CHAPTER 408: CHAPTER 225: THE ULTIMATE EEL DISH - BRAISED SADDLE BRIDGE! [SEEKING MONTHLY TICKET]_2

Additionally, there were some young, slender eels, some freshly picked lotus pods, as well as fresh Gu fish, fragrant dried tofu, Lactone Tofu, and other ingredients.

"Is this Gu fish for Squirrel Guaiyu?"

"Yes, Squirrel Guaiyu. Since the guests want to taste the local cuisine, Squirrel Guaiyu is a must-have."

Soon, the kitchen helpers began to cut the ingredients according to the requirements of the evening’s menu.

The fragrant dried tofu was sliced into fine strips, blanched in chicken broth, and then arranged on a plate to become a classic dish in Suzhou cuisine—Boiled Dried Tofu Strips.

As for the Lactone Tofu, it was obviously intended for Wensi Tofu.

「At three o’clock.」

A kitchen helper took a cleaver and began to slaughter the eels. First, he chopped off an eel’s head, then threw it into a dry sink. The eel’s body twisted violently, red blood flowing from the severed neck.

"Eels are an ingredient that must not be eaten if already dead; they can’t even be left overnight. They must be killed right before cooking," Qiu Zhenhua explained, already completely accustomed to such scenes. While speaking, he picked up an eel, used a sharp small knife to slit open its belly, and cleaned out its innards.

He then handed the eel to the assistant beside him.

The assistant, holding the still-writhing eel, chopped off its latter half, leaving only the plumper, more uniform middle section.

The fame of Braised Saddle Bridge lay not only in its complicated preparation but also significantly in its choice of ingredients. This dish used only the uniformly thick middle section of the eel. The head and tail were discarded, meaning about one-third or even more of each eel was thrown away.

Of course, in modern society, which values conservation, these parts would definitely not be discarded anymore. The discarded eel tails could be used for eel shreds or even deboned for stir-fried eel slices; they had many uses.

After all the eels were cleaned, Qiu Zhenhua brought the portions intended for Braised Saddle Bridge to the chopping board and began to cut the eel segments.

Seeing Lin Xu looked very interested, he said while working, "The eel segments for Braised Saddle Bridge shouldn’t be too short. If they are, you won’t get the saddle effect, nor will they have a bridge shape after frying. They must be longer than six centimeters."

With that said, he placed an eel segment on the chopping board. With two swift cuts, the trimmed eel became three segments, each six to seven centimeters long.

After all of them were cut, he picked up a segment, placed it on the chopping board with its back facing up, and evenly made two scores along the eel’s spine.

Lin Xu initially thought these two scores divided the eel segment into three equal parts. However, on closer inspection, he realized that the meat at both ends was left slightly longer, while the middle section was about half a centimeter shorter.

What is this?

Just as he was about to ask, Qiu Zhenhua turned his head and asked with a smile, "Did you notice too? Longer at the ends, shorter in the middle? This is done so that after frying, the ends will curl more easily, creating a more distinct Saddle Bridge shape."

Tsk, tsk, there’s truly knowledge in every detail. I originally thought Braised Saddle Bridge was just a symbolic name. I never expected the dish actually had to achieve a saddle shape to be considered authentic.

Once all the eels were cut, Qiu Zhenhua said, "Eels shouldn’t be washed excessively. That’s why they weren’t rinsed during the initial killing and cutting. They should only be thoroughly cleaned after all the cuts are made. Otherwise, during frying, blood will congeal on the eel’s surface, giving it a strong fishy smell and affecting the texture."

While speaking, he grabbed a handful of salt and sprinkled it into the basin containing the eel segments.

Then, a startling scene unfolded.

The eel segments, already cut and scored, began to writhe violently again, startling the unprepared Lin Xu.

Damn! Dude, its head and tail are gone, and it’s scored all over. How is it still not dead? Does it think it can still be saved?

"Haha, you’re definitely different from Old Xie. The first time he saw me prepare this dish, he wasn’t startled at all. Instead, he startled me..."

Lin Xu wiped the sweat from his forehead with a tissue and asked curiously, "How did my senior apprentice-brother startle you?"

"When the eels were moving, he actually leaned over the basin, observing them intently for a long time. He found two segments that weren’t writhing and repeatedly cursed them for being lazy."

Lin Xu was speechless. You should have sent him directly to a psychiatric hospital back then. That way, he would have been able to con you far fewer times.

After adding the salt, Qiu Zhenhua poured in a large spoonful of Cooking Wine and began to scrub the eel segments vigorously. This method maximized the removal of the eel’s surface slime and blood, making the eel meat fresh and not fishy, which greatly improved the texture.

"You have to scrub them for a good while when washing," Qiu Zhenhua explained. "Otherwise, the slime won’t come off. When frying, a white, sticky film will form on the eel’s surface, ruining its appearance."

Lin Xu nodded, making a mental note of it.

After several minutes of scrubbing, Qiu Zhenhua rinsed the eel segments in clean water twice, thoroughly washing off the blood and surface slime.

By now, the eel segments felt smooth to the touch, no longer slimy at all.

With these preparations complete, they heated oil in a wok, preparing to deep-fry the eel segments. The purpose of deep-frying was to remove the eel’s fishiness. High-temperature oil is much more effective at this than blanching. Moreover, deep-frying also helps the eel segments hold their shape, achieving the Saddle Bridge effect.

"The oil for frying eels must be very hot. Bring it to about an eight-tenths level of heat. This way, the fried eels will look good and retain their moisture."

To maintain a high oil temperature, Qiu Zhenhua selected a large iron wok and poured in a generous half-wok of oil. The more oil used, the better the deep-frying effect, as the oil temperature wouldn’t drop as drastically when the ingredients were added.