Actually, Lu Xinyi’s Kimchi Pork Buns didn’t have more than five ingredients in it. If people knew how easy it was to make, she was sure that they wouldn’t believe it. Preparing this delicious dish didn’t require much expertise that even if one messed up stuffing the filling in its bun wrapper, it wouldn’t ruin its flavor.
In a normal situation, Lu Xinyi would’ve added some sesame oil, garlic, and green onions in normal pork buns. However, because of the kimchi’s natural pungent and spicy flavor, these ingredients had been omitted. It would be easier for the cook to prepare this dish in a short span of time without sacrificing its quality.
The judges were impressed by Lu Xinyi’s steamed buns. They almost felt guilty for eating such perfectly wrapped pork buns, but these feeling were forgotten once the filling assaulted the taste buds.
Just by the taste of the filling and the texture of the bun wrapper, it was clear that she wasn’t an amateur in cooking. If one ever made bread by oneself, the logic of making bun wrappers was essentially the same. They’d assumed that Lu Xinyi was either an expert on making dumplings or an experienced baker.
“These buns are really good. How did you able to make them soft like this?” The old judge asked.
By experience, he knew that having a good ratio between the flour and water would yield to a perfect texture of the thought. The dough might require a bit less or more water depending on the type of flour the cook used.
“I was aiming for a very soft dough for this dish so I chose to add more liquid to make it soft, then I asked my partner to knead the dough for me.”
If Shen Xue was there or knew that his older brother was forced to work in a kitchen, he would laugh until his stomach hurt. He knew that Shen Yi was a bad cook based on experience and had made sure that he wasn’t around the vicinity whenever Shen Yi dares to step into the kitchen to cook.
Shen Yi’s right eye twitched as if he felt his younger brother’s teasing somewhere. Heck, he must force his wife to make a promise not to mention this to Shen Xue, or else he wouldn’t hear the end of it.
President Shen kneading dough in a rural autumn festival? Ah, that might be a sight to behold! ρꪖꪕᦔꪖꪕꪫꪣꫀꪶ
A huge hole that he made in their kitchen ceiling when they were younger might reveal more of his skeletons in the cupboard. He frowned. Not very ideal for Lu Xinyi to find another way to irk and make fun of him. Something that she was looking forward to abuse because she knew she couldn’t get away unscathed, or so she thought.
Lu Xinyi grinned to herself. Ha! So giving a crash course to her husband was worth it! If she hadn’t asked him to try making dough this morning, she wouldn’t think of using his strength to make a larger batch of dough for this competition.
Making larger batches of dough would put a strain on her back and body. As the dough got heavier, it would take a lot of effort on the one’s body. Because of Shen Yi’s larger frame and hands, his strength would be enough to incorporate both the dry and wet ingredients.
She only needed to show him how to knead the dough twice, and he got it. From pushing the dough with the heel of his hand with a smooth stroke and folding, it was copied with precision. She couldn’t believe how easy it was for him to replicate a move with very few instructions.
Shen Yi was able to produce a dough with a silky, soft finish with a little cushiony feel with her supervising the procedure and testing the dough using a windowpane test, to see if the dough was fully kneaded or not. With him kneading the dough, the kneading time was shortened; and it saved the couple a lot of trouble from the limited time given.
After the required resting time, Shen Yi kneaded the dough once again to force the bubbles out, giving the pork buns an even and smooth surface.
Lu Xinyi felt very lucky that her husband was willing to help her in the kitchen. It made her heart flutter and at ease, knowing that he supported her dreams and believed in her capabilities.
“How about the filling? I noticed that the kimchi used has a delicate flavor and better texture than the usual ones I tried.”
“I have two options on using kimchi on my pork buns. I can use the usual chopped kimchi that is available in the market, but I chose to use a whole cabbage that was preserved for this dish.” Lu Xinyi didn’t dare to explain further. She didn’t need to reveal more of her secrets to the public. Let them guess, she thought.
The judges clearly understood why Lu Xinyi didn’t say more than what was needed. For an experienced cook and familiarity with kimchi, one would understand that using the whole cabbage would yield to a more delicate flavor. The juice from it would be enough to spice up the bland ground pork she used.
If she’d chosen to use the store-bought kimchi, they knew that the pork buns would be spicier than what they had tasted.
They shared a look. A look that understood that Lu Xinyi had surpassed everyone’s expectation. Who dared to call this woman rubbish?
A woman that was able to help the locals with their crops and could cook a delicious meal—rubbish? Those people must be out of their minds!
