Chapter 96 - 96 Eel Noodles
96 Eel Noodles
“Ah Tao, what’s wrong?” Second Sister-in-law Shen, who had walked into the kitchen to look for food, saw Ji Zhao squatting on the ground in a daze and asked with concern, “Are you alright? Why is your face so red?”
“No, I’m fine. I’m just a little hot.” Ji Zhao shook her head repeatedly.
“Ah Tao, I heard that you went out with Third Brother to catch a rice eel? I wonder what you plan to do with that rice eel?” Second Sister-in-law Shen asked expectantly. “When I was young, I went out to a banquet with my father and ate braised eel. That taste was delicious!”
At the thought of the delicacies she had eaten when she was young, Second Sister-in-law Shen could not help but swallow her saliva.
“That eel is very large. I plan to make two delicacies.” Ji Zhao smiled and explained softly, “Stir-fried eel and eel noodles are especially delicious. Second Sister-in-law, just wait and see!”
Fifteen minutes later, Zhao Lanhua was invited to the kitchen.
“Ah Tao?”
“Mother, I want to make eel noodles.” Ji Zhao smiled. “But if I want to make these eel noodles well, I still need your help!”
“What do you want me to do?” Zhao Lanhua rolled up her sleeves and asked happily.
“Making noodles!” Ji Zhao said with a smile. “The most important things about eel noodles are the eel strips and noodles!”
“It’s a piece of cake. Making noodles are your mother’s forte!”
Ji Zhao picked up the eel that was kept in the wooden barrel and knocked it out with the back of the knife. Then, she cut it in half.
Half of it was used to make stir-fried eel, and the other half was used to make eel noodles.
The outer skin of the eel was slippery and sticky. If she wanted to successfully tear open this outer skin, she needed some skills.
Ji Zhao’s method was the simplest. It involved putting the eel in boiling water and blanching it for five seconds before immediately scooping it out. Then, she washed it with cold water and cut it open along the patterns on the abdomen to remove the main bone.
In the end, she began to cut it into slivers. As Ji Zhao was exceptionally skilled in cutting, the eel slivers she cut out were especially beautiful.
“Ah Tao, the noodles are almost done.” An hour later, Zhao Lanhua looked up and said.
“Thank you, Mother.” Ji Zhao smiled sweetly and began to make eel noodles.
The ginger, garlic, and scallions were cut into pieces and placed into a hot pan of cold oil to stir-fry. Then, she poured all the clean eel slivers into it and stir-fried them non-stop. She added green chili cubes, a suitable amount of sesame oil, and a large spoonful of secret chili sauce!
After adding half a bowl of clear water, the fragrance of the eel silk was immediately stimulated.
The heat was turned up to thicken the sauce, and before serving, half a spoonful of sesame oil and one spoonful of sugar was added.
The eel slivers were ready.
She scooped up the delicious eel slivers and poured it on the already cooked noodles. Then, she placed tthe green vegetables and half a braised egg. A bowl of sumptuous eel noodles was freshly cooked.
“It smells so good!” Second Sister-in-law Shen, who was playing with Ji Chen in the courtyard, could not help but gulp when she smelled the fragrance in the air. She quickly walked into the kitchen. “Ah Tao, what delicious food did you make? Isn’t this too fragrant?”
“Eel noodles.” Ji Zhao could not help but smile. “Second Sister-in-law, do you want to try it?”
“Yes, yes, yes!” Second Sister-in-law Shen nodded eagerly. In the end, she walked out of the kitchen with a big bowl of eel noodles in satisfaction.
After finishing the eel noodles, Ji Zhao decided to make braised eel.
Shen Dashan took out the dining table from the central room and placed it in the courtyard.