So-and-so’s mom’ or just ’Hey,’ as if they’d brought a revered ancestor home. There was truly no comparison!
At the stove, the Large Shrimp were still braising.
Lin Xu held the pot handle with one hand and, pressing down on the lid with the other, gently shook the pot a few times. This was to prevent sticking and also to allow the sauce to penetrate the shrimp meat more evenly.
When he judged the time was about right, he lifted the lid.
A rich, fragrant, and savory aroma instantly wafted from the pot.
"Wow, this smells so good."
"Xiao Xu’s skill is really amazing."
"Just smelling this, I could eat two big steamed buns."
"No wonder he’s a specially recruited chef at Fishing Platform; my nephew is truly amazing."
While the relatives were showering him with praise, Lin Xu used chopsticks to pick the Large Shrimp from the pot and arrange them on a plate. Just as he finished the presentation, Second Uncle-in-law Shi Wenming asked, somewhat impatiently, "Can we serve it now?"