After the fried mixed salt is cooled, it is evenly spread on the surface and inner cavity of the white goose, and then the white goose is put into a large vat to marinate for flavor.

The goose is dried when it is pickled, but after two hours of pickling, the salt is eaten into the goose meat, and the original water in the goose meat gradually seeps out, leaving the brine in the cavity of the hungry body.

At this time, it is necessary to carry out a step of picking the brine, take out the white goose, head up and butt down, and pick open the goose's buttocks, so that the brine will flow out naturally.

The reason why the brine is picked is because there are some impurities and blood in the brine that is precipitated from the goose meat first, which will affect the taste of the finished dish.

The operation of picking the brine is not known to be carried out only once, after the first picking, the white goose is re-put into the dry vat and marinated again for an hour, and then the second picking.

Generally, after the second brine, the water precipitated from the goose meat is not so dirty, and then the re-marination, that is, the marinade with brine again.

The brine is also specially made, and this process is also the process of adding spice flavor to the white goose.

The brine of the double brine is very particular, and each family has its own secret recipe, but the traditional method is to use saturated brine and add spices such as green onions, ginger, and star anise to boil.

In general, the freshly boiled brine does not have a strong taste, while the reused old brine has a strong flavor and the effect of marinated goose meat is better.

The reason is that when the old brine is constantly pickling the goose, it is integrated into the water-soluble protein, various amino acids, carnosine and purine alkali in the goose meat, which are rich in the delicious and delicious substances of the goose meat, so the goose meat marinated in the old brine is more delicious and the taste is also rich in layering.

Put the white goose into the old brine, cover the goose body whole, marinate for two hours, take it out and pour the goose body with hot brine, so that the goose meat and goose skin are tight, and the goose body is plump and shiny.

After that, hang the white-striped goose after pouring and drain it again to dry.

After drying, fill the inner cavity with spices such as green onions, ginger, star anise and spices, seal the opening, and then start to hang and roast.

In fact, the roast is not a roast goose, but first ignite the reed wood and pine branches as the main fuel in the hanging furnace, and when the fuel is almost burned and the flame becomes very small, the heat of the embers is used to dry the white goose.

The heat here is also very particular, if it is too large, the skin of the white goose will burn, and if it is too small, it will not have the effect of drying.

The use of reed wood and pine branches is also the key to giving the saltwater goose a special pine flavor, which is not available in stone charcoal baking.

After about half an hour of drying, the white goose changes color, and the skin begins to dry or even peel, and it is ready to be baked.

During the drying process, almost most of the residual moisture in the goose meat is dried out, and the salt that is heated here merges with the flavor of the goose, the goose meat is tightened but not too old, and the skin becomes crispy but not tough.

The last step is to simmer.

Because after the goose meat has gone through the process of pouring and drying, the goose meat is actually five or six years old, so the last step of stewing is not to cook the goose meat over high heat, but to cook the hungry salt in the goose meat, so that the goose meat can absorb the flavor in the soup and re-expand.

Therefore, this step of cooking goose does not need to be stewed over high heat, but with a simmer, and slowly let the goose meat go through a process of flavor and flavor.

Add water to the cauldron, then add seasonings such as green onions, ginger, star anise, etc., pour in an appropriate amount of rice wine, and add special seasonings according to the characteristic taste of each restaurant, and bring the water to a boil.

After boiling, turn off the heat, and when the water is not boiling, put the whole goose into the soup, let the soup flow into the inner cavity along the opening of the goose, soak it for a while, take out the goose, let the soup flow out of the inner cavity of the goose, and then put the goose back into the soup again.

At this time, add cold water to the pot, the purpose is to make the internal and external water temperature of the goose reach a balance, and then turn on the fire, do not boil the soup, but boil until there is a clear water line at the bottom of the pot, adjust the heat, so that the state of the soup in the pot is kept in this state of about to open but not open.

Take out the goose and drain it again, then put it back into the pot, let the soup cover the goose as a whole, then cover the pot and simmer for half an hour, this technique is called "pulling silk" in Huaiyang cuisine techniques.

The cooking technique of drawing silk is difficult for laymen to understand, but it is precisely because of such a strange processing method that the finished dish of salted goose has the same taste inside and outside.

You have certainly eaten many kinds of dishes with chicken, duck and goose as the main ingredients, but when you eat these dishes, you will always have the feeling that the skin of chicken, duck and goose meat has a strong taste, but the inside is light and tasteless.

Or the inside of the chicken, duck and goose meat also has a taste, but the skin part is too heavy, and it always gives people a feeling of imperfection.

The complex processing process of the salted goose is to use some incomprehensible, but very ingenious and effective methods, so that the taste of the salted goose is the same inside and outside.

The chefs of Huaiyang cuisine can think of such a method, which really shows that the ancients are really smart, of course, such an ingenious and complex processing process must have gone through many generations of inheritance and continuous improvement, before it was formed, from this aspect, it can be seen that Huaiyang cuisine is delicate and delicate, not just a name.

The processing method of shredding also needs to be carried out two or three times, which depends on the effect of the goose marinating and how well the heat of the goose soup is controlled.

Another key point is that the soup in which the goose is boiled should never be boiled, because the fat in the goose meat has already condensed and keratinized during the previous pickling and drying process.

Speaking of which, it is similar to the salting and coagulation of the fat in the ham, and the salted and coagulated goose fat is combined with the goose meat, which is the purest and most delicious taste.

If the heat is not well controlled when the goose is boiled, the fat will melt and spill from the goose meat into the soup, which will not only reduce the taste of the goose meat, but also ruin the taste of the goose meat because it is greasy.

After such a complicated process, the saltwater goose is completed, the saltwater goose at this time is full of shape, the goose meat is soft but not scattered, the texture is soft and tender at the same time, but fat but not greasy.

When you take a bite, a salty umami gradually spreads out in the cavity, and then the more you chew, the more fragrant it becomes, and the deliciousness of the goose meat is paired with a faint pine fragrance, which makes people want to stop.

It is not surprising that saltwater goose has become the most famous representative of Yangzhou cuisine. It's just a pity that there are very few masters and shops who can really make saltwater goose in the most traditional way in later generations.

The pursuit of profit-based quantitative production, cutting corners in the pickling process, and using electric stoves when baking, etc., have indeed made the production process of saltwater goose simpler and more convenient, but the most delicious taste of saltwater goose has gradually been forgotten.