范雅琳
父親在膠東當(dāng)了幾十年的兵,學(xué)會了一門手藝,那就是包餃子。餃子皮薄餡多,又大又鼓,大元寶似的。
或許是總承擔(dān)著耐著性子剁肉餡的重任,被喜歡放很多蔥的母親“逼”得汪洋了一波又一波的涕淚;或許是從小不喜葷,對父親包的好看的肉餡餃子沒有絲毫的興趣。過年吃餃子時就去尋個涼饅頭就塊炸帶魚或腌咸菜吃。為此沒少挨過訓(xùn),對餃子一直避而遠(yuǎn)之。
可是無意中吃了白菜丁肉丁的沙餡餃子后突然喜歡上了餃子,也常常地包起。冬天里的膠東大白菜最是鮮嫩香甜,洗凈控干切丁,一小把五花肉丁撒進(jìn)去若隱若現(xiàn),蔥姜蒜必不可少,一點鹽一點味極鮮醬油和膠東特產(chǎn)花生油,一拌,脆而生汁,沙沙利口,香而不膩,這餃子就好吃得讓你飛上了天。
兒子小的時候也不喜歡餃子。朝陽街曾有一個家常的鲅魚餃子館,包餃子的都是本地的婦女,包得一手好看的鲅魚餃子,很地道,很鮮美。于是有一天就帶他過來試一試。四五歲的兒子安靜地坐在那里,專注地吸吮著從海邊買來的漁家婦女剛烀好的新鮮小海錐,似乎對這極鮮的小海鮮很感興趣。
熱騰騰的鲅魚餃子一會兒端了上來,個頭很大,彎彎的,像月牙,更像是一只只停泊在港灣的小白船。整齊的餃子邊,沒有華麗的褶皺,很樸實。餃子皮很薄緊裹著白嫩緊致的餡,間或著星星點點的綠,似頑皮的海草爬上了船,各種的鮮挾裹著漂亮的小船劃向眼前 ,兒子張開了小嘴巴。連著六個餃子下去,小肚子一下子鼓了起來……多么美好的時刻,一記就是一輩子。
所有的美好都愿意去嘗試。
買來一條鮮鲅魚去皮剔刺,取魚肉剁碎。剁好的魚肉放進(jìn)盆里,取一碗煮開晾涼的蔥姜花椒水慢慢添加。一次加一點,順一個方向使勁兒地攪,攪勻了放置一會兒待餡稠時再添水,再使勁地攪……如此反復(fù)四五次,待攪得魚餡黏黏糊糊,細(xì)膩潤滑如瓊脂般時加韭菜碎、油和胡椒粉。在包之前,最后放鹽。皮要薄要大,才能裝得下魚餡這般大氣的盛世美顏,才能體現(xiàn)出海邊人熱情似海的胸懷。
盛產(chǎn)于黃渤海的鲅魚肉厚刺少,物美價廉,是做魚餡的最佳選擇,個大滑爽鮮美,煙臺的鲅魚餃子,名揚(yáng)四海。
科技發(fā)展,攪拌機(jī)進(jìn)入千家萬戶,魚餡幾分鐘即可搞定,市場里也出現(xiàn)了專業(yè)制作魚餡的攤位,餡料新鮮味美,做丸子包餃子都是極好的。就有了口福,不僅能吃到鲅魚餡餃子還能吃到小黃花魚和牙片魚餡的餃子。小黃花魚是黃渤海深海的魚種,深得膠東人的喜愛,雖然體小刺多但含有豐富的蛋白質(zhì)和微量元素硒,燜、炸做丸子或餡料,都是鮮美無比。唯生于黃渤海的牙片魚肉質(zhì)細(xì)嫩而潔白,亦是上乘的餡料。
好吃不過餃子,膠東人送行必吃 “上船的餃子”。這餃子里包裹的就不僅是各種美味的餡料,還有家人的牽掛,山海的深情和歲月里的點點滴滴……
My father once served in the army in Jiaodong for decades and during this period, he acquired the craft of making jiaozi. The jiaozi he made was big and bulging with thin wrappers and much stuffing, just like big ingots.
Perhaps it was because I had to take the responsibility of chopping the meat into minced stuffing, I was forced to burst into tears many times by my mother who would like to put a lot of scallions in the stuffing. Perhaps it was because I didn’t like meat since I was young, I showed no interest in the beautiful meat-stuffed jiaozi my father made. Every Spring Festival when jiaozi was put on the table, I would find a cold steamed bread to eat with fried hairtail or preserved pickles. For my being picky, I received many reprimands and have always avoided the eating of jiaozi.