The Romance of the Famous Marshals of the Early Tang Dynasty Li Jichuan

Chapter 5 Stewed Duck

Huiyuan Zen Master sent Sun Anfu, Xu Gai, Xu Maogong, housekeeper Sun Dayou, and housekeeper Xu Quan to the gate of Yicheng Temple, and everyone waved goodbye, rode horses and whips, and ran to Sun Anfu's house.

Everyone entered Sun Anfu's house, and after the guests and hosts were seated, Sun's father hurriedly asked Xu Gai: "Virtuous nephew, what did Master Huitong say?"

Xu Gai smiled, and stopped talking, Sun Anfu walked quickly to Father Sun and said with a smile: "Dad, Master Huitong said that at the age of Xu Gongzi, you need to learn more skills."

Sun Anfu glanced at Xu Gai, and said with a smile: "Brother Xu's famous dishes are very delicious, I went to the kitchen with Brother Xu to make famous dishes."

Father Sun smiled: "I heard Sun Wu say it earlier, and the old man has been thinking about it for several days."

After Sun Anfu and Xu Gai arrived at the kitchen, Sun Anfu looked at no one on the left and right, and whispered in a low voice: "In Yicheng Temple, Master Huitong made an appointment with us, and only the three of us know about Xu Gongzi's affairs, and we must not let outsiders know about it again.

Xu Gai lowered his voice and said: "When Ling Zun asked just now, I really wanted to tell the truth, but I remembered Master Huitong's advice, so I didn't speak, but I think it's not good to hide this matter from Ling Zun."

Sun Anfu said in a low voice: "This matter, don't say it, my father is a reasonable person, even if he knows the truth in the future, he won't blame you."

Xu Gai smiled and said, "Just Brother Yixian."

Xu Gai continued: "Brother Xian, you make roasted oxtail, and I make Yiya five-flavor chicken, and the rice will be served in an hour."

Sun Anfu said with a smile: "Brother Xu, I only ate some snacks at noon, and I was hungry for a long time, but I don't know how to make roasted oxtail."

Xu Gai said with a smile: "Roasted oxtail is the easiest to make among the famous dishes, if you follow the steps I said, you can do it well."

At this time, Sun Wu entered the kitchen, came to the two of them, and said with a smile: "The old lady instructed the little one to come and give the two masters a hand."

Xu Gai said with a smile: "Sun Wu, come and help your master make roasted oxtail."

An hour later, the dining table was set up in the main hall, Father Sun sat in the center, Xu Gai sat on the left, Sun Anfu sat on the right, and Xu Maogong and housekeeper Xu Quan sat next to Xu Gai.

Six dishes were placed on the table, with a large casserole and a large plate in the middle, and around these two main dishes, a plate of steamed dried mackerel, a plate of beef in sauce, a plate of salted peanuts, and a plate of spiced edamame.

Xu Gai said with a smile: "Uncle, the big guys are hungry, please taste only three famous dishes today."

Xu Gai pointed to the casserole in the middle and said with a smile: "Uncle, this dish is called Yiya Five-Flavor Chicken, the soup is light and light, suitable for the elderly to eat regularly, and it can nourish and strengthen the body."

Xu Gai pointed to the large plate on the left and said: "This dish is called roasted oxtail, which has the effect of strengthening muscles and bones and anti-aging, and this dish is made by Brother Anfuxian."

Father Sun pointed to the roasted oxtail and asked with a smile, "Virtuous nephew, you said that this famous dish was made by my son?"

Xu Gai replied with a smile: "Exactly."

Father Sun smiled: "Virtuous nephew, I'm not afraid of your jokes, my son never goes into the kitchen, every time the old man mentions the kitchen, he always says Mencius said, the gentleman is far away from cooking, today my son can make famous dishes, it's too rare."

Sun Anfu interjected: "Dad, this roasted oxtail, you have to be satisfied with it, I will often make it for you in the future."

Father Sun smiled from ear to ear.

Xu Gai continued: "The third famous dish is the simmered male duck, which is being stewed in the kitchen, and it will be stewed for twelve hours, and it can only be eaten tomorrow."

Xu Gai picked up the casserole lid and handed it to the housekeeper Xu Quan, who put the casserole lid on the corner of the table.

Xu Gai smiled: "Uncle, please taste it."

Sun Anfu turned over the chicken in the casserole with chopsticks, then tore off a large piece of chicken breast meat with chopsticks, put it in a small dish in front of Dad Sun, and said with a smile: "Dad, Brother Xu is a chef who learned from Caozhou's famous chef Yi Yuanchao, and the dishes he makes are very delicious, so taste it."

Sun Anfu tore off a chicken leg with chopsticks, put it in a small dish in front of Xu Maogong, and said with a smile: "Maogong, you are hungry, eat a chicken leg first."

Xu Maogong smiled and replied, "I'm not hungry, when I left the gate of the Yicheng Temple just now, the housekeeper gave me a few pieces of snacks to eat."

Father Sun smiled: "The old man asked the housekeeper Sun Dayou to bring a big bag of dim sum, which is delicious when Xu Gongzi is hungry."

Father Sun used chopsticks to tear off a small piece of chicken breast meat in the small plate and put it in his mouth to chew carefully, while chewing, he smiled and said: "The meat is rotten and fragrant, it is really rare and delicious."

Father Sun put down his chopsticks and asked, "Did you learn your cooking skills from the famous chef Yi Yuanchao?"

Xu Gai replied, "Exactly, my uncle has heard of Master Yi Yuanchao's name?"

Father Sun replied: "When the old man was middle-aged, he was mixed in the officialdom and ate the dishes made by Master Yi Yuanchao, who is famous in Caozhou."

Xu Gai continued: "My wife's firstborn is a daughter, the second child is still a daughter, and the third child is Xu Maogong. There is a friend of the old uncle, Caozhou celebrity chef Yi Yuanchao invited to my home, introduced to my father, Caozhou celebrity chef Yi Yuanchao saw Xu Maogong's condition, he said that only need to use food therapy for a year to grow up healthily; If you can always persevere, you will live a long life. I learned therapeutic cooking from celebrity chef Yi Yuanchao for two years. A year later, Xu Maogong changed a lot, and he had no minor illness in the next few years. ”

The housekeeper Sun Dayou held the wine jug and came to pour wine for Xu Gai.

Father Sun smiled and said, "Housekeeper, come and pour a cup for the old man."

Sun Anfu took a wine glass and put it in front of his father, and Dad Sun smiled while watching the housekeeper Sun Dayou pour wine: "Xu Xian's nephew brought his eldest son to our mansion, the old man is happy, my son makes a famous dish, and the old man is also happy, so I will make an exception and have a drink today."

Sun Anfu smiled at Xu Gai and said, "Brother Xu, my father hasn't drunk for three years."

After the housekeeper Sun Dayou poured wine for Xu Gai and Sun Anfu, Sun Anfu took the wine jug and instructed: "I'll pour the wine, you can eat together, and after you have a full meal, go replace Sun Wu." The housekeeper Sun Dayou took a pair of dishes and chopsticks and sat down next to Sun Anfu to eat.

Sun Anfu asked Xu Gai: "Brother Xu, why do you have to stew male duck for a day and a night before you can eat it?"

Xu Gai replied with a smile: "The ancients said: Birds are good at maintaining health, and male ducks are also. Rotten stewed old male duck, the effect is better than ginseng. ”

Sun Anfu then asked: "Brother Xu, you said that the male duck was stewed for a day and a night, and the stew was very ripe, and the effect was comparable to ginseng and astragalus?"

Xu Gai replied: "That's what Master Yi Yuanchao said. In terms of nourishing and strengthening the body and prolonging life, females are the first choice for all birds, and hens are used for Yiya five-flavor chickens, but male ducks are preferred for ducks; The birds prefer the young, but the ducks are long. Male ducks grow longer and fatter, and their skin and flesh remain unchanged until they get older. The simmered male duck has a good effect, without the medicinal taste of ginseng and astragalus, and people with weak constitution and bad stomach are also willing to eat it for a long time. ”

Sun Anfu asked again: "Brother Xu, according to what you say, stewed male duck is the best dish to nourish and strengthen the body and prolong life?"

Xu Gai replied: "Among the famous poultry dishes I learned from Master Yi Yuanchao, the simmered male duck has the best effect on prolonging life. The advantage of stewed male duck is that it is smooth and soft, and the duck meat melts in the mouth, which is especially suitable for the elderly and young children. Stewed male duck is the first famous dish that Master Yi Yuanchao taught me to make, when I first learned it, my family made it once every two days, and now Xu Maogong is strong, and my family eats it five or six times a month. ”

Father Sun picked up the wine glass and said with a smile: "Virtuous nephew, the old man is happy today, take a big sip." He took a big sip with his neck raised.

Xu Gai said with a smile: "Uncle, thanks to Brother An Fuxian's introduction today, the little nephew is also very happy to meet Master Huitong."

After speaking, he raised his glass and drank it all.

Father Sun put down his wine glass and asked with a smile: "Virtuous nephew, this simmered male duck has the best effect on prolonging life, is it difficult to do?"

Xu Gai replied with a smile: "Uncle, it takes too long to stew male duck, and it is very easy to make, the special porcelain stewed duck can, I brought it, and my uncle wants to think that this dish is delicious, and this special porcelain stewed duck pot will be left in your house for use."

Sun Anfu interjected: "Dad, you have to like to eat the stewed male duck, I also learn from Brother Xu, and when my son learns it, our family will also make it once every two days."

Xu Gai said with a smile: "The famous dish of stewed male duck must be stewed for twelve hours, and it can only be eaten tomorrow."

Sun Anfu used chopsticks to pick a large piece of roasted oxtail from the large plate on the left, put it in a small dish in front of Dad Sun, and said with a smile: "Dad, this is the roasted oxtail made by my son, taste it."

Father Sun picked up the roast oxtail with chopsticks, put it to his mouth and bit down a piece of meat, then put the roast oxtail back into the small plate, chewed it carefully and said with a smile: "The beef is soft and rotten, fragrant and mellow, suitable for the old man to eat."

Sun Anfu smiled: "Dad, if you like to eat, I often cook it for you."

Father Sun put down his chopsticks, looked at Sun Anfu and said with a smile: "I didn't expect that the old man would have such a good mouth when he passed the age of six." After speaking, he picked up his wine glass and took another big sip with his neck raised.

Sun Anfu said with a smile: "Dad, Brother Xu said that the dish of roasted oxtail has the effect of strengthening muscles and bones and anti-aging, and it is most suitable for the elderly to eat.

Sun Anfu glanced at Xu Gai and said with a smile: "Brother Xu, how about you try the roasted oxtail made by the younger brother?" After speaking, Sun Anfu used chopsticks to pick a large piece of roasted oxtail from the large plate on the left, put it to his mouth and bit down a piece of meat, and then put the piece of roasted oxtail into the small plate in front of him, chewed and chewed, frowned and said: Brother Xu, the taste of the roasted oxtail made by the younger brother is much worse than what he ate at Brother Xu's house. ”

Xu Gai picked a small piece of roasted oxtail in the large plate on the left with chopsticks, dipped it in the vegetable soup, put it to his mouth and bit down a piece of meat, and then put the piece of roasted oxtail in the small plate in front of him, chewed it carefully, put down the chopsticks, and said with a smile: "Brother Xian, the first time I made roasted oxtail, it was already very good to make it like this, the taste was slightly worse, it was the foolish brother who made it at home, put the old soup, this time I came in a hurry, I forgot to bring the old soup, next time I came to your house, the foolish brother must bring the old soup."

Father Sun interjected with a smile and asked, "Virtuous nephew, the old man tastes good when he eats this roasted oxtail, could it be that the old soup tastes more beautiful?"

Xu Gai replied with a smile: "Uncle, when you make roasted oxtail, when you need to add water, you need to add old soup, which is more delicious and fragrant."

Sun Anfu said with a smile: "Dad, the roasted oxtail made by Brother Xu in the old soup is extremely beautiful and wonderful."

Father Sun smiled and said: "Virtuous nephew, the old man will be able to eat it next time, and it is a pleasure to think about the roasted oxtail made of the old soup." After speaking, he picked up the wine glass, raised his neck to drink all the rest of the wine, and put the empty glass on the table.

Xu Gai said with a smile: "Uncle, the next time the little nephew comes to your mansion, bring the old soup, and add the old soup when Brother An Fuxian makes the roasted oxtail again, it will taste much better." After speaking, he raised his wine glass and drank it all.

Sun Anfu leaned closer to Father Sun, and asked with a smile, "Dad, happy today, how about eating a bowl of rice?"

Father Sun replied with a smile: "Today I drank a glass of wine, ate chicken, beef, and ate half a bowl of rice as usual."

Sun Anfu instructed the housekeeper Sun Dayou: "Housekeeper, go and serve half a bowl of rice to the old lady."

After a while, the housekeeper Sun Dayou took half a bowl of rice and handed it to Sun Anfu with both hands, Sun Anfu took the bowl and put it in front of Father Sun.

Xu Gai tore off a large piece of chicken breast meat with chopsticks with his right hand, shook it in the casserole, sticky more vegetable soup, picked up the rice bowl with his left hand, close to the side of the casserole, and put the large piece of chicken breast meat with chopsticks with his right hand into the rice bowl, put down the chopsticks, held the rice bowl with both hands, put it in front of Father Sun, and said with a smile: "Uncle, eat rice with Yiya five-flavor chicken, it tastes better, taste it."

Dad Sun picked up the rice bowl and said with a smile: "The old man has a limited amount of wine, you continue to drink, and the old man eats rice."

Sun Anfu persuaded Xu Gai to drink two more cups, and Father Sun finished eating half a bowl of rice and put down the rice bowl.

Sun Anfu said with a smile: "Dad, I'm happy today, how about eating half a bowl of rice?"

Father Sun frowned and said, "Looking at the delicious famous dishes, I am really greedy, my stomach is a little swollen, and I really can't eat it."

Xu Gai asked, "Uncle, why do you eat so little?"

Sun Anfu interjected with a smile: "My father used to eat a lot of food, but in the past year, he only ate half a bowl of rice per meal."

Father Sun sighed and said, "Every time I eat half a bowl of rice, my stomach swells, I really can't eat it, virtuous nephew, is there any good way?"

Xu Gai replied: "Uncle, this is senile anorexia, Master Yi Yuanchao taught the little nephew to make a famous dish, you can be cured by eating it often, the little nephew will set off early tomorrow morning, go home to find all the ingredients, and then come to make that famous dish for the uncle."

Father Sun said with a smile: "Virtuous nephew, I will have lunch an hour early tomorrow, after lunch, I will set off at noon, and I will be able to rush home before dark."

Xu Gai smiled: "Just uncle."