Chapter 1421 - 555: Who Says Chinese Cuisine Doesn’t Have Low-Temperature Slow-Cooked Dishes? Salt Water Duck Disagrees!

Chapter 1421: Chapter 555: Who Says Chinese Cuisine Doesn’t Have Low-Temperature Slow-Cooked Dishes? Salt Water Duck Disagrees!

Shen Jiayue: ???????

That was some great acting, huh?

I initially wanted to comfort my cousin, since those videos were filmed by me.

But now it seems this guy really should be kicked out of the group.

After breakfast, Lin Xu drove to buy groceries and also stopped by a sportswear store to buy two sports bras for Shen Baobao, so she could joyfully run and jump later.

After the shopping, he drove back to the scenic area.

"Xu Bao, do you have time to make radish cake today? I’d love to try it."

Shen Jiayue’s interest was piqued; she really wanted to try a couple of crispy fried radish cakes.

Lin Xu said:

"No problem; when we get back I’ll start with the salt water duck, then make radish cake for you. I guarantee it’ll be better than any radish cake you’ve ever had."

"Wow, thanks, hubby!"

Back at the scenic area, Second Aunt’s family had already arrived.

Moli was holding Dundun, joining Xiao Lei and others to listen to Chen Shaokang recount the midnight poison incident. Second Aunt was handing the scarf she knitted at home to the three elders to try on, while Second Uncle Shi Wenming was fiddling with the small green vegetables he brought from home.

These were grown in their own shed, including cilantro, small bok choy, romaine lettuce, and the like. Their emerald green color looked very fresh and appealing.

"Xiao Xu, are these ducks the ones to be made into salt water duck today?"

Shi Wenming pointed to the ducks hanging in the yard. He knew two days ago about the salt water duck plan, but didn’t expect it hadn’t been made yet.

Lin Xu said:

"Yes, about to start making them."

He brought the various purchased ingredients to the kitchen, put on a large apron, placed the soup pot on the stove, added half a pot of water, and then put in scallion and ginger, Sichuan peppercorns, star anise, bay leaves, Angelica dahurica, and cardamom as spices.

Spices shouldn’t be too many; otherwise, they’ll overpower the fresh aroma of duck itself.

Apart from water and spices, no other seasonings are used.

Boil the water in the soup pot on high heat and simmer for a bit.

During this time, Lin Xu brought in the ducks hanging in the yard, officially starting the making of salt water duck.

Salt water duck is probably the only low-temperature slow-cooked dish in traditional Chinese cuisine.

Although Guangdong’s plain chicken also has a similar low-temperature slow-cooked feel, it demands the water temperature to be between eighty-five to ninety degrees.

Salt water duck, on the other hand, requires a water temperature of seventy degrees.

Low water temperature allows the salt in duck meat to disperse while making the texture fiber springy and elastic, giving a chewy yet juicy bite.

The ducks that dried in the wind can’t go directly into the pot; they need the same treatment as plain chicken, which is dipping them three times.

Lin Xu held the duck head, placed it into the water, waited for the cavity to fill with water, and then lifted it, ensuring the hot water scalded the inside.

This method aims to make the duck skin firmer for better texture.

Dip ducks in water three times, then invert and dip the duck head holding by its legs.

After scalding all ducks once, lower the flame, wait for the water temperature to drop, and then place the ducks into the pot one by one to start the cooking.

A water temperature of seventy degrees is signaled by slight bubbling in the soup pot.

Cover the pot lid; let it cook gently at low water temperature.

"Xu Bao, you didn’t add salt."

Shen Jiayue watched intently and couldn’t help but raise a question.

Shi Wenming, beside them, chuckled and said:

"We added lots of salt during the marination; no need to add now, just boil in plain water."

Making salt water duck is interesting; give ample salt initially, then use low-temperature plain water to boil out the excess salt.

During this process, the salty taste significantly reduces.

Yet the fresh taste of the salt itself remains within the duck.

The delicious salty and flavorful taste of salt water duck is closely related to this method.

This approach contradicts traditional Chinese cuisine, where salt is never fully added at once; it’s always slightly lacking.

The missing part is compensated just before the dish is ready.

Salt water duck, however, is completely opposite.

The reason might be that Jinling didn’t have high duck production in the past, relying on ducks being shipped from Gaoyou and such places, and the method was to slaughter and marinade them.

By the time they reached Jinling, the ducks were well marinated.

To savor the duck flavor, they had to be cooked in plain water to extract the salt.

Over time, this led to the well-known salt water duck.

Jinling has a long history of duck consumption; as early as Song Dynasty, there was a saying "No feast without a duck", and by the Ming Dynasty, it even turned into a song:

"Ancient academy, glaze tower; black silk, salty plate duck!"

This indicates how salted duck has become intertwined with people’s daily lives.

Salt water duck needs over an hour of low-temperature slow cooking; during this time, Lin Xu took two large radishes to prepare the much-anticipated radish cake for Shen Jiayue.

This is a popular snack in Fujian, Guangdong, Hong Kong, and Taiwan, and is easy to make.

Lin Xu peeled and sliced the white radishes, placing them in a bowl, and sprinkled with a handful of salt to start the water removal process.

Once the radishes have been drained of excess water, they not only have a more flexible and crisp texture but also rid the peculiar raw radish taste, making them more delicious.

Draining water takes some time.

Lin Xu gathered other ingredients like mushrooms, cured meat, cured sausage, dried shrimp, and began preparing.

He soaked and diced the dried shrimp and mushrooms individually, separated the cured meat lean from fat, for later frying the fatty part to enhance the taste of the radish cake.

Cantonese sausage is an essential ingredient in radish cake, enhancing both texture and aroma, giving the radish cake a richer flavor.