Roasted vegetables with river clams can bring out the love of Mrs. Yazhai
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River clams are an animal that is hard to describe, or "food". River clams are not as popular as snails, and there have never been poems, proverbs, or nursery rhymes to help them advertise. Of course, this may not be a good thing for river clams. Therefore, those born in the 1970s and 1960s (and before) in Jingjiang, whose parents were "deprived of their homes and roofs for three days" when they were young, have all seen huge river clams. It was so big that a boy of twelve or thirteen years old would hold it in his arms and take it home like a big watermelon. In summer, going down to the river to touch clams is an eternal pleasure for rural teenagers.
River mussels as big as a large watermelon, what a big dish it must be. In an era of scarcity of food and clothing, isn’t it just the right time to fill the empty stomachs around the dinner table? No. River mussels have lived in the mud under the dark river water since they were born. They have a strong muddy smell, which needs to be eliminated with cooking wine, ginger, onions, garlic, etc. I can't even eat enough. How can ordinary families prepare so many rich condiments? If you think big river mussels are for cooking, please read the historical story "Why not eat minced meat". In addition, the most important reason is the severe cold in river clams. Maybe it’s because it carries the coldness of the dark world. Remember not to eat too much. Sorry for being philosophical, let’s quickly get back to the topic.
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Therefore, this food, which is called "Wai Zi" and "Wai Wai" in the countryside, exists awkwardly outside our food warehouse. Until one day, green vegetables came.
As one of the leading vegetarian dishes, there are many types of vegetables called "green vegetables" in our country. I can’t even explain our Jingjiang vegetables to northerners and southerners. Northerners can easily understand it as Chinese cabbage, while Southerners think it is "beet". Of course, people from the north and south, like me, from the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River, can’t explain it clearly, and the reasoning is still confusing. Therefore, everyone is too lazy to talk about it to save worry and trouble. Anyway, after crossing the Jiangyin Yangtze River Bridge and arriving at the border of Jingjiang, the only thing that can be cooked in a pot with river mussels must be Jingjiang green vegetables, no doubt about it.
Jingjiang green vegetables are different from others in that they taste particularly good after several frosts. "Jingjiang green vegetables are a bit sweet." We grow vegetables and are also the carriers of vegetables. The wilted green vegetables that have been beaten by frost have increased sweetness and are easy to soften, plus the natural taste of chlorophyll... I remember the famous writer Pang Yuliang said: Everyone has their own highlight moment.
There are also dishes. Sorry, getting philosophical again.
The peak moment for vegetables is already in the cold winter. River mussels are buried deep in the river mud, so digging them out is particularly difficult. A few days ago, my friend took me to the countryside and told me that they had claimed some land and planted spinach, coriander, celery, etc. In my heart I sighed. If they saw the hands of celery farmers with black mud under their fingernails and flesh-red cracks on their hands, they would stay away from the vegetable fields.
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If you order mussels and vegetables in a restaurant, please eat as much as possible.
Because it is so delicious.
I once heard from gourmets that there was an old man in Laodunyi, Jingjiang (now merged with Xilai Town), who was particularly good at making mussels and vegetables. I've never tried it, so I can't imagine the taste being any different. I think river mussels and green vegetables are a perfect combination. Just like Wang Gui and Li Xiangxiang, Xiao Erhei and Xiao Qin. It appears naturally in farmers' recipes, requiring no imagination or creativity, let alone any ingenious craftsmanship. If this dish is cooked particularly well, it may be that the chef spent some time on the early processing of the mussels and paid attention to the heat when cooking them later.
“The important step in cooking river mussels is to first pound the legs of the river mussels until they are soft, otherwise they will become harder and harder to chew.” This paragraph was searched on Baidu, so it can be seen that it has been put away All over the world. I heard that when people in Jingjiang burn mussels, they first use a wooden handle to knock the clams off their feet. In the past, rolling pins and spoon handles were made of wood and could be used for knocking.
Is there a difference? It’s hard to say! I heard this is a secret. If it is still the unique secret of Jingjiang people, I may have another philosophical reason.
Then it’s cooking. I can't cook, I can imagine. Remove the fishy and earthy smell from the river mussels and cook them until they are semi-soft, then add uncut green vegetables. In my opinion, the highest level of this dish after it is served is that the mussel meat cut into garlic clove-sized pieces is slightly green, and the green vegetable leaves are naturally coated with a layer of mussel meat crumbs, indicating that the heat is up. It's the appearance. Take a bite and you will find it is soft, glutinous and has no unnecessary taste, only the meaty aroma of river fresh food and the sweetness of green vegetables.
The freshness and sweetness are all gentle and flowing, and cannot be studied deeply. Just like a couple living a life together, there is no right or wrong. There is so much black and white.
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In restaurants nowadays, mussels and vegetables are cooked in clay pots. The casserole locks in the flavor and brings out the aroma of the ingredients, so the taste is richer. After processing, the river mussels were finally highlighted, conquering the taste buds of countless men and women, so lucky!
I don’t know if the clams and vegetables can be cooled and reheated before eating - this sentence is actually "Versailles". When it is served to the table, there is often no leftover.
Jingjiang Dai and Jingjiang Wei are both long strips. There is a river in front of every house, and a bamboo forest behind the house is also a river. River mussels and green vegetables are common ingredients in rural areas, easily available, without noble material elements, they are very earthy and authentic, silly and naive. If you can't stand the chef's tricks, you can't use salt and pepper, grill, or use sunflowers to acupuncture acupuncture points, you will be made a marquis immediately.
Therefore, the braised green vegetables with river clams have been preserved intact, so that we modern people can still taste a little of the cool breeze and bright moon of the ancient sandbank.
There are many articles to be written about the river mussel. For example, it is completely black when it comes out of the water. It passes through the darkness and gets rid of the earthy smell and becomes a popular Jingjiang famous dish. It is very inspiring. Green vegetables also come from seeds. Who among you and me has never experienced the darkest trough... Oh, stop it, stop it... Once people become philosophical, even the delicious food will be sour, so let's stop it.