Chapter 680 - 535: Are You Still Human? (Part 3)
"We don’t have... Mama!"
Qingqing and Weiwei’s eyes flashed with a hint of sadness, their tiny hands unconsciously clutching the hems of their clothes.
Old Lu and Old Jia instantly understood something, and a surge of guilt and compassion filled their hearts, regretting that their inadvertent questions might have touched on the children’s sensitive hearts.
At this moment, Weiwei bravely raised her head, her face breaking into a smile again: "But we have Papa! He’s busy in the kitchen right now, preparing delicious food for Grandpa Yang’s birthday banquet. Grandpa, let me tell you, my Papa’s cooking is really delicious!"
"Oh, really?"
Old Lu and Old Jia looked surprised, then quickly guessed that the little ones’ dad was that Chef Huang.
Seeing that the two grandpas seemed a bit doubtful, Weiwei hurriedly added, "Grandpas, I’m not lying to you! My Papa not only cooks wonderfully, but he’s also great at making pastries! The cake you’re eating now is made by our Papa!"
"Your father’s pastries are truly delicious!"
Old Lu and Old Jia praised while laughing, and they were filled with even more anticipation for tonight’s dinner.
Hearing the grandpas’ compliments, Qingqing and Weiwei felt sweetness in their hearts, even more delighted than if they had been praised themselves.
Yang Yuxi felt the same way!
Yang Deyi and Shu Meiling also felt very pleased.
They felt that this choice was the right one!
At this moment, the doorbell rang again. The couple exchanged a smile and then got up to welcome the next guest.
...
In the kitchen.
Huang Jun had nearly finished preparing the dishes, and seeing that the agreed serving time had arrived, he said to Chef Wu nearby, "Chef Wu, take the dishes that are done with Chef Zhao and Chef Yu and serve them first..."
"Alright, Chef Huang!"
Following orders, Chef Wu, along with Zhao Weiguang, began carrying the dishes out of the kitchen one by one.
Meanwhile, Huang Jun started on the final steps of the steamed crab roe meatball preparation.
This dish often accompanies bok choy, a pairing that is visually appealing and matches the essence of Huaiyang cuisine with the freshness and mild taste of the bok choy.
Before the bok choy goes into the pot, Huang Jun carefully trims it.
He removes the outermost old leaves and trims off excess stalk, ensuring every bite is tender.
Next, he boils a pot of water, adding a pinch of salt and oil.
This enhances the brightness and appeal of the bok choy and adds a hint of flavor, improving its taste.
Once the water boils, he blanches the prepared bok choy in the pot.
After blanching...
He retrieves the bok choy, cools it in cold water, then squeezes out the water from the leaves, setting it aside.
Noticing the meatballs in the pot were ready, he lifted the lid.
Suddenly...
An indescribable savory aroma wafted from the pot, prompting him to take a deep breath, and even Yang Yuxi, who happened to arrive, couldn’t help but exclaim, "Qingqing’s Daddy, this smell is amazing; it’s truly refreshing..."
"Miss Yang, why did you personally come over?" Huang Jun turned with a smile to ask.
"Everyone is about to be seated. I came over specifically to see how your preparations are going so we can dine together," Yang Yuxi replied.
"Why don’t you first help me look after Qingqing and Weiwei? I’ll join you immediately after I finish up here." Huang Jun smiled slightly.
"Alright then! Hurry up, we’re waiting for you~"
Yang Yuxi left hesitantly.
"Alright!"
Huang Jun replied while looking at the pot.
The broth inside had significantly reduced, with the cabbage leaves lying softly on the meatballs; Huang Jun used chopsticks to pick out the cabbage leaves, revealing the tender and enticing meatballs.
Most of the fat in the meatball had melted into the broth, while the lean part puffed up, resembling the shape of a carved stone lion’s head, probably the origin of the dish’s name.
Next, he used chopsticks to reach the bottom of the pot, extracting the stewed pig skin underneath.
After nearly two hours of gentle simmering, even with low heat, most of the pig skin in the pot had melted.
Once the skin is completely out, he didn’t immediately serve the dish but moved to the crucial final step—seasoning.
Among various dishes, the seasoning of the meatball dish is notably simple; just a bit of salt is enough to elevate its flavor.
After adding salt, he tossed in the blanched bok choy.
In an instant.
The bok choy leaves, which had wrinkled from dehydration, regained vitality in the nourishing meat broth, their leaves unfolding and turning a vibrant green.
The bok choy not only looked more appealing but also absorbed all the rich broth simmered for two hours, enhancing the dish’s texture and flavor to a new level.
He cooked the bok choy in the pot for about three minutes, then turned off the heat and prepared several small serving bowls for the finishing step.
The serving process was equally meticulous; you couldn’t simply pour the meatballs along with the broth into the bowls.
He first preheated the bowls with the hot broth from the pot to warm them up.
Then, he ladled out some hot broth, slowly pouring it into the bowls until they were about half full. Only then did he use a spoon to gently lift the meatball along with the rich broth, carefully placing it in the preheated serving bowls.
This series of actions was aimed at maintaining the meatball’s integrity and shape to the greatest extent possible.