In the dazzling galaxy of Chinese cuisine, the sweet potato is like a bright pearl, shining with an alluring luster. It's not just a dish, it's a history, a culture, a story of food that has been passed down for thousands of years. Today, let's walk into the world of sweet potatoes and explore its cultural heritage and culinary secrets.
The history of sweet potatoes can be traced back hundreds of years, when they were a delicacy of the royal nobility. Legend has it that a noble concubine of the Ming Dynasty had a sweet tooth, and the imperial chefs created this sweet potato dish in order to satisfy her taste. The sweetness of sweet potatoes and the lingering of sugar shreds seem to be a symbol of love, which is deeply loved by the concubine. Since then, the sweet potato has spread in the court and gradually introduced to the people, becoming a popular traditional delicacy.
Cooking Steps:
Selected raw materials: 500 grams of fresh red sweet potatoes are selected to ensure that their texture is full, sweet and delicious, 200 grams of high-quality white sugar are used for boiling syrup, and appropriate amount of cooking oil is used for frying sweet potatoes.
Sweet potato treatment: peel and cut the sweet potato into pieces, the size is about 3cm square, so that it can be heated evenly.
Fried sweet potato: Pour cooking oil into the pot, heat it to six or seven hot, put the sweet potato pieces one by one and fry them until the surface is slightly yellow and crispy, remove and drain the oil for later use.
Boil sugar and draw silk: Add white sugar to another pot, simmer over low heat to make amber syrup, and stir constantly to prevent the bottom from being pasted. When the syrup is densely foamed and slightly yellowed, quickly put the fried sweet potato pieces into the pot and stir-fry quickly, so that the syrup evenly wraps each piece of sweet potato to form a crystal clear sugar thread.
During the cooking process, the principle of the formation of the sugar shreds is the key. When the syrup is boiled to a certain concentration, a chemical change of sugar occurs, forming a sugar filament. In this process, the control of the heat is crucial. If the heat is too large, the sugar will be easy to burn, and if the heat is too small, the sugar will not be formed. Therefore, the chef needs to rely on rich experience and a keen sense of smell to accurately grasp the changes in the syrup in order to make the perfect sweet potato.
There are a few things we need to pay attention to when making sweet potatoes. For example, when frying sweet potatoes, avoid high oil temperature to avoid burning, stir constantly when boiling sugar to prevent sugar from sticking to the pan, and stir-fry quickly and evenly to avoid sugar shreds sticking. These seemingly simple steps actually involve a wealth of cooking skills and experience.
In addition to pulling sweet potatoes, sweet potatoes are an ingredient that can be used to make many delicious dishes. For example, roasted sweet potato, sweet potato porridge, dried sweet potato, etc., each has its own unique flavor and taste. Roasted sweet potatoes are a sweet and delicious winter snack, sweet potato porridge is soft and sweet, making it a good choice for breakfast, and dried sweet potatoes are a great companion for leisure time.
In the process of cooking sweet potatoes, we can also use some practical techniques. For example, to maintain the integrity of sweet potatoes, you can soak the sweet potato pieces in cold water for a while before frying, add a little white vinegar to the syrup to increase the toughness of the sugar shreds, and sprinkle a handful of white sesame seeds before removing the sugar from sticking. These techniques can make our sweet potatoes more perfect.
Finally, let's summarize the delicious journey of this sweet potato. The golden and crispy sweet potato cubes, wrapped in a layer of crystal clear sugar shreds, are a mixture of sweetness and happiness in every bite. The wisps of sugar are lingering on the tip of the tongue, as if they can evoke the good memories in our hearts. Whether it's a warm time with family or a joyous moment with friends, sweet potatoes can be a delicacy on our table and add a touch of color to our lives.