My Husband, a Marshal: Conquering the Stars with My Culinary Arts-Chapter 498 - 168 - Shrimp Dumpling_3

"That’s right, it’s just a pity my due date is a bit earlier, otherwise, I could be in labor with Xixi." Mo Ying didn’t have to avoid suspicion like the men, and she sat right next to Du Xixi, while Ye Wenting sat next to Mo Ying to take care of her.

Du Xixi was amused by their conversation, and after chatting for a bit, she couldn’t resist getting up to go to the kitchen. Seeing that everyone wanted to stop her, she quickly said, "Don’t worry, I won’t make anything smoky, just a few light and delicious dishes to have some fun."

"2569 will accompany you." Ke Xing, as the head of the family, compromised. He remembered that when Du Xixi was pregnant with her first child, she couldn’t keep still. Since Du Xixi herself said she wouldn’t make anything smoky, they didn’t have much reason to stop her. "It’s still early in the pregnancy, let 2569 make more dishes later."

"Okay!" Du Xixi breathed a sigh of relief and eagerly headed to the kitchen, but 2569 remembered its duties and kept reminding Du Xixi to walk slower. Ke Xing and the others behind her watched closely, so Du Xixi had no choice but to lighten her steps and slowly make her way to the kitchen.

Once in the kitchen, Du Xixi finally relaxed. Seeing 2569 still watching her intently, she helplessly tapped on 2569’s electronic screen and smiled, "Come on, help me get some wheat starch."

"Wheat starch? You mentioned it before; it’s wheat flour, right?" 2569 recalled that Du Xixi had mentioned it when she was making dough before, so it went to the cabinet and brought out a large bag of wheat starch, gently placing it in front of Du Xixi.

Du Xixi opened it to check and, confirming it was wheat starch, went to the fridge to get the necessary ingredients, saying, "Today, I want to make shrimp dumplings, a fragrant, smooth steamed dish."

"Shrimp dumplings? Using shrimp?" 2569 was always curious about making dishes. Hearing Du Xixi’s brief introduction to shrimp dumplings, it assumed thoughtfully.

"Of course!" Du Xixi laughed, glancing at it, as she’d clearly already taken out the shrimp, and 2569’s question was apparent.

"Shrimp dumplings are half-moon shaped, like spider bellies, with twelve pleats." Du Xixi first poured the wheat starch into a mixing bowl and then had 2569 bring her a pot of boiling water, adding it to the bowl in batches. "The wheat starch needs to be mixed with boiling water, and after forming the dough, you add some lard to make the dough shinier and more elastic."

Du Xixi started stirring with chopsticks, and once it was nearly done, she kneaded with her hands. Though mixing with boiling water could be hot, Du Xixi could bear the temperature. It was only initially hot; after mixing the dough, she saw her fingertips had turned bright red.

"Madam, next time, if boiling water is needed for mixing, let me do it." 2569 only realized its oversight when seeing Du Xixi’s fingertips, as her expression seemed unchanged.

Previously, when mixing dough, Du Xixi never used boiling water. The lukewarm water wouldn’t make her feel hot, but combining dough with boiling water today, 2569 forgot Du Xixi’s hands could be scalded, or it would have offered to help before she started.

Du Xixi shook her head, said nothing, and placed the dough aside to rest before beginning to prepare the filling for the shrimp dumplings.

Without spinach at hand, Du Xixi used fresh bok choy as a substitute, slightly blanched it, and chopped it finely, mixing it with scrambled eggs, adding chopped scallions, minced garlic, and peeled fresh shrimp meat. A little cooking wine and salt were enough to enhance the stuffing’s flavor.

This wasn’t all; the filling needed a bit of cooking oil. Based on her experience, Du Xixi added two small spoonfuls and stirred the filling with a spoon until it was done.

Once the rested dough was rolled into long strips and divided into small pieces, she used a rolling pin to flatten them into skins to start wrapping the shrimp dumplings. Du Xixi’s thumb pressed the dough skin, her index and middle fingers pinched the dough. Her left and right hands worked together, pinching here and squeezing there, creating a full half-moon shaped shrimp dumpling in front of 2569.

"Wow!" 2569 exclaimed, having watched the entire process, knowing how to proceed. Once Du Xixi nodded and made room, it eagerly extended its hands, but unexpectedly, everything went smoothly until pinching the pleats. Its mechanical hands seemed out of control, producing a... misshaped dumpling?

"Madam..."

looked at Du Xixi pitifully, holding the misshaped shrimp dumpling in its hands. Du Xixi couldn’t help but comfort it, saying, "Take your time. Practice makes perfect, and although your shrimp dumplings lack pleats, they’re tightly wrapped and can be eaten once steamed."