Although Zhao Xianqiu has been out of the palace for many years, he is still very good at serving people, he brought a bowl of Yangzhou lion head to Yang Huairen, "Please taste the lion head of Yangzhou first." ”

Yang Huairen nodded his gratitude and said to everyone, "Come on, let's taste it together." ”

After that, he began to carefully observe a steamed lion head with Yangzhou characteristics in front of him.

When it comes to the lion's head dish, the most common dishes are braised and steamed, and there are also fried and stewed, but the latter two methods will always make the lion's head taste slightly dull.

Steaming is nothing more than the simplest and most delicious way to eat the original taste of the lion's head, and the braised is on the basis of steaming the lion's head, and then using the braised technique to add color and sauce flavor to the lion's head.

The lion's head in the bowl uses the simplest steaming method, a small fist-sized lion's head is placed in the middle of the sea-blue porcelain bowl, the white is slightly translucent, and some shrimp and simple green vegetables are sprinkled on the top, giving people a fresh and natural feeling.

Peel it off with a small spoon, the soft and glutinous lion's head is naturally separated, and the steaming hot air comes out from the middle, take a small spoonful and put it in your mouth, the first feeling is that the taste is soft, the mouth melts, and the meat aroma soon occupies the whole mouth.

Of course, not only the meaty aroma, but also the faint taste of lotus root, with a faint sweetness, makes the lion's head look fat but not greasy.

Yang Huairen opened his mouth and praised, "Yes, yes, the chef's skills are very good." ”

After receiving Yang Huairen's praise, everyone at the table showed a happy smile together, and the chef who made this steamed lion's head hurriedly stood up and saluted, "Thank you for your praise." ”

"No need to be polite, you did a really good job, which is commendable."

Yang Huairen said in his heart, the ability to make such a taste of lion's head in this era shows that the skills of Jiangnan celebrity chefs at that time have reached a very high level, and there is basically no much difference from the practices of later generations after continuous tempering and improvement.

Later generations all know that the lion's head in Huaiyang cuisine and the Sixi balls in Lu cuisine are similar, and there are many similarities between the two dishes in the process of making and the taste of the finished dish.

Sixi meatballs have a long history, it is rumored to have a history of 3,000 years, and there are records of Qi people in the Western Zhou Dynasty who used minced meat as the main ingredient to make a large dumpling-shaped dish.

Of course, at that time, minced meat was not affordable for everyone, and only on the dining table of princes and nobles could you see the predecessor of this Sixi meatball.

Later, this dish was given an auspicious meaning, so a formal dish was formed, and four large meatballs were placed on a large plate, which respectively implied the four meanings of Fulu Suxi, which gave rise to the name of Sixi meatballs.

After that, it spread and appeared at the festive banquets of the people in the north, tasting this delicious dish while hoping for a better life.

The production of the lion's head was first recorded in the late Sui and early Tang dynasties, and the excavation of the Grand Canal spread the production method of this large meatball to the south of the Yangtze River.

Celebrity chefs or foodies in Jiangnan, according to the practice of Sixi meatballs, added their own understanding and Jiangnan characteristics, and after continuous improvement, the famous dish of lion's head was produced.

If you just look at the recipe, you will think that Sixi meatballs and lion's head are almost exactly the same in the production of minced meatballs.

But in fact, the two meatballs with similar shape and taste are different in many details, and there are obvious differences in the taste and texture of the meatballs.

Let's start with the basics of meatball making.

In the first step, mix the lean pork and fatty pork, chop well, and then pour in the juice soaked in green onion and ginger and stir.

The second step is to add the ingredients and seasonings. The seasoning is nothing more than soy sauce, salt, sugar, cooking wine, and the side dishes are different according to individual or regional tastes, adding diced vegetables or mushrooms or anything else, and the choice of side dishes is really very different in the production of various places.

In the third step, add a little cornstarch or flour and beat the mixture evenly.

The fourth step is to prepare a bowl of starch liquid, use both hands to form the minced meat into large balls the size of a small fist, and then dip the starch liquid or sauce with your hands, and gently pat it on the surface of the meatballs to let it set.

The fifth step is to cook, boil or fry the meatballs, and a simple lion's head is done.

It looks similar and very simple, but in fact, in the same steps, the four happy balls and the lion's head are completely different.

In the first step, there is a big difference between the ratio of lean pork and fatty pork, the proportion of lean meat in Sixi meatballs is higher, and the proportion of fat pork in Lion's Head is slightly higher, even reaching half and half of the ratio.

Sixi meatballs are made with minced meat, so the pork is processed by chopping, and in the production of lion's head, the fat pork is chopped, and the lean pork is diced.

Green onion and ginger juice, must be soaked in cold water, do not need to taste too strong, to remove the fishy smell of fresh pork, do not rush because of impatience, use hot water to scald green onion and ginger to make them taste quickly, this will affect the last taste of the lion's head.

Of course, if you have special requirements for other flavors, it is not impossible, such as Sichuan peppercorns, etc., according to personal taste, you can use hot water to soak the juice of these flavors, and then add them to the minced meat after cooling.

In the second step, Sixi meatballs are not seasoned with vinegar, but the lion's head is the opposite, because the proportion of pork fat is slightly higher, so adding an appropriate amount of vinegar can get greasy, and at the same time, it can also make the final lump into meatballs, the taste is better and softer.

In terms of the proportion of seasonings, the two are also slightly different, Sixi Balls will have less salt, and the salt of Lion's Head will be less, and the taste of sugar will be more obvious, and the result is that the taste of Lion's Head is relatively sweeter.

The addition of salt will make the minced meat firm after eating salt, so the taste of Sixi meatballs is firmer, and the lion's head is relatively softer.

On the side dishes, Sixi balls can sometimes be without side dishes, but the lion's head will look a little greasy without side dishes, so it will be neutralized with light diced vegetables.

In the third step, the four happy meatballs will be added with egg white and cornstarch, and when whipping, the minced meat will also be beaten until it is strong, and the meatballs will have a firm and elastic taste.

Making a lion's head is the opposite, you have to take your time when stirring, and you can't beat the minced meat too hard, and the result is also a unique style of lion's head with a fluffy taste.

The difference between the final molding and the production is not big, just because the lion's head is softer, so in the final production and maturity process, you should be a little careful not to let it deform.