- 除了 walk, run外還有
- 漫遊/ 閒逛 ramble
- During the break, we rambled around the center of Rome with no particular destination in mind – another way to enjoy the vibe of this beautiful city.
- 踱方步 pace
- pace是有規則的走路,常和back and forth一起用。
- When the home owner heard the offer price, he paced back and forth to come up with a counter offer.
- 爭先恐後scramble
- In 2021, as the US withdrew its armed forces from Afghanistan, the scene of Afghans scrambled to get on the U.S planes shocked the whole world.
- 群湧而至swarm
- 水、雲、蜜蜂都可群湧而至,人也可以。
- Fans swarmed to the stage to touch their idol’s hands.
- 掙扎前進flounder
- Hungry and exhausted, the surviving soldiers floundered through the muddy field in search for food and water.
- 鬼鬼祟祟prowl
- I saw a man prowl our neighborhood last night. Shall I report to the police?
- 蹣跚而行 / 拖著深重的腳步plod (偏體能不良)
- Plodding wearily toward the sunset, is what I remember of my late father.
- 拖著腳走 drag one’s feet (偏懶散)
- You’re always behind, come on, don’t drag your feet!
- 顛腳走路 tiptoe
- I always tiptoe around the house after my children fall asleep.
- We tiptoe around the issue of his wife’s sudden death. (比喻用法,避而不談)
- 步伐 / 步態 gait
- His easy gait reflects his easy-going personality.
- 由於有馬術,馬步 (horse gait)各有等級及規定,trot, canter, gallop 分別是小跑步(徐行),中跑步(疾行),大跑步(飛奔)
- 行行重行行, 與君生別離 (古詩十九首之一) Walk, Walk and Walk again. We are torn apart, far, far away.
- 衝 charge / dash
- 百米短跑是100 -meter dash, dash 比charge衝得更快,更急
- He dashed and disappeared. 一溜煙跑掉了
- charge有很多意思,包括身體移位,He erupted in anger, and charged toward his debtor. (撲向欠他錢的人)短砲 dash
- 長跑 / 馬拉松 marathon
- 接力賽 relay
- 跑得上氣不接下氣 run out of breath
- 跳 jump
- 躍進leap
- 跳高 high jump
- 撐竿跳 pole jump
- 跨欄跳 hurdle jump
- 跳遠 / 立定跳遠 long jump / standing long jump
- 彈簧跳 spring jump
- 跳房子 hopscotch
- 跳不出如來佛手心 unable to jump out the palm of the Buddha / unable to dislodge the control of the mighty one.
- 追趕 chase / run after
- 迎頭趕上 on par with / at the same par
- 趕鴨子上架 forced to accomplish the impossible
- 欲速則不達 Haste makes waste. (西諺)
海珠直言集Candid Hijewel
不打誑, 不臆測, 只用第一手資料, 幽默看人生
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這篇和(須知2:作料)相似而不相同。前篇是談如何選醬、油、酒、醋等作料的上品,此篇談如何選擇及搭配調味料,就編排而論,此篇於先才合理。此篇也寫得太短,不明白,尤其最後兩句(有以乾燥為貴者…)給譯者帶來麻煩,考慮再三之後,所呈現的譯文應該很接近,它的意思是要鎖住食物之味,用快炒,要讓湯類飄香,用清湯,裡面食物還要浮出湯面,很合理啊!「腥」和「鮮」都沒有直接對應字,只能多寫一些字描述,「鮮」用日本字umami, 這種用法日漸普遍。
須知單:調劑
調劑之法,相物而施。有酒、水兼用者,有專用酒不用水者,有用水不用酒者;有鹽、醬並用者,有專用清醬不用鹽者,有用鹽不用醬者;有物太膩,要用油先炙者;有氣太腥,要用醋先噴者;有取鮮必用冰糖者;有以乾燥為貴者,使其味入於內,煎炒之物是也;有以湯多為貴者,使其味溢於外,清浮之物是也。
Consider the nature of the food and adjust the seasoning accordingly. The choices are: wine and water, only wine, only water, sauce and salt, only sauce, only salt.
When food is greasy, grill it with oil to alleviate the grease. When food smells unpleasant because of its rawness, add a splash of vinegar. Use rock sugar to release the umami from food. Pan-fry or stir-fry food with a dry heat can retain the flavor of the ingredients. Clear soupy dishes with buoyant ingredients are easier to spread the flavor around. #
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滿漢全席是最經典的目食,照相留念其實就是它最大的意義。好在它本是民間誇張之詞,又經相聲藝術家做成段子,連唸100道菜名,更增神秘。這道名宴至今算是失傳了。圖為香港某餐館在1977年重現此席的照片。
八十年代大陸剛開放,派出一團到美國做飲食文化交流,在矽谷某餐館擺出「滿漢全席」。我應邀參加,只記得桌上琳琅滿目(大約20-30道菜),就算主人說得來其中名堂,客人也來不及聽,唯一記得的就是許多盤滿式小點心。讀到此篇,才懂何為「食前方丈」。而且,我真的像袁老一樣,回家仍感餓。
另外談到廚房一天能做四、五道好菜就費盡心力,何能一次擺出幾十種?這也是心疼廚子的表現。另外菜過多,碗盤雜陳,油跡處處,連眼睛都受不了啦!
戒單:目食
何謂目食?目食者,貪多之謂也。今人慕「食前方丈」(1)之名,多盤疊碗,是以目食,非口食也。不知名手寫字,多則必有敗筆;名人作詩,煩則必有累句。極名廚之心力,一日之中,所作好菜不過四五味耳,尚難拿準,況拉雜橫陳乎?就使幫助多人,亦各有意見,全無紀律,愈多愈壞。余嘗過一商家,上菜三撤席,點心十六道,共算食品將至四十餘種。主人自覺欣欣得意,而我散席還家,仍煮粥充饑。可想見其席之豐而不潔矣。南朝孔琳之曰︰「今人好用多品,適口之外,皆為悅目之資。」余以為餚饌橫陳,燻蒸腥穢,目亦無可悅也。
What is an “eye meal”? A meal with so many courses that dazzle the eye. Today, people covet the status of seeing “food occupying ten square meters” with plates and bowls on top of each other. It is a show for the eye, not for the tongue.
We must bear in mind that even famed calligraphers, while working long hours, could incur embarrassing strokes; renowned writers, while at the peak of their creativity, could produce redundant verses. For the top-rated chefs, serving four to five successful plates in one day would easily consume all their energy, all the while their “successes” can still be up for critique. Then what can be of mediocre chefs?More kitchen hands could work in reverse if they are given too much freedom to speak up and lack discipline. In this case, the more hands, the worse. I’ve been in a restaurant which boasts of “three full courses and sixteen appetizers”, more than forty plates all together. The restaurant owner was very proud of the flood of food, but somehow I still came home hungry and not until I fed myself with a bowl of congee did I feel full and satisfied. What an abundant but unwholesome feast I must have had!
Sir Kung in the Southern Dynasty has said, “People today like to present numerous foods in one meal. While a few offer true pleasure to the palate, the rest of them are merely a feast for the eye.” But in my humble opinion, plates and bowls in disarray, food stains and sticky grease everywhere are not what I consider as a feast for the eye.
今人體驗
我的目食體驗發生在大陸某購物中心的一處烤肉店內,門外擺滿紅通通的各式肉片: 肋眼、牛小排、紐約、丁骨、菲力、沙朗等二十來種,十分壯觀。初看我已得了「選擇恐慌症」,若不是有人請客,我是不會進去的。
上桌後服務非常好,侍者拿著電子筆記,仔細詢問要什麼部位,要多熟,沾什麼醬等。人人莫不充滿期待,眼睛發光。只是肉品拿來,不管什麼部位,味道、口感都一樣,著實讓人失望。其實,牛排部位選前五名就好,排到二十名的又何必吃呢?不過從該店生意看來,「目食」還是有吸引力,尤其在人潮洶湧的地方。
世界觀
西餐較少有目食現象,應和中西方用餐方式不同有關。西餐一長桌,分食、菜一道一道上,服務員多,桌上禮儀又繁瑣,菜式太多,沒吃飽大夥先累倒,所以西菜七道式就相當不錯了( 指食、 湯、開胃菜、沙拉、主菜、甜點,飲料)。再說西餐裡有兩主菜就算講究,但中餐幾乎道道都是主菜。
然而法式甜點對我而言就是「目食」。我先在美國越南店見到,各色俱全,妝點繁複,心想,這怎麼吃啊?後來到法短期居住,發現社區點心店裡的貨色更漂亮,每次我東選西選,還是選可頌。事實上,世界風行的法式糕餅如可頌(croissant)、 馬卡龍(macaroon)、瑪德琳(madeleine)、焦糖布丁(cream brulee)都是外觀比較樸素的。
註解
- 食物擺滿一丈見方那麼廣。形容生活非常奢侈。《孟子.盡心下》:「食前方丈,侍妾數百人,我得志弗為也。」
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這是燕窩,不是水餃,把燕窩丟進鍋裡煮,難怪把作者氣壞了。
菜單聽來或奇香異味,或金玉叮噹,或人間百得嚐,總之,主人或客人說得眉飛色舞,得意非凡,但在袁老眼中,如果這些名食有辱使命,那就拿去餵耳朵吧!故曰「耳餐」。 作者神來之筆是把尋常之物雞、鴨比做「豪傑」,珍物如燕窩反而是寒士,為什麼?
【 原文:戒耳餐 】
何謂耳餐?耳餐者,務名之謂也。貪貴物之名,誇敬客之意,是以耳餐,非口餐也。不知豆腐得味,遠勝燕窩。海菜不佳,不如蔬筍。余嘗謂雞、豬、魚、鴨,豪傑之士也,各有本味,自成一家。海參、燕窩,庸陋之人也,全無性情,寄人籬下。嘗見某太守宴客,大碗如缸,白煮燕窩四兩,絲毫無味,人爭誇之。余笑曰︰「我輩來吃燕窩,非來販燕窩也。」可販不可吃,雖多奚為?若徒誇體面,不如碗中竟放明珠百粒,則價值萬金矣。其如吃不得何?
【 英譯 】
What’s an “ear meal”? A meal so impressively expensive that hearing about it would make the guests feel self-important. Therefore, it’s food for the ears, not for the tongues.
Don’t they know that well-cooked, tasty tofu far exceeds a bird’s nest? Mediocre seafood is inferior to commonplace greens and bamboo shoots. I’ve valued chickens, pork, fish, and ducks as the “brave noblemen”, for each of the foods possesses its own character and stands alone as a main dish. On the other hand, sea cucumber and bird’s nest are “nobodies’, for they are tasteless, lacking character and hence subordinate to the taste of other food, like a man living under another man’s roof, with no will of his own.
At a certain banquet, I saw an impressive amount of bird’s nest being cooked in a large container in an uninteresting manner. While other guests rushed to praise the utterly dull dish, I simply laughed and said, “We’re invited to taste the bird’s nest, not to see it displayed for sale.” When a food serves a better purpose by showing it rather than eating it, large quantities mean nothing. What’s more, if the host wants to be applauded for his fortune and social status, why not simply place hundreds of gleaming pearls in the bowl and let the jewelry speak for itself? Why bother with food anyway?
【今人趣味 】
耳餐的另一種可能,就是中國菜特有的詩詞化現象,聽來好像出入帝王將相之家,真相卻是村夫俗婦之所,令人啞然失笑,其中自我陶醉固而有之,但其幽默又令人會心一笑。如「虎皮鳯爪」(炸雞爪,虎皮指炸過後雞皮起氣泡的模樣)、「翡翠白玉」(青菜豆腐)、「水晶肘子」(凍豬肉)、「龍鬚湯」 (連玉米鬚一起下去煮的玉米湯)、「獅子頭」(大肉丸)、「銀絲卷」(饅頭類),最高明的則是「佛跳牆」(十幾種好食材同燉,十分喜慶吉祥,是閩語福壽全的諧音)。西菜是另一個極端,把所有食材全部老實寫出來,如泰式雞肉沙拉:雞肉條、生菜、胡蘿蔔、米粉、黃瓜、豆芽、花生,芝麻、上澆泰式醋醬(幸好沒有把酸醬成份也寫出來),洋洋洋灑灑一大堆,完全達到告知目的,郤失於想像力。
【 私記 】
袁枚雖有富貴悠遊生活,但未失文人真性情,他一眼看破食宴上華而不實之風, 創出「耳餐」一詞,也就是說,菜名及食材叫得好聽,但搭配、烹調錯誤,反而更令人厭惡。魚子醬吐司是不是「耳餐」?伊比利回鍋肉是不是「耳餐」?俗人如我,若遇此情此景,也必呼,其如吃不得何?
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和「須知篇」相對應的,是「戒篇」,這裡袁枚充份發揮率真犀利本事,對不順眼的飲食習慣,不合理的烹調方法毫不留情。另外他對浪費食材深惡痛絕,甚至為了殺生而導至的動物痛苦,也多所呼籲。文人畢竟對人世多一份惻隱之心,動物權的觀念已在300年前萌芽。
各位有沒有這種經驗?事情做完了,忽然覺得要多加一杯米,多加一勺鹽,多吃一塊餅乾,甚至多買一雙鞋子,結果發現,那個加碼,都是多餘,此篇就在討論此事。
【 原文: 開篇 】
為政者興一利,不如除一弊,能除飲食之弊,則思過半矣。
【 原文: 戒外加油 】
俗廚製菜,動熬豬油一鍋,臨上菜時,勺取而分澆之,以為肥膩。甚至燕窩至清之物,亦復受此玷污。而俗人不知,長吞大嚼,以為得油水入腹。故知前生是餓鬼投來。
【 英譯 】
Forward
For politicians to put forth a new, exciting policy would be less than to eliminate an old, bad one. Likewise, eliminating bad culinary habits could amount to having attained a significant portion of the cooking knowledge.
Not that extra lard
How pitiful that a cook would prepare a pot of hot lard to pour on a freshly-done dish by the spoonful, believing it would enhance the richness of the food. Sometimes ordinary chefs as such went so far that a bird’s nest, the most delicate and clear dish of all dishes, could not escape such ill fate.
Equally unforgivable are the people who gulp down the food and praise its greasy richness. Are they simple or ignorant? They must be hungry, reincarnated ghosts.
【 世界觀 】
說到油膩,許多德州烤肉迷堅信,堆積的油脂對健康有益。
Many Texas barbecue fanatics have a strong belief in the beneficial properties of accumulated grease
-Calvin Trillin
【 私記 】
- 袁老只提豬油,未提植物油,不知加一勺植物油是否ok? 畢竟我媽教我做清蒸魚,就要最後澆一匙菜油上去,「這樣才香!」她堅持。
- 300年前有沒有植物油?有,多著呢!無論中外,植物油幾千年前就被發現,只是限於工具,不能大量擷取。中國人最早拿芝麻油照明,後來用在飲食上。明朝崇禎年間宋應星著有「天工開物」,是中國歷代工藝的百科全書,內有「膏液篇」(古代把「油」稱為膏),寫著「凡油供饌食用者,胡麻、莱菔子、黄豆、菘菜子為上」。這還是上品油,他還列出一系列的中品油和下品油,文中還配有當時民間榨油的插畫。
- 動物油和植物油最大的差別,是前者無法開「油品品嚐會」。君不見橄欖油多麼風光,而豬油再怎麼由天皇老子的品種中榨出,也無緣就口味和香氣供人逐一鑑賞,還收錢!
- Calvin Trillin (1935-)是美國記者,美食及幽默作家,生於密蘇里州,著作等身。
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天冷時來一碗鮑魚雞湯,從口到心都暖和了。
成語「鮑魚之肆」想必就是賣鮑魚,美味飄香的店家了。
錯!錯!錯!這是一個大誤會,實情完全相反。現在的鮑魚古時叫「鰒魚」,而古時「鮑魚」是指用鹽醃過的鹹魚,是會發臭的。古文曰「如入鮑魚之肆,久而不聞其臭」是指臭味聞久了,習慣了,就不覺得臭,被比喻為和惡人相處日久,就會被同化而不自覺,是警世名言。
誤會解釋清楚了,來看看袁枚吃過什麼鮑魚美味?
【 原文:海鮮單鰒魚 】
鰒魚炒薄片甚佳。楊中丞家削片入雞湯豆腐中,號稱鰒魚豆腐,上加陳糟油(註1)澆之。莊太守用大塊鰒魚煨整鴨,亦別有風趣。但其性堅,終不能齒決,火煨三日,才拆得碎。
【英譯】
Abalone is best when thinly sliced and stir-fried. Sir Yang’s delightful “Abalone Tofu" is made by adding sliced abalone to chicken broth and tofu. and seasoned with a coating of aged zaoyu. (註1)
Sir Zhuang came up with a unique, pleasing variation — braising a whole duck with big chunks of abalone. However, the abalone tends to be firm, and teeth alone cannot break it. Braising for three days is what it takes to make the mollusk decently tender.
【 私記 】
- 西方人吃海鮮喜用炸的,中國人常認為是暴殄天物,但是此處袁老明說鮑魚切薄片炒之甚佳,那些喜歡把鮑魚切片、裹粉,煎之炸之的老外算得到知音了。
- 鮑魚在美國並不流行,主要還是亞洲人喜歡,夏威夷有龐大的鮑魚養殖業,主要供給日本,鮑魚sashimi可是精品喔!野生鮑魚很大,可長到12吋,養殖鮑魚很小,只有3、4吋。袁枚吃的野生鮑魚,要先捶打才會軟,若無捶打,難怪要煮三天。
- 陳糟油就是有年份的糟鹵,由酒糟加其他香料釀成,市場很容易買到,佐葷素菜均佳。
- 中丞是對巡撫(類似今日的省長)的尊稱,太守也是一地的最高行政人員,可能是郡級、縣級的,清朝官名在本文英譯中統稱Sir, 以簡化之。這顯示袁枚來往皆VIP,難怪能時時、處處吃到好菜。
【 烹調法中英對照表 】
炒、
爆香stir fry, saute 用少量的熱油很快的把食物熱香。saute是法文,原意為「跳」,食物在熱油中不會跳嗎?和中文的「爆香」異曲同工。 煨、燉、
慢火、收乾braise 用小火把食物煮得熟透、易嚼、入味,只留少許汁液。 -
現在食物的洗刷多由超市負責,就算是全雞,全鴨,也都是清理過的。然而此文告訴我們某些食物清洗的原因及目的,讀之仍然有趣。
原文:
洗刷之法,燕窩去毛,海參去泥,魚翅去沙,鹿筋去臊。肉有筋瓣,剔之則酥;鴨有腎臊,削之則淨;魚膽破,而全盤皆苦;鰻涎存,而滿碗多腥;韭刪葉而白存,菜棄邊而心出。《內則》註1 曰︰「魚去乙,鱉去醜註2。」此之謂也。諺云︰「若要魚好吃,洗得白筋出。」亦此之謂也。
The method of cleaning:Make sure bird’s nests are free from bird feathers, sea Cucumbers from mud, shark fins from sand, and deer tendons from odor.
Remove sinews from the meat to ensure that the cooked meat will be crispy. Duck kidneys have a foul smell, so cook without them. Fish gall bladders release a bitter taste when broken,so remove them in advance. The saliva of eels, if not cleaned, will destroy the whole dish.
The white stems of the garlic chives are the best, so discard the old leaves. The center of vegetables are the best, so discard the outside leaves.
To quote from Book of Rites “Remove the 乙 -shaped bones from the fish. Remove the orifices of soft shell turtles." Those are wise sayings.
It is also wisely said that for the fine taste of fish, one must clean the fish until the white tissue is exposed.
Note: 1.「內則」為「禮記」第12篇,內容為居家男性及女性所應遵行的法則,包括飲食,可代表周朝貴族王室的飲食文化,也並堪稱古代第一本「食經」。乙字型的魚骨,吞下去就糟了,還是趕快拿掉吧!2 鱉醜是指什麼?是指鱉臉上有洞的部份,如眼洞、鼻洞、口洞等,想像一下,那些洞也的確很不好看。
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今人可選吃魚排,不必處理刺的問題,但如果想選用全魚,刺要如何解決呢?袁枚有好方法:1. 用快刀刮取魚片,用鉗抽其刺。2.用快刀將魚背斜切,使碎骨盡斷。他不主張把魚刺炸酥的方法,稱之為「駝背夾直,其人不活」,硬要把駝背的人弄直,反置人於死,就是矯枉過正。
黃魚(yellow croaker)是太平洋西岸(黃海地區)很容易買到的魚,維基百科以韓國黃花魚(Gulbi)為文化代表。袁枚的重點為此魚為濃厚之物,所以烹調時不能用「清」法,而要用「濃」法。
原文: 黃魚切小塊,醬酒郁一個時辰,瀝乾。入鍋爆炒兩面黃,加金華豆豉一茶杯,甜酒一碗,秋油一小杯,同滾。候鹵乾色紅,加糖,加瓜薑收起,有沉浸濃郁之妙。又一法,將黃魚拆碎,入雞湯作羹,微用甜醬水、芡粉收起之,亦佳。大抵黃魚亦係濃厚之物,不可以清治之也。
Method 1: Cut the yellow croakers into small chunks. Marinade the chunks with the mixture of soy sauce and wine for a day. Drip dry. Fry the pieces until both sides are golden brown, then add a small cup of Jinhua Douchi, a bowl of sweet wine, a small cup of autumn sauce [1] , and bring to a boil and simmer. When the sauce has reduced and turned red, add sugar, pickled cucumber and ginger, and continue to simmer until dry. This process will ensure the dish has a deep, rich flavor.
Method 2: Shred only the fish meat, and cook it with chicken broth while lightly season it with sweetened soy sauce, and add adequate amount of corn starch to make it into a thick soup.
Note: 簡言之,(1)法是紅燒,(2)法是做成魚羹。袁枚常提到「秋油」,那是古時在秋天時釀出的好醬油,今日已不可得,就選用您認為最好的醬油吧!
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淡菜是mussel, 為何有這個和海鮮完全不搭的名字,值得深究。在貝類方面,中文有蠔、蜆、蛤、蚶、蟶、蠣、蚵等不同的字,很難辨別,英文比較簡單,可大分為三類:oyster(蠔), mussel(淡菜)和clam(蛤蜊),區分如下(網路照片):

mussels, 淡菜,殼色深,長尖形,用酒炒,中外皆愛 
Oysters, 蠔,殼色淡, 橢圓形,可生吃,可養珍珠,中外皆愛, 
clams, 蛤蜊,殼色淡,扁平形,蒸之,中外皆愛 但海蝘是什麼?根據文中描述,就是寧波地區特產小魚,又寫成海蜒、或稱丁香魚,其實超市裡常見的或溼或乾的鹹性小魚都屬此類。牠們有一通稱叫whitebait (台灣稱為吻仔魚),指某些魚類的魚苖。自古以來全世界都在吃這種小魚,只是各地區有不同品種。清朝寧波史學家全祖望對此小魚有詩讚道:「一瓶蟹甲純黃醬,千箸魚頭細海蜒。」
當食材有天然美味,真是不需人類多做什麼。
(原文) 淡菜煨肉加湯,頗鮮,取肉去心,酒炒亦可。
Braising mussels with pork, making it into a fresh, tasty soup. Or remove the innards of the mussels and cook the remaining meat with wine.
(原文) 海蝘,寧波小魚也,味同蝦米,以之蒸蛋甚佳。作小菜亦可。
Haiyen (whitebaits) are small fish from Ningpao. Its taste approximates that of dried shrimps. Adding it to steamed eggs would please your palate. It could be served as a side dish as well.

台灣的吻仔魚蒸蛋,就是極佳代表 -
袁枚的海鮮篇共提到10種菜: 燕窩、海參、魚翅、鰒魚(鮑魚)、淡菜、海蝘、 烏魚蛋、江瑤柱、蠣黃。
我把下列刪除: 燕窩 (不合時宜) 、魚翅(不合時宜), 鮑魚(貴而烹調耗時), 烏魚蛋(不確定食材倒底為何), 蠣黃 (陳述太簡單而無參考價值)
袁枚的海鮮食譜都很簡單,也許海鮮美味天成,不需過多裝飾,除非本身無味,如海參。

蔥爆海參是山東名菜 (原文)海參三法:
海參,無味之物,沙多氣腥,最難討好。然天性濃重,斷不可以清湯煨也。須檢小刺參,先泡去沙泥,用肉湯滾泡三次,然後以雞、肉兩汁紅煨極爛。輔佐則用香蕈、木耳,以其色黑相似也。大抵明日訪客,則先一日要煨,海參才爛。嘗見錢觀察家,夏日用芥末、雞汁拌冷海參絲,甚佳。或切小碎丁,用筍丁、香蕈丁入雞湯煨作羹。蔣侍郎家用豆腐皮、雞腿、蘑菇煨海參,亦佳。
Sea cucumbers, being tasteless, containing sand and a special smell, is hard to cook well. Boiling it with heavy broth is essential. Light broth can’t perform well.
Method 1: For the small and spiked variety, first soak it in water to clear of mud and sand, then boil it with meat broth three times, and simmer it with chicken and pork broth and soy sauce until the texture becomes supple and soft. For best result, add ingredients such as shitake or woodear mushroom to the dish for a coherent black color. Always prepare the dish one day before, to make sure the sea cucumber is cooked through and through.
Method 2: Mr. Chien’s method of making a cold sea cucumber dish in the summertime is praiseworthy – mixing mustard and chicken broth with cold cubed sea cucumber.
Method 3 : Another option to Method 2 is to make thick soup with cubed sea cucumber, cubed bamboo shoots and cubed mushroom, while using chicken broth as the base.
Method 4: Officer Jiang’s household used tofu sheet, chicken thighs and mushrooms to cook with sea cucumber. It turns out great.
Note: 章目雖寫「海參三法」,袁枚其實共提出四種作法,每一作法都提到雞湯,而且要長時間煨,掌握此兩訣竅,做海參就不難了。此處提到的蔣侍郎,在書中還會再出現。侍郎是官階,類似於今日的副部長,次長。
現代做海參都簡化了,但某些網廚示範做海參時這樣說:「家常版不可能燉隻雞來煨海參」,或「飯店都是先做肉湯來煨海參,我們就不必了」等,如此反而點出袁枚所述的以肉湯來煨才是王道。
海參是動物,一向是亞洲人的美味,現在西方體認到它的營養價值,藥業也廣用海參來提煉其精華,所以野海參就越來越少了。據說有些國家已開始養殖海參,嘴饞的話,不如等 養殖海參普及化後再吃吧!