Chapter 844 - 594: A Child’s Mouth, a Liar’s Ghost (Part 3)

Chapter 844: Chapter 594: A Child’s Mouth, a Liar’s Ghost (Part 3)

Once all the glutinous rice balls were made, they picked up the kitchen knife and, per Huang Jun’s instructions, began slicing the rice balls into strips.

The glutinous rice strips prepared for the red sugar syrup dessert were approximately ten centimeters long, with a width and height of about one centimeter.

This size is just right—not too large to become overwhelming when eaten, nor too small to be unsatisfying.

You need to slice quickly because once the rice ball heats up, it becomes soft and difficult to cut.

So it’s best to slice it quickly while it’s still cold.

Soon, under their skillful hands, neat rows of evenly-sized and shapely glutinous rice strips were laid out on the chopping board.

However, after slicing they couldn’t fry immediately; they had to wait a bit to allow the glutinous rice strips to soften slightly and release some moisture.

This way, the frying process won’t cause oil splatter, and the final red sugar syrup dessert will taste better.

During this pause, Huang Jun picked up a bowl containing sifted red sugar and began to prepare the critical part of the dessert—red sugar syrup.

As he poured the sifted red sugar into the pot, he explained to Meng Hongze and others the importance of the syrup for the dessert: "Red sugar syrup is definitely the highlight of this dish."

"Imagine, without the red sugar syrup, these fried rice balls would lack a lot of flavor. They could also be served with white sugar, crushed peanuts, sesame seeds, or soybean powder, and these combinations taste good too."

"But honestly, the most fitting accompaniment to this fried rice dessert is the rich, ruby-hued, concentrated red sugar syrup."

"The syrup is smooth but not greasy, providing a natural aroma with a sweetness that perfectly complements the crispy exterior and soft interior of the rice balls."

"Moreover, the syrup offers a moderate sweetness and enticing color, enhancing both the taste and the visual appeal when drizzled over the rice balls..."

After speaking, he slowly poured an amount of water about half the volume of the red sugar into the pot, then adjusted to low heat and began the careful cooking process for the syrup.

Making red sugar syrup is both a test of patience and a task relying on accumulated experience.

During this process, impatience is a major taboo; it requires maintaining low heat while continuously stirring with a spoon, allowing no moment of distraction.

The goal of this operation is to ensure the red sugar melts evenly, gradually becoming thick and reddish, while fully releasing its unique sweet aroma.

If rushed, the syrup may not achieve the desired consistency, leaving an unsatisfactory taste, such as a sour or other undesirable flavors.

This occurs because the cooking time is too short, and undesirable tastes in the sugar haven’t fully escaped with the steam.

Huang Jun patiently continued until the syrup began forming tiny bubbles, at which point he promptly turned off the heat to prevent it from turning into a caramel-like state.

Then, he poured the meticulously made syrup into a large bowl.

Qian Guoxiang and other assistants were also busy; seeing the rice strips dry, they took several large trays and first laid several layers of kitchen paper, then arranged the dried rice strips on top, finally covering them with another layer of paper to absorb any remaining moisture.

This ensures there’s no risk during frying of the oil sputtering.

Meanwhile, Huang Jun completed his preparations and began setting up the oil pan, pouring in peanut oil, readying the rice strips for frying.

The cooking method for the rice strips varies; they can be deep-fried, pan-seared, or, uniquely, cooked in a dry pan without oil after preheating.

All three cooking methods achieve a crispy exterior and chewy interior, although there are differences in flavor between them.

Fried rice balls are the crispiest and most flavorful to eat.

In comparison, rice balls cooked in a dry pan have a certain toughness and are somewhat firmer, more suited to those with strong teeth.

As for pan-seared rice balls, they incorporate elements of both aforementioned methods, although the combination isn’t especially pronounced.

When the oil in the pot reached half its maximum heat, he placed the dried rice strips into the pan one by one, starting the frying process.

When frying rice balls, one must be careful not to dump them all in at once, or else the strips will stick together and form a single, large lump.

As it’s well known, the glutinous nature of rice balls is formidable, so each strip must be placed in separately to ensure they roll freely in the pan without sticking.

Since the rice balls are made from cooked glutinous rice, frying them is relatively simple.

Simply wait until the outer layer turns a golden yellow, then lift them out.

He scooped out the fried rice balls and placed them on paper towels to absorb excess oil.

Then, he carefully arranged them on a large stainless steel serving tray.

After arranging them...

He picked up the bowl containing the still-warm red sugar syrup and cautiously drizzled it evenly over the rice balls.

All of a sudden...

The golden rice balls appeared to be wrapped in a vibrant red, their color now even more enticing.

He then took soybean powder and sprinkled it evenly over the rice balls, adding rich color to the dessert and enhancing its visual effect.

In fact, besides soybean powder, a sprinkling of crushed roasted peanuts can also bring a distinctive flavor.

Nonetheless, generally speaking, keeping the toppings simple makes the unique charm of the rice balls more pronounced.

The fewer toppings there are, the more one can savor the crisp and chewy texture of the rice balls and the delicate sweetness of the glutinous rice itself.