What is Brittle Eel? Fried yellow eels.
What's so delicious about fried yellow eels? You don't understand that.
In 1996, Jin Yong lived in Hangzhou, came to Kuiyuanguan, and tasted eight noodles - Besson threaded noodles, golden autumn crab yellow noodles, sanyuan turtle noodles, Fortune Baochun noodles, shrimp butterfly noodles, West Lake mandarin fish noodles, snow vegetable winter shoot noodles, shrimp popcorn noodles. As a result, the next day, he took his wife and daughter to Kuiyuanguan again, and ordered that he only needed to eat shrimp fried eel noodles and scallion oil mixed noodles. A few days later, after he was invited to participate in the centennial celebration of Zhejiang University, he visited the Kuiyuanguan for the third time, in order to still have the bowl of shrimp pop-up eel noodles, and also wrote a very tacky inscription like a leading cadre: "The old shop of the Kuiyuanguan is well-known; I have tasted delicious food, unchanged for fifty years." ”
Throughout his life, Jin Yong pursued the uninhibited indulgence of linghu chong and loved freedom, but in front of the Hangzhou shrimp popping eel, it was rarely revealed. Speculate on the meaning of the phrase "unchanged for fifty years": Fifty years ago, it should be that Jin Daxia had just graduated from University and was the editor of the Shanghai "Ta Kung Pao", and probably had come to Hangzhou to taste the shrimp pop eel noodles of Kuiyuanguan.
The core of shrimp pop eel is "poppy eel", and shrimp is only a supporting role to improve the grade of noodles. Many noodle restaurants in Hangzhou have "popping eel noodles" for sale, the so-called "burst", refers to fresh eel slices, under the oil pot with high heat quickly fried, but the process is not only this; "burst" after draining, but also with a small amount of lard and then back to the pot to fry; and finally poured with fragrant sesame oil, until the eel dehydration and crispness, is considered a qualified topping.
The eel slices that "burst" in this way cannot be eaten as a dish, are as crisp as biscuits, and a large piece of crumbs is removed by one bite. And sucked up a variety of vegetarian oil, meat oil, sesame oil, can make people tired to death. But the magic is that the crisp eel slices are poured on the white noodles of the clear soup, and after sucking enough of the soup, the oil is soft, and the taste is thick but just right. The noodle soup is also stained with the thick aroma and oil of eel, and the bowl falls into the stomach, and the heart is full of city-filled comfort.
Unfortunately, such an authentic shrimp pop eel, the real good work is rare. The most old-fashioned Hangzhou Kuiyuanguan toppings are authentic, but the noodle soup is less flavorful, it is said that the pot of old soup was lost more than ten years ago, I don't know whether it is true or false, or the shop bully cut corners is not necessarily. The poppy eel noodles in other noodle restaurants are even more unauthentic, either the eel toppings are hooked and soft like Huai'an soft pockets; or the eel slices are changed to eel silk and become Shanghai cuisine "ringing oil eel paste".
Speaking of xiang oil eel paste, this is probably another interpretation of Jiangnan crisp eel. Shred the eel, blanch the water to remove the fish, and then stir-fry with the white silk, add soy sauce and white pepper. When the plate is finally plated, a small round pit is left in the middle of the plate, in which the garlic and onions are released. When serving, in front of the guests, the hot oil is poured on the garlic paste in the small pit, and the garlic aroma rises in an instant, and the sound of "crackling" is incessant, and under the stimulation of the hot oil, the surface of the eel will also appear scorched and crisp. It is both a performance nature and good-looking; the taste is also a typical Shanghai honban dish with thick oil and red sauce, which is delicious.
Many restaurants in Shanghai will make oil eel paste, I think the taste should be the most authentic to the old Zhengxing on Fuzhou Road, with a strong peppery taste; the old Shanghai restaurant in Yuyuan Garden is also good, the eel is slightly sour, may add balsamic vinegar, quite like the high-grade version of the fish fragrant meat shreds. Others, such as Xiaonanguo, Suzhehui, etc., have a more inferior taste.
Hangzhou's shrimp popcorn focuses on "noodles"; Shanghai's xiangyou eel paste focuses on "oil". And the crisp eel itself, the best to eat is wuxi Liangxi crisp eel.
Wuxi people love sweetness, and Wang Xingji's small dumplings, which are sweet to the point of sweetness, are an example. Of course, the brittle eel cannot escape the clutches of sugar. The authentic method is to cut the eel meat into small wide strips and fry it twice in the frying pan until it is crispy, which is quite similar to the practice of Hangzhou pop-up eel noodle toppings. When it is hot, it is poured with sugar, soy sauce, white sesame seeds, and rice wine, and when the crisp eels cool down, there is a thin layer of shiny crystalline sugar on the surface, which is very beautiful. Finally, put on the table, elevated, put a pinch of tender ginger shredded on the top, and eat it together, sweet, salty and slightly spicy, crisp and refreshing, it is a cold basin with a very Jiangnan style.
It is said that during the Republic of China, the literati of Wuxi liked to set up a banquet on the cruise ship. From Huishan, along the Liangxi River, while chanting poems and paintings, eating crisp eels and drinking yellow wine. After a meal, the boat has driven into the vast Taihu Lake, so the sky is high and the water is wide and the heart is relaxed. The name of "Liangxi crisp eel" is probably also called at that time, and it should be slightly earlier than hangzhou Kuiyuanguan to make the first bowl of shrimp fried eel noodles, or shrimp pop-fried eel noodles borrowed from the practice of crisp eels. Jin Yong is a Haining native in the hinterland of Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Shanghai, and a typical old literati, so it is no wonder that he will linger in this taste. Unfortunately, today's Liangxi is surrounded by high-rise buildings, boats in it, even if the crisp eel taste is still the same, it is difficult to find the old-fashioned taste of Jiangnan.
One year, I also saw this "Liangxi crisp eel" on the menu of the Yongtai Temple Vegetarian Restaurant in Henan. To taste it, it is made of mushroom shredded mixed with rock sugar soy sauce, fried in oil, the taste is very good, almost can be chaotic. Think about it, it's all fried protein, it's not delicious!
(This article is a signed work of NetEase News and NetEase "each has an attitude")
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