For a foodie, every research on food is a serious topic. For example, how can we cook the most common noodles deliciously?
Tsk tsk! You might say, isn't it just a matter of boiling water, cooking the noodles, and then adding some side dishes and condiments? What other skills could there be? No! If it's that simple and rough, what's the point of having a chef?
Although we don't necessarily have to reach the skill level of a chef, cooking a good bowl of noodles definitely requires a lot of thought. Please see—
The following 10 noodle cooking tips are enough to drive you crazy!
1. When cooking regular noodles, add a small amount of salt to the pot, about 15 grams of salt per 500 grams of water. This way, the cooked noodles won't become mushy!
2. When cooking noodles, add a tablespoon of vegetable oil to the water. The noodles will not only stick together but also prevent the noodle soup from foaming and boiling over.
3. When cutting noodles, add a little vinegar to the water when putting the noodles in. This can remove the alkaline taste of the noodles and also make them whiter.
4. When cooking dried noodles, put them in the pot when the water just starts to bubble. Stir a few times, then cover the pot. When the water boils, add a little cold water and cook for a short while. This way, the dried noodles cook quickly, don't stick to the soup, and taste better.
5. Before putting them in the pot, break the noodles into pieces. After cooking, cover the pot and let it sit for 5 minutes. This will make the noodles smoother and the soup thicker.
6. When cooking dried noodles, the water in the pot shouldn't be too boiling. After the noodles are added and the water comes back to a boil, it's best to cook them over medium heat. Because dried noodles are very dry, cooking them over too high a heat will make the water temperature too high, causing a layer of mucous to form on the surface of the noodles. This prevents heat from penetrating inward, easily leading to a hard center and a starchy soup. When cooking over medium heat, add a little cold water from time to time to keep the water boiling and ensure the noodles are heated evenly.
7. If the noodles clump together, spray a little rice wine, and they will separate.
8. When cooking dried noodles, put them in the pot when the water just starts to bubble. Stir a few times, then cover the pot. When the water boils, add a little cold water and cook for a short while. This way, the dried noodles cook quickly, don't stick to the soup, and are delicious.
9. The water must be boiling hot when adding the noodles, and don't cook them for too long. When they have been cooking for about 2 minutes, take them out and immediately soak them in cold water for a moment, which is called "passing through the cold river." Then, just put the noodles that have "passed the cold river" back into the hot water for a bit. The noodles cooked this way will be refreshing and tender.
10. The best time to cook noodles is two or three minutes before the water boils. Put the noodles in the pot to cook. The specific trick is to put the noodles in the pot when you just see steam rising from the surface of the water. The noodles cooked this way will be chewy, and the timing is very easy to master. Generally, the pot will boil twice, and the noodles will be done.
Beef Noodle Soup
Beef noodles were created by a Hui chef named Ma Baozi during the Guangxu period of the late Qing Dynasty. Later generations continued to innovate, carrying this noodle culture to its extreme and making it famous worldwide.
Method
【Steps】
1. Peel and slice the tomatoes, and slice the chili peppers.
2. Put all the seasonings into boiling water, cook over high heat for 4 minutes to make the soup base.
3. Add beef brisket and tomatoes to the soup base, cover and cook over medium heat for 40 minutes, then take out the beef and slice it.
4. Put the noodles into the soup base, cook over high heat for 5 minutes until boiling, then take them out and arrange the sliced beef on top.
Cantonese Noodles with Ham and Egg
A specialty from Hong Kong's cha chaan tengs. The term "Cantonese Noodles with Ham and Egg" is a combination of three different foods: "餐" (meal, referring to the ham), "蛋" (egg), and "面" (noodles).
【Steps】
1. Prepare a pack of instant noodles, one sausage, and one egg. Slice the sausage.
2. Heat a pan with oil, add the sausage slices, and fry until golden brown on both sides, then set aside.
3. Use the remaining oil in the pan to crack an egg into it. Fry the sunny-side-up egg until cooked, then set aside.
4. Add water to the pot, put in the noodle block, and add the seasoning packet to cook the noodles.
5. Place the cooked noodles in a bowl and top with the fried egg and sausage slices.