Explore the taste of Guangfu : the mellow aroma of time in steamed preserved meat
If we talk about the dish that best represents the warm atmosphere of Cantonese people in winter and the sense of ritual during the New Year, it must be steamed preserved meat, nothing else.
This is not only a dish, but also a food memory integrated into time.
When making it, we must carefully select the kind of pork with just the right proportion of fat and thin, as well as the kind of sausage and bacon that exhibit a deep, rich, unique and mellow sauce flavor.
The important pre-processing step is to quickly blanch the cured meat in boiling water to wash away the dust, remove excess saltiness and retain its purest oily and sweet aroma.
Then, put it together with the pork that has been simply marinated with salt, sugar, and light soy sauce, put a few slices of ginger, some green onions, pour some cooking wine, and then put it in the pot for steaming.
The steam begins to rise, and the unique and fragrant aroma of cured meat permeates the surroundings. What it exudes is the magical flavor produced by the combination of sunshine, autumn wind and time.
The cooked cured meat has a red and translucent color. When you put it in your mouth and taste it, it has a soft and chewy texture. The fat in it gradually melts between the lips and teeth. The taste is salty and sweet. It is an exquisite type that is very suitable for rice and wine.
One chopstick tastes the best in the world : the philosophy of freshness in steamed fish
In the philosophical category of Cantonese cooking, "freshness" is regarded as the supreme criterion. However, the cooking method of steaming is precisely the most outstanding form of interpretation of this criterion.
The star of a perfect steamed fish dish must be the most vigorous seabass or mandarin fish .
There is a chef who will lightly make a few cuts on both sides of the fish's body, as if to open a channel for the taste buds to penetrate. After that, he will put a sufficient amount of shredded ginger, shredded green onions, and brightly colored red pepper shreds. Next, he will evenly pour the light soy sauce and cooking wine.
When the fish is sent into the steaming steamer, a precise timing to lock in freshness begins.
Ten minutes, neither long nor short, is the golden time for the fish to change from raw to cooked, from firm to as tender as a garlic clove.
If you want to steam fish well, the key is to control the "temperature". The fish must be strong enough, the heat used for cooking must be sufficient, and the required time must be precise.
After being heated and cooked out of the pot, the aroma of onion and ginger stimulated by the hot oil perfectly blends with the inherent sweetness of the fish itself. Once tasted in the mouth, it is a gift from the ocean. The lightness contains endless layers of deliciousness. This is where the simplicity of Cantonese cuisine lies.
A bite of Cantonese style : the crispiness and rich aroma of roast goose
If steamed fish embodies the elegance of Cantonese cuisine, then roast goose embodies the other side of Cantonese cuisine that is passionate and unrestrained.
Selecting the tender Qingyuan black mane goose to make a perfect roast goose requires marinating, aerating, blanching, and drying the skin. After these complicated and complicated processes, it can be hung in the oven and grilled.
Among them, the preparation of roast goose sauce is at the soul. It is mixed with various spices such as light soy sauce, garlic, five-spice powder, etc. It is made through secret preparation. It adds a mellow taste to the goose meat as the base flavor.
Under the high temperature, the goose skin slowly becomes golden and crispy, and the fat under the skin melts and penetrates into the firm meat.
When roasting, be sure to turn the body of the goose from time to time so that it can be heated evenly. In the end, it showed that bright maroon color, which is very tempting.
When the chopped pieces are served, the hot smell mixed with the aroma of burnt meat and meat penetrates directly into the nose.
Pick up a piece and dip it in a little sour plum sauce. The sweet and sour sauce not only eliminates the greasiness of the fat, but also enhances the deliciousness of the goose meat to the extreme. The skin is crispy, the meat is fresh and tender, the bones are fragrant, and the texture is rich and clear, making people recall it with endless aftertaste.
Whether it is the steamed bacon with a homely and warm feeling, the steamed fish with the ultimate pursuit of perfection, or the roast goose full of rituals, these classic Cantonese dishes are deeply rooted in the soil and water of Lingnan, embodying the Cantonese people's respect for the original taste of ingredients and their meticulous cooking skills, striving for perfection.
They are not only delicacies that can be used to satisfy the appetite, but also the most vivid business card of Lingnan food culture, worthy of being savored carefully by everyone who loves life and food.
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