Chapter 128: Crispy Potato Pancakes  

Jiang Rou came prepared today.  

She gradually took out a pile of items—pepper powder, spiced salt powder, chili powder…  

All kinds of powdered seasonings, which she had bought directly from the “Tao Duo Duo” online marketplace.  

They were not particularly eye-catching but possessed a magical effect.  

Even dipping a plain steamed bun in a bit of chili powder would taste better than eating it dry.  

For those who were not skilled in cooking, these seasonings were like tools that could turn the ordinary into something extraordinary.  

Besides these, Jiang Rou had also picked some scallions from her own courtyard and brought along carrots, cucumbers, and onions.  

All of them were everyday vegetables and fruits, which would not seem out of place even on a remote island.  

If she were to eat lavish meals of fish and meat every day, she would certainly arouse suspicion.  

Jiang Rou picked through the basket of potatoes, selecting three large ones and several small ones.  

She handed the small potatoes to Zhou Xiaochuan and instructed him to take them outside to wash.  

The large potatoes were given to Song Qingqian.  

“Do you know how to peel potatoes?”  

“I do. I’m not that dumb.” Song Qingqian muttered in a small voice before picking up the tool and starting to peel the potatoes.  

However, when it came to the next step…  

Song Qingqian was at a loss.  

Jiang Rou took the washed potatoes and began slicing them, one precise cut after another. The silver blade fell rhythmically.  

Once the slicing was done, she turned the potatoes and continued cutting—one stroke after another.  

Her wrist moved swiftly, rising and falling in a steady rhythm.  

In just the blink of an eye…  

The three large potatoes had been transformed into a pile of thin potato shreds, stacked like a small mountain.  

Song Qingqian barely had time to blink.  

Yet, Jiang Rou had already finished cutting.  

Next, she placed the shredded potatoes into a large basin, added water, and gently swirled them to rinse.  

Song Qingqian watched from the side, puzzled, and asked,  

“But these potato shreds are already clean. Why wash them again?”  

“There’s a layer of starch on the surface of the potato shreds. Most of the time, it’s fine not to wash it off. But if you want them to be crispier when eaten, rinsing helps.” Jiang Rou explained.

Jiang Rou explained while her hands never stopped moving.  

She immediately turned her head and began shredding the carrots she had brought. A small portion was diced into tiny carrot cubes.  

The cucumber was even simpler.  

Jiang Rou placed the whole cucumber on the cutting board, held the kitchen knife in her right hand, and turned it sideways, using the flat side of the blade.  

She reminded: “Xiaohua, cover your ears.”  

Zhou Xiaohua was already used to the strange noises that occurred whenever Jiang Rou cooked. She had even witnessed an actual “explosion” before, so everything else was nothing in comparison.  

Since Jiang Rou told her to cover her ears, she obediently did so without hesitation.  

Immediately after—  

Jiang Rou’s raised arm swung down in an instant.  

Pa! Pa! Pa!  

The whole, intact cucumber was instantly smashed into sections, breaking apart into chunks.  

Jiang Rou then used the knife to make a few more cuts, ensuring the cucumber pieces were more uniform in size.  

Once she finished these preparations, Zhou Xiaochuan returned.  

He had thoroughly washed a large basin full of small potatoes until they were spotless.  

Jiang Rou was completely at ease, not even needing to check his work. The next step was steaming the small potatoes over the fire.  

Song Qingqian watched Jiang Rou’s skillful movements in a daze. Only after a moment did she finally realize that she should be helping with the fire.  

She hurriedly turned around—  

Only to see that Zhou Xiaochuan was already sitting in front of the stove.  

Jiang Rou did not even need to instruct him.  

Using matches and some fallen leaves, he had already started the fire.  

Jiang Rou stood by the stove and called out: “Xiaochuan, keep it on high heat so it cooks faster.”  

“Got it.”  

Zhou Xiaochuan responded and, as the flames grew stronger, he added more firewood to keep the fire burning steadily.  

Not only Jiang Rou but even the young Zhou Xiaochuan moved with an ease that made everything look effortless.  

Meanwhile, Song Qingqian, a fully grown adult, felt her face flush with embarrassment.  

She still vividly remembered how, when she first arrived on the island, it had taken He Donglai three separate lessons just to teach her how to start a fire.  

No matter how many times he explained it, she just couldn’t get the hang of it.  

After the third attempt, she was too embarrassed to ask He Donglai for more help, so she had no choice but to fumble her way through on her own.  

Even now, she was still not proficient.  

Compared to a child, she was completely outmatched—let alone compared to Jiang Rou.  

With the small potatoes now steaming in the large pot, the next step was handling the shredded potatoes.

After rinsing off the surface starch, Jiang Rou lifted the shredded potatoes from the water, drained them thoroughly, and placed them in a large bowl.  

She then added some shredded carrots and a bit of flour.  

As she worked, she summarized the key techniques.  

“There’s no fixed amount of flour to add. Just grab some with your hand and mix it in. As long as every strand of shredded potato is coated with flour and feels a little sticky, that means it’s enough. It’s better to use a little less rather than too much.”  

“Finally, add chopped scallions. The green color of the scallions makes any dish look bright and appetizing. If we had eggs, we could add one, but since we don’t have any today, we’ll just stick to the shredded potatoes.”  

“As for seasoning… one spoonful of salt, one spoonful of cumin powder, one spoonful of pepper powder. If you like it spicy, you can add chili powder. Once everything is in, just mix it all together. Simple, right?”  

Song Qingqian immediately nodded. “It does seem pretty easy.”  

Aside from the initial step of shredding the potatoes, which seemed a bit difficult, she had memorized everything else.  

Meanwhile, the iron wok was already heating up.  

Jiang Rou poured in some rapeseed oil, and once it reached the right temperature, she grabbed a handful of the seasoned shredded potatoes and placed them directly into the hot oil.  

The moment the hot oil made contact with the shredded potatoes, a sizzling sound erupted.  

It was the most delightful and appetizing sound.  

Jiang Rou picked up the spatula and carefully spread out the shredded potatoes, pressing them down slightly to form a round shape at the bottom of the wok.  

A potato pancake was taking shape.  

“When you reach this step, you need to be patient and not rush. Wait until the bottom side is fully cooked and the flour has solidified before flipping it over.”  

“If you flip it too early, the pancake will easily fall apart, and it won’t look as good. So it’s better to let it cook a little longer, even if it gets slightly crispy.”  

“The one I’m making today is quite large. If you try this yourself later, make a smaller one—it’ll be easier to flip.”  

As Song Qingqian listened, the enticing aroma filled the air.  

The potato pancake wasn’t even done yet, but it was already making her mouth water.  

While waiting, Jiang Rou took the opportunity to wash her hands, rinsing off the leftover flour on her fingers.  

By the time she returned, the sizzling sound in the wok had quieted slightly, and the edges of the pancake had turned a beautiful golden crisp.  

It was just about ready.  

She slid the spatula under the pancake, then, with a swift flick of her wrist, the large, round potato pancake flipped over effortlessly.  

Standing nearby, Song Qingqian and Zhou Xiaohua watched in anticipation.  

They unconsciously stood on their tiptoes, eyes wide open, staring into the wok.  

The side that had just been flipped over revealed a golden, crispy crust.  

It looked absolutely irresistible!  

Gulp.  

Song Qingqian and Zhou Xiaohua swallowed hard at the same time.