Every piece of at had to be fully stretched out. When picked up with chopsticks, it was almost as big as a palm. Only then would it be impressive and presentable. The at was added to the pot slice by slice, without haste. Once the slices in the pot were set, they were imdiately scooped out with a strainer, without hesitation.
Off to the side, Che, who had planned to help, asked, "Boss, isn’t this at under-fried? Is setting its shape enough? Do we need to fry it again later?"
Off to the side, having just finished making a batch of Fried Pork, Wei Qian glanced over and comnted admiringly, "The traditional thod for this dish is just to set the shape, then achieve thorough cooking by frying it again. This makes the batter crispy and delicious... Pay attention, Che, chefs in regular restaurants aren’t as ticulous as our boss. His skills are unparalleled!"
Building One cooked a lot of pork. Foreign dignitaries liked dishes with a sweet and sour flavor, so Building One’s signature Sweet and Sour Pork was quite famous. Wei Qian had often assisted the old chefs of Building One and knew the dish required multiple re-fries—three tis was not too many, five was not too few. Short repeated frying effectively locked in the moisture within the at slices, and the batter on the outside beca crisper with each fry, not easily going soft even when cool.
"Yueyue, where’s your brother-in-law? Uncle said it’s almost ti for the toasts, asking him to co upstairs to the private room."
While waiting at the kitchen door, Shen Baobao received a ssage from Chen Yan. She quickly typed back, "Xu is in the kitchen making Sweet and Sour Pork. We’ll head back once he’s done." After sending the ssage, she realized she shouldn’t have ntioned the na of the dish, as it might attract more people waiting at the kitchen door for food. Just as she was about to retract the ssage, Chen Yan’s reply ca, "Sweet and Sour Pork? Wait, I’ll co downstairs to et you."
et us? You’re here for the Sweet and Sour Pork, aren’t you? Shen Jiayue pursed her lips, annoyed with her own carelessness. But it was okay. If only Yan Bao were coming, there should still be enough for .
「In the upstairs private room.」
Seeing Chen Yan getting ready to leave, the nearly full Geng Lele and Zeng Xiaoqi also followed, wanting to step outside for so fresh air. As they left the private room, Lu Lu, from next door, planned to visit the kitchen to find Zhu Yong. If he wasn’t busy, she would ask him to make so Pumpkin Soup. Then they bumped into Wu Kexin, who had co out to take a phone call, and the secretary, Mr. Zou, who was planning to find Dou Wenjing for a chat.
When the large group made their grand entrance to the second floor, Shen Jiayue’s eyes widened in disbelief. That silly Yan Bao, did she use a gaphone to announce it to everyone one by one upstairs? With so many people, forget the Sweet and Sour Pork; even a whole pig cooked Sweet and Sour style wouldn’t be enough for them to eat!
「In the kitchen, Lin Xu had finally finished frying half a basin of at.」
He turned the stove to its highest setting, letting the oil temperature rise back up to over 70 percent, then poured the fried at slices back into the pot, re-frying them for ten seconds before scooping them out. After this round of re-frying, the surface of the batter had slightly changed color. Yet this wasn’t enough; it had to be fried several more tis until the batter was golden and the at exposed beneath was date-red. Only then would it be perfect.
He continued the re-frying process. Each session was brief, just ten seconds or so before removing the slices, then increasing the oil temperature back to above 70 percent heat before continuing to fry. When he scooped the at slices into the bowl, the clicking noises they made against each other indicated that the at slices were perfectly fried and ready to be seasoned using the base sauce thod.
The so-called "base sauce" thod refers to preparing the sauce first and then adding the ingredients to it. This contrasts with the "Stirring Sauce" thod, where the sauce is added when the dish is almost cooked.
He moved the frying pan to one side and replaced it with a slightly larger wok on the stove. If it were any other dish, he would have simply poured out the oil from the pan, leaving just enough to fry the Scallion and Ginger aromatics, but not for Sweet and Sour Pork. This dish required a clean pan. This was to prevent starch sedint from the oil pan causing black spots on the Sweet and Sour Pork, which would affect its presentation. So the best approach was to use a fresh pan with new oil to completely avoid any possibility of black spots.
A new ladle of soybean oil was added to the pan. While it heated, sliced Scallion, Ginger, and coriander stems were sprinkled over the fried at slices. Once the oil was hot, garlic slices were added to release their aroma. Then, the pre-mixed sweet and sour sauce was poured in, and the heat was turned up high to bring it to a boil. As soon as it was poured into the pan, the distinct aroma of vinegar imdiately wafted up.
With a spoon, he stirred the sauce in the pan over high heat, reducing it until tiny bubbles appeared, indicating that the sugar had dissolved completely and the vinegar had aromatized. The fried at slices were then added, and they were rapidly tossed with a spatula, ensuring the sauce evenly coated each piece. The touch of Dark Soy Sauce added to the seasoning gave the sauce a golden hue; now coating the at slices, it made them appear golden and luminous. After stirring everything evenly, he removed the wok from the heat.
He couldn’t linger; otherwise, the vinegar’s distinct aroma would completely evaporate, and the dish would lose its soul. Carrying the hot wok, he quickly moved away from the stove where several plates were already set up nearby. Lin Xu scooped the tangy-scented at slices from the wok into the plates, hurrying the servers as he finished each one.
The essence of Sweet and Sour Pork was that upon being served, the tartness of the White Vinegar would still burst forth, intriguing the diners gathered around the table with its rich aroma even before they took a bite. When eaten, the tanginess would actually be milder, but the crispness and sweetness of the at slices left a lasting impression. After finishing the at slices, a slight saltiness would erge, mitigating the greasy feel from the sweet and sour flavors and prompting an irresistible desire for another slice.
"Wow, this batch really wasn’t small; each table in the upstairs private rooms got a plate, and there was still so left over. Later, we in the kitchen should also taste the boss’s cooking..."
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