Oatmeal Pushed Nests

Oatmeal Pushed Nests

　　Oatmeal Pushed Nests

　　Oatmeal Pushed Nests, also known as oatmeal Kaolao, is a traditional way of eating oatmeal. This dish is a staple home-cooked noodle dish for the people of Ningwu, where locals proudly say “The three treasures of Ningwu are oatmeal, yams, and thick coats.” Oatmeal Pushed Nests are simple to eat but not easy to make.

　　The technique for pushing oatmeal nests is difficult to master and requires a certain amount of practice before it can be done well. Skilled chefs use both hands in a coordinated and rapid motion — one push, one roll, and it's done — offering viewers a special kind of aesthetic enjoyment akin to a skill performance.

　　First, freshly boiled water must be used to mix the dough into a "three-shiny" consistency. Then, using a hand, the dough is pressed bit by bit on an extremely finely ground stone slab to form thin, cat-ear-like pieces. These are then rolled into small tubes with the index finger and arranged one after another in an orderly fashion in a steamer basket. They look like enlarged honeycombs. Finally, steam them for 10–15 minutes until cooked, and they’re ready to eat.

　　They are usually served with pickled vegetable soup, but for a more luxurious taste, you can also choose to pair them with scallion mushroom soup or steamed lamb soup. Oatmeal nests served with lamb soup are especially delicious — the chewy and smooth nests paired with a few pieces of lamb, slowly savored, are rich without being greasy, meaty without being gamey, which greatly stimulates the appetite, leaving you feeling full yet unwilling to stop eating.