China News Agency, Jinan, June 28th telegram: The sweet and sour carp leaps over the dragon gate, the top dish of the happy event

  China News Agency reporter Li Xin

  If you eat its fish, it will be the carp of the river.

When there are happy events in life such as the bridal candle and the title of the golden list, the sweet and sour carp in the shape of "Yuelongmen" at the Shandong banquet is a must-have dish.

  "Jinan Fuzhi" has long recorded that "the carp of the Yellow River, the crab of Nanyang, and the recipe".

According to historical data, carp in the Yellow River has become a famous food as early as 3,000 years ago.

Sweet and sour carp first originated in Luokou, Jinan, and then gradually spread to Shanxi, Henan and other places.

Yanxitang senior cook Deng Junqiu was interviewed by reporters.

Photo by Li Mingrui

  "Mouth opening, gill opening, fin opening, belly opening." Four openings are the gold standard for examining the shape of sweet and sour carp.

Deng Junqiu, senior chef of Yanxitang, said that the most difficult part of this dish is to create the auspicious dragon gate shape of the carp, and the second is to mix the sweet and sour sauce.

  Entering the Qushuiting neighborhood with the most old Jinan style, "every family has spring water, and every household weeps willows".

As a representative restaurant in the glorious period of Shandong cuisine, Yanxitang, an old Shandong cuisine restaurant founded in 1932, is hidden in Jinju Lane in the block.

Deng Junqiu fished out the red-tailed Yellow River carp that had been raised for a week from the spring pond.

Photo by Li Xin

  "Using Yellow River carp as ingredients, frying and pouring juice, the fish is tender on the outside, sweet and sour and slightly salty." Deng Junqiu said that in order to remove the muddy smell of the carp from the Yellow River, each fish was placed under the bottom of the carp. Before the pot, they must be thinned for about a week in the Yongyuanquan Pond in the courtyard.

Go to the fishing line, hit seven knives on the top and eight knives on the bottom, "As the so-called 'seven up and eight down'. Photo by Li Xin

  Fishing in the spring pond, scraping the scales, removing the internal organs, and pulling the fishing line, seven cuts are made on the top and eight cuts are made on the bottom.

"As the so-called 'seven up and eight down', the effect of the carp leaping over the dragon's gate can be achieved as far as the backbone of the fish." Deng Junqiu introduced while proficiently operating on the chopping board.

Break the carp's skeleton by hand to the arc required for the shape.

Photo by Li Xin

  The batter is as silky as good cheese, and the skeleton of the carp is bent by hand and coated with the batter.

After the oil was 70% hot, Deng Junqiu grabbed the carp's tail and stomach with both hands to set it in the oil pan.

"The hands are full of oil, but you can't let it go as soon as it's hot. You must stick to it until it is basically set before you can replace it with iron chopsticks for support."

After the oil was 70% hot, Deng Junqiu dragged the carp's tail and belly into the pan with both hands, letting it set in the pan.

Photo by Li Xin

  "It must be deep fried so that it can be coke and crispy." Deng Junqiu said, fish out the fish when it is golden brown, shape it on the plate, and finally pour the thick sauce prepared with minced garlic, vinegar, sugar, and gorgonian powder, which is fragrant. .

"This dish also has four blessings: Erfu, which is the sizzling sound that comes in contact with the fish when drenched in hot sauce; Eye blessing is an auspicious shape; Koufu is a moderately sweet and sour taste; Weifu is the high protein content of carp, which is digested by the human body. High absorption rate."

Carp are shaped in a frying pan.

Photo by Li Xin

  After about 25 minutes, a sweet and sour carp with fish head and tail raised high and unique in shape, tender on the outside and tender on the inside, sweet and sour, was successfully completed. Behind this is Deng Junqiu's 40 years of experience in Shandong cuisine day after day. and inheritance.

  "My mother said that I grew up in the big basket where the steamed buns are served in Yanxitang." Deng Junqiu said, after several trials and hardships, I have persisted until now, and the diners have become friends for many years, and I have to work here until I can't.

When the fish is golden, take it out, shape it on a plate, and finally pour it with a thick sauce prepared in proportion with minced garlic, vinegar, sugar, and gorgonian powder, and the aroma is fragrant.

Photo by Li Xin

  In 1990, Deng Junqiu officially joined the master of Shandong cuisine Cui Yiqing.

Deng Junqiu, who was born in the "class", has always kept in mind the teachings of his master, and he does not cut corners when cooking, from material selection to knife work, from soup stock to frying, from cold dishes to hot stoves.

  After entering the 21st century, the voice of revitalizing Shandong cuisine is endless.

Deng Junqiu believes that at present, people are too pursuing taste bud stimulation and fast food, which is not good for health.

Shandong cuisine used to belong to the imperial court. The selection of ingredients is exquisite, the atmosphere is moderate, and it is peaceful and healthy. Most of the banquets in northern China are based on Shandong cuisine.

Shandong cuisine is also using the central kitchen to prepare dishes to speed up the cooking time to adapt to the rhythm of modern life.

When there are happy events in life such as candles in the bridal chamber and the title of the golden list, the sweet and sour carp in the shape of "Yue Longmen" at the Shandong banquet is a must-have dish, which means jumping into the dragon gate.

Photo by Li Xin

  In the evening, in Jinju Lane, three or five diners have arrived at the store one after another according to their appointments.

First, catch a "quan" town watermelon in Yongyuanquan to cool off the heat, chat with Master Deng a few words, and wait for the delicious food.

"This kind of life is very Jinan." The old diners of Yanxitang said.

(Finish)