I'm the Culinary God

"I understand your eagerness to show off your man, but even so, what is this... Duck feet?"

Chen Yan mumbled as she approached the dining table, her eyes immediately glued to the mustard duck feet laid out, along with that tempting, non-irritating mustard aroma.

"Wow, brother-in-law made mustard duck feet? Perfect, I’ve been craving this."

Chen then was just about to make a sarcastic comment, but in this scenario, any kind of sarcasm was already tossed out of the window. All she wanted now was to experience the delightful sensation of mustard-induced tears.

Shu Yun handed over a pair of chopsticks, and Chen Yan took them, picking up a duck foot and popping it into her mouth.

Initially, there was a slightly cool sensation upon entry, followed by a mild sour sweetness and the aroma of sesame oil, then a faint, refreshing spicy flavor gradually rising in the mouth.

Chewing on the cold, crisp duck feet, the spiciness of the mustard began to intensify.

The more you chew, the more intense the mustard flavor becomes.

And the stronger the flavor, the more you want to quickly chew and swallow the duck feet.

As you chew, the spiciness of the mustard rampages through the mouth with significant impact, and once the duck foot is eaten, tears begin to stream down in unsuppressed droplets.

It’s hard to say whether she was crying out of happiness or bursting into laughter; either way, it was exhilarating.

"Comforting, so thrilling!"

Chen Yan wiped her eyes with a tissue, feeling that eating mustard was truly satisfying, as if all her pores had been opened up by the pungency of the mustard.

Lin Xu, having rarely eaten this dish before, tried it and asked everyone:

"Isn’t there too much mustard?"

Shen Jiayue and the others immediately replied:

"Not too much, mustard duck feet have to be eaten this way."

"Cold, sweet, and crunchy, it’s only this thrilling when eaten this way."

"In many restaurants, the amount of mustard is specifically reduced, making it always feel as if it’s hanging in mid-air, neither here nor there. It doesn’t have the invigorating sharpness of mustard."

Dishes with mustard are meant to be refreshing and transparent, and without this effect, it becomes a sweet and sour cold dish, losing the essence of a mustard dish.

While eating, Shen Guofu and his wife came upstairs.

After trying the mustard duck feet, the two also gave their approval:

"Delicious, every bite feels refreshing throughout the body."

"These duck feet are cooked just right, chewy yet crisp... Lin Xu’s skills are truly impressive."

After eating two duck feet, Shen Guofu started looking forward to the Mustard Dumplings.

Mustard duck feet are typically something you order in a restaurant, and duck feet aren’t cheap. By comparison, Mustard Dumplings are more of a home-style dish.

Mustard Dumplings are a classic Beijing snack, originating from the Man Clan, but due to their low cost and simple preparation, they have been passed down over generations in Beijing.

Lin Xu said:

"I’ll go make them now, if I’m quick, we can have them by lunchtime."

Shen Guofu laughed and replied:

"No rush, good food is worth the wait. By the way, Lin Xu, when making the Mustard Dumplings, remember to make some Cucumber Dumplings too, they taste just as good."

Cucumber Dumplings?

Lin Xu was momentarily stunned, then realized this was the Jinmen version of Mustard Dumplings.

The method is somewhat similar to pickling cucumbers, but pickled cucumbers use salt, whereas Cucumber Dumplings use sugar.

Using sugar to draw out the cucumber’s moisture, then marinating it in mustard sauce, results in cucumbers that are sweet and sour, refreshing, with a rich mustard flavor, just as appetizing as the cabbage Mustard Dumplings.

Returning to the kitchen, Lin Xu began preparing the Mustard Dumplings.

There are several methods to make Mustard Dumplings.

The traditional method is to select cabbage that is long and firm, remove the roots and leaves, and cut the whole cabbage into inch-high cabbage stumps.

These cabbage stumps are carefully placed in a strainer and scalded with a ladle of boiling water three times.

Then they are layered in a deep basin.

After one layer is arranged, a layer of freshly mixed yellow mustard is spread, followed by a layer of sugar before starting the second layer, layering until the basin is filled.

Seal the basin, then cover it with a small cloth or small cotton blanket commonly used for pickling at home.

After two or three days, the Mustard Dumplings in the basin will be ready. They are served onto plates, accompanied by some of the original mustard marinade from the bottom, to be eaten cold. It is incredibly thrilling.

This method of making Mustard Dumplings, if stored properly, can last a long time.

But the downside is that you have to wait several days, and the mustard powder can’t be pre-fermented; it must ferment simultaneously during sealing. If the yellow mustard isn’t of good quality, there’s a risk of the dish failing.

Therefore, to better control the flavor and enjoy it sooner, new methods for making Mustard Dumplings have emerged.

For instance, what Lin Xu was making now, which can be enjoyed the same day, not only faster but also simpler to make.

He removed the outer old layers of the cabbage, cut off the top half of the leaves, and then broke apart the cabbage leaves piece by piece.

During this process, water was boiling on the stove.

Once the water boiled, the cabbage leaves were blanched one by one for about twenty seconds, then immediately placed in cold water.

The traditional method of placing whole cabbage stumps in a strainer and scalding them in boiling water made the pickling process too slow, so by tearing the cabbage into pieces and blanching them in water, the process was much quicker.

The chilled cabbage was retrieved, and as much excess water was removed as possible.

Then, all the cabbage leaves were placed in a basin, to which some yellow mustard sauce, a bit of salt, a little mustard oil, a large spoonful of sugar, half a spoon of rice vinegar, and half a spoon of Chen Vinegar were added.