On the second day of December...
Falling snow.
It has been floating sporadically since early in the morning.
However, it has always been floating sporadically.
Because of the cold weather, the snow did not melt when it fell to the ground. Instead, it turned into white all over the ground.
Xiao Nianzhi got up with difficulty and went to breakfast...
Yes, go to morning service.
Because it was too cold on the way, I held the sesame cake in my arms for a while.
Then when the other person is still warm, eat it.
At the end of the year, all departments are busy, especially the Ministry of Household Affairs and the Ministry of Etiquette. They are so busy that they are almost bursting with sparks.
Moreover, the two departments also borrow people from other departments from time to time.
There is nothing we can do. There are many rituals and sacrifices at the end of the year, and the Rites Department is really overwhelmed!
The minister is shameless every day and borrows people everywhere.
Not only rituals such as sacrifices, but also matters related to the newly appointed queen and the harem, some of which need to be arranged by their etiquette department.
Not to mention Tobe.
On the Ministry of Personnel side, after the year-end assessments of officials are completed, they will be transferred to their Ministry of Household Affairs.
Year-end benefits for officials, summary of harvests in various places, expenditures...
The Minister of the Ministry of Finance looks like a stepmother in everyone I see lately.
Why?
Can't laugh at all.
How many late nights has he stayed up?
So, what’s the morning court?
Roll up, colleagues!
Xiao Nianzhi stood there with a numb face, listening to what His Majesty said from time to time, and then officials below responded.
Then the court dismissed, and His Majesty called for a small court meeting.
Fortunately, Xiao Nianzhi did not need to attend today's court meeting, so she could return to the Yamen with peace of mind.
Maybe you can even catch a fish.
The wedding banquet is in the evening.
So, there is no need to rush during the day.
Xiao Nianzhi also prepared the corresponding gift early.
What I’m thinking about now is…
On this cold and snowy day, what should we eat for lunch?
After returning to the Yamen, Xiao Nianzhi was thinking about this issue.
Before she could think about it, Yu Jianzheng quietly came back with the basket.
Xiao Nianzhi faintly smelled...
The taste of mutton?
Because it hasn't been processed yet, it has a bit of a smell, which is very noticeable.
Even though the other party's basket was covered with an old floral cloth.
As soon as Supervisor Yu came in, he smiled and said, "How about making some mutton soup for lunch?"
The mutton soup cooked by Xiao Nianzhi was delicious and the meat was tender. After eating it once, Supervisor Yu kept thinking about it.
I was too busy during this period and didn’t have much chance to eat.
Isn't it time to catch up today...
Yu Jianzheng felt that they would simply drink soup at noon and have a banquet in the evening.
Xiao Nianzhi originally wanted to eat some noodles or wontons for lunch.
We are still having dinner in the evening. It is not okay to eat too much at noon.
Lamb soup…
It’s not impossible.
Xiao Nianzhi felt that he could only eat radishes and drink soup without eating meat, and it would not affect his ability to enjoy the wedding banquet food at night.
Moreover, it doesn’t look good when others bring all their things and I don’t respond to them.
Xiao Nianzhi responded quickly and stood up to check.
Supervisor Yu is preparing everything, including leg meat and mutton chops.
Adding these two together will make the soup even more delicious.
However, first, the mutton needs to be preliminarily removed from the mutton.
The mutton is delicious, but it’s too spicy!
This step takes quite a long time.
Therefore, Xiao Nianzhi and Yu Jianzheng started to move first.
Just soak it in cold water. If you think the taste is still too strong, you can add some white wine.
, or rice wine, can help remove the odor.
Now that the mutton is soaked, there is no need to worry about other ingredients.
You can also cut the radishes when the time comes.
Deputy Supervisor Li brought a basket of radishes.
The yield per acre of radish is quite good, and it has good storability. If you dig a cellar and store it for a whole winter, it will basically not rot.
Because of the loss of water, the texture will become rough and not very tasty.
However, when it comes to stew, it's actually not bad.
Today's radishes haven't been around for too long, and the ones they store here are buried in the ground.
When you hold it in your hand, you can feel the tenderness of the radish.
It must be delicious. When paired with mutton, the soup will be full and the taste will be even more delicious.
Xiao Nianzhi couldn't help but start looking forward to it.
At noon, the snow stopped, and the sun quietly emerged from the clouds, shining on the snow-white earth, slowly returning to its original color.
Although it had been snowing for most of the day, it was actually just a thin layer.
But because there were a lot of rains one after another before.
Therefore, the snow is still quite thick in many places.
Places such as streets that are diligently cleaned only have a thin layer, which will melt as soon as the sun shines.
Xiao Nianzhi was not sure how far the wedding between Zhang Hanshan and Zhou Libai was progressing.
However, it is true that the banquet is in the evening.
So, just wait.
While waiting, cut the radish into small pieces and blanch them to remove the smell.
Today's green radish is not an oral species improved by later generations.
So the taste is not very good.
If you don't blanch it to remove the flavor, the mutton stewed together may be affected.
Blanch the water, briefly remove the odor, and then stew it together. Without the influence of those miscellaneous smells, the fresh fragrance of the mutton will be better absorbed.
At noon, Xiao Nianzhi took action, with Yu Jianzheng and Deputy Jian Li assisting.
Xiao Nianzhi blanched the mutton, stir-fried the spices, and then stewed the mutton.
She had done these steps too many times.
A few days ago, I was still in the house, and I made it for my grandpa and let him drink it to replenish his body.
Winter is the time to take supplements.
Mutton can strengthen the spleen and warm the body, replenish qi and blood, and is very good for the body.
But if you eat too much, you will easily get angry, so it is also important to control this degree.
Grandpa didn't like to drink it in the past. He thought it smelled like raw sheep. In fact, the smell of mutton was not removed, so it didn't taste delicious enough.
However, grandpa still likes what Xiao Nianzhi is handling now.
Not only grandpa, but Aunt Yu also likes it very much.
Xiao Nianzhi even brought some to the housekeeper of Prince Wei's Mansion that day.
Then, Yan Xingxuan smelled it with a sharp nose and quietly exhaled it for a long time.
The imperial doctor refused to let him drink it, saying it would conflict with the medicine he was taking.
I can't drink it, but I can smell it, and it's too torturous.
Xiao Nianzhi still felt a little guilty about this.
However, she forgot about it the next day.
The radish can only be added to the pot when the mutton is stewed until tender and the aroma of the soup wafts out.
Because the radish has already been blanched, it is very intolerant to cooking.
Therefore, the time of release must be good.
If you put it in early, it will easily rot directly in the pot, affecting the taste and texture of this pot of good soup.
If you put it in later, the radish will be crispy and raw, and the texture will not be very good when you eat it.
No matter sooner or later, it is best to keep the radish at a level that will not rot.
Of course, this is Xiao Nianzhi's favorite state.
Because of the radish in this state, if you take a bite, the soup inside will explode directly in your mouth, and the mouthful will be full of delicious flavor, which can make people remember it for a long time.
