The autumn breeze is getting cooler, and the appetite is becoming picky. At this time, a mouthful of fragrant lo-mei seems to be the best answer to solve cravings. Whether it's delicate braised chicken thighs, soft and glutinous braised eggs, or even crispy braised lotus root slices, every bite is addictive.
Are you also fascinated by lo-mei? Thinking about coming home from work, a bowl of hot rice, paired with homemade lo-mei, is simply bursting with happiness.
You might think that lo-mei must be complicated to make when it is so delicious, right? Not at all! As long as you learn a "universal marinade", no matter how complex the marinade is, you can easily get it.
Today, I'm going to teach you how to start from scratch, master this all-in-one marinade, and make an irresistible marinade at home.
The secret of lo-mei is revealed: all-purpose marinade, everything is delicious
If you want to make a delicious lo-mei, the core is this "all-purpose marinade". Not only is it easy to learn, but it also adapts perfectly to different ingredients, whether you marinate chicken thighs, chicken wings, duck neck, lotus root slices, and dried tofu, this marinade will give you the perfect flavor.
Material preparation: It's simple, don't bother
The ingredients of lo-mei are actually common seasonings in the kitchen:
- Basic spices: bay leaf, cinnamon, star anise, dried chili, Sichuan pepper.
- Seasoning: ginger, green onion, cooking wine, light soy sauce, oyster sauce, dark soy sauce, rock sugar and a small amount of cooking oil.
These ingredients can be found in almost every kitchen, so you won't be overwhelmed by not having a certain ingredient.
Pre-treatment: Tailor the "taste journey" for each ingredient
Different ingredients are processed differently, but no matter what it is, it is important to prepare in advance so that the flavor of the marinade is correct enough.
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Meat Handling:
Soak chicken thighs, duck wings and other meats in water to remove blood, and blanch to remove fish. Boil the sliced ginger, green onion and cooking wine to remove the foam, then remove and clean. In this way, the meat will not have a fishy smell and the taste will be more delicate.
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Egg Handling:
Put the eggs into the pot with cold water, turn to low heat and cook for 8 minutes after the water boils, remove and soak in cold water, peel the shells and set aside. The skin of the marinated eggs is uniform in color and rich in flavor.
- Vegetable & Soy Processing:
Vegetables such as potatoes and lotus roots are peeled and cut into thick slices, and the bean skin and dried bean curd are rinsed and cut into suitable sizes for easy flavoring.
Marinade: the soul of taste begins in this pot
The most crucial step is to boil the marinade.
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Stir-fried sugar color to enhance flavor and color:
Put the rock sugar and a small amount of oil in the pan and slowly fry the caramel color over low heat, this step not only adds color to the lo-mei, but also enhances the overall umami. Remember, be sure to stir-fry slowly over low heat, the sugar color is charred but not mushy is the key.
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Add seasonings and bring out the aroma:
Put the prepared ginger slices, green onions, dried chilies, Sichuan peppercorns, star anise, bay leaves, cinnamon and other spices into the pot, then add light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, oyster sauce and cooking wine, stir well, bring to a boil over high heat, turn to low heat and continue to cook for 10 minutes. This step is to fully release the aroma of the spices, and the "soul" of lo-mei is boiled out from here.
Put the ingredients in batches: fine control, moderate hardness and softness
Depending on the ingredients, the marinating time is also different. Put the meat into the pot first, cook until it is eight ripe, then add eggs and vegetables, and put them in turn and remove them. If you want to eat softer, you can appropriately extend the marinating time; If you like chewiness, shorten the time and adjust the taste that suits you best.
Important reminder: Don't rush to take it out after cooking!
After turning off the heat, continue to soak in the brine, soak for a few hours to absorb the flavor, or even let it soak in the marinade overnight. The next day, the ingredients completely absorbed the essence of the marinade, and the flavor was rich and fragrant.
Tips for making lo-mei: grasp the details carefully to make the taste to the next level
If you want lo-mei to taste better, here are a few key tips to help you get started.
- Don't put too many spices: Although the flavor of spices is strong, excessive use can mask the original flavor of the ingredients, and even a bitter taste appears. Generally speaking, only a few slices of ginger, a small piece of cinnamon, a dozen peppercorns, one or two dried chilies, three or two green onions, one or two star anise, and a few bay leaves are enough to marinate a pot of food.
- Spices should be boiled for a while: Spices should be boiled for a few minutes after they are put into the pot to allow their aroma to fully dissipate, so that the marinated food will be more fragrant.
- Sugar color is indispensable: sugar color not only adds color to the lo-mei, but also improves the freshness, making the overall taste of the lo-mei more mellow. If you are afraid of trouble and don't want to fry the sugar color, you can also use ready-made rock sugar water instead, but the effect is not as good as your own frying.
From material preparation, pre-treatment to marinade boiling, to detail control, this is the whole secret of making lo-mei. With this all-purpose marinade, you can easily get anything marinated. Whether you want to make braised pork, braised eggs, or braised vegetables, you only need this one marinade recipe to get everything done.
Do you have a recipe for lo-mei? Welcome to share and communicate together.