A studio in Philadelphia is brightly lit, with all kinds of cameras, makeup, and lighting busy. Pen fun and pavilion www.biquge.info

"Isn't this dress a little tight?" Liu Mang asked, looking at the tightened waistband chef's uniform on his body.

"It's just right, you're in good shape anyway!" Li Ruonan straightened the red scarf on Liu Mang's collar and said.

In a few days, it will be the day when kamaboko will be sold all over the United States. So Jones found a well-known program production team and came to Philadelphia to shoot a show to teach Americans how to cook fish cakes, and also to warm up for the sale in advance.

"Mr. Liu Mang, are you ready?" asked a small man in a peaked cap.

The man's name is Bergson, and he is the director in charge of the recording of the show.

"Well, I'm ready. Liu Mang nodded and replied.

"Everybody's in place, ready to start recording. Bergson shouted.

In order to cooperate with this shooting, Jones also specially found a famous Chinese female host in the United States to record this show with Liu Mang.

"Mr. Liu Mang, hello!"

The Chinese hostess is named Jiang Wanqing, who is Taiwanese, so she speaks Chinese with a sneer.

"Good evening, Miss Jiang!" Liu Mang greeted and gestured.

"Mr. Liu Mang is the god of Chinese cooking, so can you tell us about the origin of this fish cake?"

"Okay. Liu Mang nodded: "According to legend, an emperor in ancient China, Shun, took his two concubines, Nuying and Emperor E, to inspect his own territory, passing by the Jiangling area of China, Emperor Ehuang was sleepy, his throat was swollen and sore, and he wanted to eat fish and was afraid of thorns, so Nuying integrated his own cooking skills under the guidance of a local fisherman and made fish cakes for Emperor E. After eating it, Emperor E recovered quickly. When Emperor Shun heard it, he praised it greatly. Since then, fish cakes have been widely spread in the Jingchu area. And in the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, there is a "Lily Fresh Fish Village" outside the south gate of Jinan City, Chu Zhuang Wang Mou went on an outing to this fish village and ate it by chance, and loved it very much, so it was cited as the first dish of the Chu Palace. Until the Qing Dynasty, it still appeared in the court dishes, it is said that Qianlong tasted Jingzhou flower cake and blurted out: eat fish without seeing fish, but people can lily cake. ”

Liu Mang's explanation is not made up, but is recorded in Chinese folk, but it has been reprocessed by the director team.

"In other words, this kind of delicious food was only enjoyed by emperors in ancient China?" Jiang Wanqing asked as she glanced at the teleprompter held up by the staff.

"Yes! Because the preparation of this kind of kamaboko is very complex and elaborate, and it is very challenging to make the chef's cooking skills, so in the past, it was generally only enjoyed by the emperor. But now that technology has advanced and the ingredients are much more abundant than before, this kind of kamaboko has long entered the homes of ordinary people and has become a delicacy that can be enjoyed by the general public. ”

"Then Master Liu Mang, the jar of fish cakes in our hands now is only a semi-finished product, right?" Jiang Wanqing pointed to a can of fish cakes that had been called by the program team.

"It can be said to be a semi-finished product, but it is also ready to eat. After speaking, Liu Mang poured out the fish cake from the can, took the next piece of the blade and sent it to Jiang Wanqing's mouth: "You taste it, how does it taste?"

"Hmm...... It's so smooth and tender!" Jiang Wanqing covered her mouth: "It's also very elastic, countless times more delicious than canned luncheon meat, no wonder it is sought after by so many celebrities and rich people." ”

"Actually, it's just the easiest way to eat kamaboko. In China, hundreds of varieties have been derived from this type of fish cake, each with its own unique flavor. ”

"Really, that is, if you have the imagination, it can be combined with all kinds of condiments and trimmings to become a very versatile ingredient?"

Not only Chinese cooking, but also various Western cooking methods can also be used to make it a very delicious dish. ”

"Then Mr. Liu Mang, hurry up and show it to everyone. ”

"Okay. Liu Mang walked to the illuminated board and picked up a small Western-style chef's knife.

Originally, Liu Mang wanted to bring his own tools, but Bergson said that the main audience of this show was Americans, and he was afraid that using Chinese cooking tools would make these audience masters confused.

Cut the fish cake into steak-like pieces, then add butter to melt, add diced onion and stir-fry over medium heat, add chopped mushrooms and brandy, and stir-fry for 8-9 minutes until the juice is dry. Once it has cooled slightly, add foie gras and mix well to make a filling.

This is not a Chinese cooking method, but is derived from an authentic Western dish – Wellington steak.

Li Ruonan only demonstrated this steak method once, and then Liu Mang copied it perfectly, and also improved it, replacing the steak that was originally added with the current fish cake.

Sprinkle salt and black pepper on the surface of the cut fish cakes, heat them in a pan and fry them on high heat for 1 minute on each side. Wait until the skin has a slightly browned shell, immediately remove from the pan and brush a layer of mustard on the surface while it is hot, and then let it cool and set aside.

Then spread the plastic wrap, spread the fried fish cake, then use a spatula to smooth the filling, put the fish cake in the middle, roll the fish cake tightly through the plastic wrap, and refrigerate for seven to eight minutes to make the fish cake set.

"Master Liu Mang, is this a production method also from China?" asked Jiang Wanqing on the side.

"Oh, no. This method is derived from Western food, but I have made some modifications myself. Liu Mang replied.

While the fish cake was frozen in the refrigerator, Liu Mang then made the puff pastry that wrapped the fish cake.

Puff pastry is made from flour, which is mixed with flour, yeast, eggs, milk, and sugar, and then stirred into a dough.

Finally, roll out the butter into long strips, wrap it in dough, and roll it out into a dough.

When the time comes, the shaped kamaboko can be taken out.

Spread out the puff pastry, sprinkle some dry flour on top, brush the egg yolk liquid on all sides, put off the plastic wrap of the fish cake, wrap the fish cake with the puff pastry, seal side down, put it on a baking tray lined with baking paper, and send it to the oven.

"It's a little complicated, but I can assure you that the kamaboko is definitely worth the time you spend on it. ”

After waiting for about 15 minutes, the oven made a 'ding' sound, and Liu Mang put on asbestos gloves and took out the baked fish cakes.

Coated with a layer of egg yolk liquid, the kamabako wrapped in the dough in a baking tray is now coated with a golden color after being baked in the oven.

Before baking, Liu Mang also deliberately used a knife to cut a diamond-shaped pattern on the dough, which caused the dough to expand by heat, and the knife edge exploded, forming a beautiful fish scale pattern.

"Wow!" After the lighting engineer deliberately used a lamp, the fish cake at this moment was even more eye-catching, so that the filming staff in the hall couldn't help but swallow their saliva.

"Taste it, Miss Jiang Wanqing, and see how the fish cake I made tasted. Liu Mang took a sharp knife and cut the dough-covered fish cake on the plate.

As Liu Mang's knife fell, the fish cake was neatly divided into two halves, and from the cross-section, you could see the three colors that were distinct.

The outermost layer is a golden puff pastry with a pale pink underneath the puff pastry and a foie gras filling. And in the middle, there is a snow-white jade-like fish cake.

The beautiful color, coupled with the heat gushing out, adds another layer to the desire to devour people's hearts.

Jiang Wanqing took the knife and fork, gently cut off a piece, and then slowly brought it to her mouth.

"Well, that's great!" As soon as the fish cake was in her mouth, Jiang Wanqing couldn't help but admire.

The first thing your teeth feel is the crispness of the outer layer of puff pastry, which crumbles into slag in your mouth when you bite it gently, and the aroma of butter comes out completely after being baked in the oven, making people's tongues immersed in this aroma.

Then I bite into it, and the taste of the filling is the second time, and the crispness of the diced mushrooms and the delicacy of the foie gras create a striking contrast that gives the teeth a very pleasant feeling.

The final highlight came, when the teeth broke through the two layers of barriers, and finally bit into the innermost layer of fish cakes, Jiang Wanqing felt that the first two layers were paving the way for the final deliciousness.

The texture of the kamaboko itself is very smooth and elastic, and it gives a great sense of satisfaction when you bite into it, and when you combine it with a slightly spicy black pepper and a slightly choking mustard sauce, it will make your soul fly!

"It's perfect!" Jiang Wanqing took a big gulp: "I've only eaten steak made with this method, but I didn't expect that after changing to fish cakes, the taste will be even better!"

"Ka!" Bergson, the director, who was standing behind the camera and watching the camera, shouted to stop.

"What's wrong, Mr. Bergson, is there something wrong?" asked Liu Mang.

"No, it's not......" Bergson shook his head repeatedly, walked quickly to the board, and picked up the fork: "It's a very good shot, but I want to try it too, anyway, I can re-edit it later, it's okay to pause, right?"

"Uh...... All right. Liu Mang touched his nose and couldn't laugh or cry.

"It's delicious!" Bergson quickly killed a large piece of fish cake, and then wiped his mouth reluctantly: "Mr. Liu Mang, when the show is finished, remember to make me another one, okay?"

"No problem!" Liu Mang nodded with a smile.

"OK! Now let's shoot!" Bergson shouted as he walked back to where the camera had been placed.

"Mr. Liu Mang, the fish cakes cooked in this way are delicious, but is the method a little more complicated? For those of us who don't often go to the kitchen, it can be said to be a very big challenge, I wonder if there is an easy way to cook our fish cakes?" Jiang Wanqing asked.

"Oh, yes!" Liu Mang took a canned fishcake again and took out the fishcake inside: "I have specially prepared several relatively simple methods, which take a short amount of time, and are very suitable for those who come home from work and are unwilling to spend time on cooking." ”

"Really, let's take a look!"

Liu Mang, like last time, cut the fish cake into half-finger thick slices, and then explained: "I believe you have all had the experience of frying steak, and our fish cake can also be cooked as a large piece of good steak." ”

After speaking, Liu Mang took a frying pan and put in a small piece of butter after heating it. When the butter melts, quickly put the kamaboko in.

"The procedure is pretty much the same, you can sprinkle a little white or black pepper as you like, and then add a little chopped basil leaves or mint. Drizzle in a little red wine or brandy and you're ready to go. ”

Liu Mang placed the fried fish cake on the plate with a tong: "As for the side dishes, it depends on what you have in the refrigerator." Serve it with some boiled broccoli or potatoes, and if you think the flavor is light, you can even drizzle it with supermarket-bought tomato sauce or mayonnaise. ”

"Well, what another surprise!" After Liu Mang finished speaking, Jiang Wanqing couldn't wait to pick up the knife and fork, cut a piece of the fish cake on the plate and put it into her mouth.

"Compared to the kamaboko wrapped in the dough just now, the skin of the kamaboko fried directly in the pan is a little more charred, and the taste is more plump, especially suitable for pairing with red wine. ”

"That's right! Although kamaboko is a seafood and river fresh, and is traditionally eaten with white wine or fruit wine, when fried in butter, it tastes the same as the tenderest beef filet and can be served with red wine. Liu Mang explained again.

"Ka!" Sure enough, as soon as he finished saying this, Bergson shouted again, held a glass full of red wine, and ran up.

"Uh...... Well, I made a little more this time, and it should be enough for you to eat. Liu Mang said helplessly.

"What's next? What else to do?" Jiang Wanqing asked again after Bergson took the plate off the board and hid in the corner to eat.

"The most traditional way to do kamaboko in China is steaming, but most homes in the U.S. don't have steamers, but we can do it another way, which is boiling. ”

"Do you want to boil it?"

"You can put it or not, you can make it into a traditional Western-style soup. ”

After answering Jiang Wanqing's question, Liu Mang cut the fish cake into small cubes: "As long as you chop it, you don't need to cut it as neatly as me." ”

The chopped diced fish cakes were poured into a small pot of boiling water, and then Liu Mang poured a packet of oats, which are commonly eaten by Western families for breakfast, into it and gently stirred it with a spoon.

"Oh...... Was it used to make porridge?"

"Yes, but when you add kamaboko, the porridge tastes even more delicious. Of course, you can also add other things according to your liking, such as diced carrots, corn kernels, etc. This porridge is rich in nutrients, low in fat content and heat, and is most suitable for people who want to lose weight or keep fit. ”

"Come on, try it again!" After making the oatmeal porridge, in the next program, Liu Mang also demonstrated other ways to make the fish cake in front of the camera.

For example, cut it into shreds, add eggs and stir them in a pan to make an omelet.

For example, cut into small pieces, skewer with pineapple and onion pieces, and put them on the barbecue grill to grill.

……

A variety of practices opened the eyes of the foreigners present.

Bergson even shouted when it would be on the shelves, so that he could stock up on the goods, which made Liu Mang and Li Ruonan laugh, and secretly sighed that foodies are really everywhere.