"Delicious! This Spicy Stir-fried Pork Liver is even better than my Master's!"
Zheng Qiang ate three pieces of Spicy Stir-fried Pork Liver in a row, looking at Xiao Lei in shock. "Master Uncle? Is my Master considered to have poor cooking skills within the sect? How come he can't even compare to your apprentice? I'm now becoming your apprentice, following the same Great Grandmaster. That shouldn't be considered betraying the sect, right?"
Xiao Lei's lips moved slightly, his expression somewhat strange, and he muttered, "Senior Brother Xu's talent surpasses mine."
Even the Spicy Stir-fried Pork Liver tastes better than his.
"Master Uncle, you're too modest. Zhou Yan cooks so well, yours must be even better. My Master definitely wasn't serious when he was an apprentice. Next time I visit him in Rongcheng, I'll make him reflect on his actions." Zheng Qiang exclaimed.
His Master was his cousin. He had been learning to cook from him since he was thirteen, and they were practically like half a son. He dared to say anything in front of him, and at most, he'd get a beating.
Xiao Lei was somewhat amused and exasperated. This master nephew had a good character, but his mouth was a bit too sharp.
In the kitchen of Rongcheng Restaurant, an old master was standing by the stove instructing a young chef on how to cook when he suddenly sensed something, quickly walked to the door, and sneezed twice.
"What's going on? Is someone cursing me?" The old master touched his nose, frowned and muttered to himself, "I wonder how Zheng Qiang is doing back in Jiazhou."
As he spoke, the Crucian Carp With Perilla Leaves was served.
Zheng Qiang's attention was immediately drawn to it; this was the dish he had ordered.
Braised fish was his Master's specialty. Back then, their Grandmaster became a famous chef in Jiazhou by relying on his fish cooking skills.
Fish was also Zheng Qiang's forte. He is proficient in braising, steaming, boiling, and dry-frying. When he worked at Rongcheng Restaurant, his fish dishes were recognized by the older men in the kitchen, and he was often given the opportunity to cook for formal banquets.
Therefore, Zheng Qiang had a certain amount of confidence in his fish cooking skills.
Crucian Carp With Perilla Leaves was one of the signature dishes at their Rongcheng restaurant, and he had made it many times.
The scallions, pickled long bean and pickled peppers, a vibrant mix of green and red, are coated in a thick broth and placed over the crucian carp, looking quite tempting.
A serving contains two crucian carp, each weighing about eight liang, a generous portion, and at two yuan, the price isn't expensive.
"It looks really good. No wonder it's the pride of our sect." Zheng Qiang picked up his chopsticks and first moved the soup from the fish's belly to the side, revealing the golden and crispy fish skin. The fish skin, which had been cut, was not broken apart at all. This is quite skillful.
He picked up a piece of fish with the skin on, dipped it in the thick broth, and lifted it up, the broth coating the fish, glistening slightly with oil. The broth was perfectly thickened. He put it in his mouth.
The numbing, spicy, fresh, fragrant, and sour flavors appeared in full force, with the aroma of the perilla leaves, elevating the overall taste to another level.
The slightly charred skin of the fish was even more fragrant, yet the fish meat remained tender and smooth. This required extremely precise control of the heat; a slight miscalculation would render the fish tough.
The perfect fusion of heat and seasoning created this Crucian Carp With Perilla Leaves! Zheng Qiang pursed his lips, spitting out two fish bones, his expression a mixture of shock and bewilderment:
"This is a Crucian Carp With Perilla Leaves made by a chef who's only been learning for two and a half years? What have I been doing for the past eighteen years? Does such a genius really exist?"
He once thought he was quite talented in cooking; his knife skills, heat control, and seasoning were all quite good among chefs of his age, and he was also very diligent.
But faced with this Crucian Carp With Perilla Leaves, he felt as if he saw an insurmountable chasm.
Cruel…
That's too cruel!
The seasoning of this rich broth alone would be enough for him to study for many years.
What frustrated him even more was that he felt his Master's Crucian Carp With Perilla Leaves wasn't as good as this.
But thinking about it that way made him feel a little better.
When his Master returned to Suji for the Chinese New Year, he would bring him to try his Junior Brother's Crucian Carp With Perilla Leaves.
He shouldn't have to bear this blow alone.
Equally silent was Xiao Lei, who had also taken a bite.
Crucian Carp With Perilla Leaves is a unique cooking method. It is more difficult to cook the fish by first frying and then cooking it, so many restaurants choose to boil it directly and then reduce the sauce to ensure the crucian carp is tender enough.
However, this method, by omitting the frying step, loses the crispy outside and tender inside texture and aroma.
Given Zhou Yan's skill in controlling the heat and seasoning at the time, this was completely beyond his capabilities, so he never taught him how to make this dish; at most, Zhou Yan had only watched him a few times.
And now, he was serving up a Crucian Carp With Perilla Leaves that was perfect in color, aroma, and taste.
Xiao Lei became increasingly convinced that Zhou Yan had another master outside.
He even began to suspect that Zhou Yan's behavior in the canteen more than three months ago was all an act.
No one could cook so many dishes so perfectly in just three months.
Even just Spicy Stir-fried Pork Liver and Crucian Carp With Perilla Leaves are impossible.
Of course…
He also considered that Zhou Yan might be a genius who, after being broken down, rose again and discovered his talent for cooking in despair, and then mastered everything he learned.
Such a bizarre story, even his master, who liked to boast after drinking, had never told it.
It's not shameful for the factory canteen's stir-fries to be a flop.
"Master Uncle, you even cook fish so well?" Zheng Qiang's smile held a hint of bitterness. "Why don't you teach me?"
Xiao Lei was silent for a moment, then said, "Let Zhou Yan teach you, he's already far better than me."
"As expected of my Master Uncle, so noble and upright, so composed yet humble!" Zheng Qiang nodded with admiration, "Then I'll ask my Junior Brother for guidance when I have time."
Xiao Lei, hearing this, didn't bother to explain further; believe it or not.
"The fish skin is fried to perfection. How much oil should I use? What oil temperature? How long should I fry it?"
"Did he pickle these long bean himself? They're so refreshing!"
"The sauce is thickened perfectly but not greasy. The fish coats the sauce well without getting greasy. I think it must be..."
The two ate and discussed, engaging in a very in-depth discussion, verifying each other's points, and both gained some insights.
They hadn't arrived early, and ate at a leisurely pace. By the time they were almost finished, only two tables of customers remained in the restaurant, drinking and chatting.
Zhou Yan brought out a plate of braised pig's head meat, pig's ears, and a pair of chopsticks, and sat down with a smile: "There's still some left that haven't sold out. Let's eat and chat."
"Junior Brother Zhou, your Crucian Carp With Perilla Leaves and Spicy Stir-fried Pork Liver are so delicious, I, as your Senior Brother, am ashamed of my inferiority." Zheng Qiang looked at Zhou Yan sincerely, "When you have time, could you give me some pointers on how to cook fish? I want to improve!"
Xiao Lei paused in his hand, which was holding a piece of pig's head meat. He glanced at Zhou Yan, his lips moved, but he ultimately didn't say anything.
Damn it! This mouth just won't open!
Zhou Yan noticed his Master's subtle actions, wanting to laugh but suppressing it. He looked at Zheng Qiang and said, "We're fellow disciples, why be so formal? Senior Brother Zheng, just ask whatever you want to learn; I certainly won't hold back."
Zheng Qiang was his Senior Brother, and Zhou Yan had tasted his braised fish before, the control of the heat and seasoning were superb.
If just talking about cooking fish, outside of Rongcheng's top restaurants, it's absolutely unbeatable.
Those second level chefs who weren't proficient in fish cooking might not even be as good as him.
The sect's heritage was terrifyingly powerful.
What he wanted was simply to take another step up from the top level.
If he wanted to ask for advice, Zhou Yan would definitely be happy to share.
At worst, he could get a dish from him; he definitely wouldn't lose out.
Zheng Qiang's eyes lit up: "You said it. Then I'll come to you to learn next time!"
"You decide the time." Zhou Yan nodded.
"Okay!" Zheng Qiang nodded happily. His Junior Brother was so kind, not at all hesitant.
Zhou Yan then looked at Xiao Lei and said, "Master, are you free tomorrow? I'm almost out of lard in my restaurant, and I want to render two batches of lard tomorrow afternoon. But the pork cracklings I rendered last time were overcooked and too tough to chew. I'd like you to give me some pointers. I also want to make a dish of Stir-fried Pork Cracklings With Cabbage; you'll need to give me some pointers on that dish too."
"Stir-fried Pork Cracklings With Cabbage is something anyone can make. Do you really need pointers?" Xiao Lei laughed and nodded. "Okay, I'll come over after lunch tomorrow. You can weigh out the lard first, and I'll teach you how to render it in the afternoon."
"Okay!" Zhou Yan also beamed.
Stir-fried Pork Cracklings With Cabbage is a semi-meat dish, so the price can be as low as thirty cents.
Zhou Yan could learn from his Master, which is just as reliable. As long as he achieved a level of "good" or above, he could directly add the dishes to the menu and enrich the menu that lacked vegetarian options.
However, my proud Master, how can I get you to ask me for help?
Zhou Yan pondered this, already having a general idea, and then asked, "Master, besides eating, is there anything else you want to discuss with me today?"
Zheng Qiang didn't speak, but looked at Xiao Lei.
"Yes, we're here to talk to you about supplying braised meat." Xiao Lei put down his chopsticks and looked at Zhou Yan. "We've discussed it and decided that all the outdoor banquets we take on from now on will use your braised meat like braised pig ears, braised pig head meat, and braised beef. You'll supply those three. What do you think?"
Zhou Yan was a little surprised. After thinking for a moment, he said, "Outdoor banquets are all big orders, I'd definitely be happy to, but will the host agree? If I supply braised meat, it'll be calculated by weight."
"I discussed it with Zheng Qiang. If they don't agree, we won't accept the order. Currently, we have a fairly sufficient number of orders on hand." Xiao Lei said, pausing before adding:
"This is how we've planned it. Maintaining the braising liquid is quite troublesome, and dragging it around can easily cause problems. We also need to allocate someone to manage it."
"Once we're more comfortable with it, we can handle smaller banquets after the Chinese New Year with our own helpers. On big days, we can take on two orders simultaneously, earning more that way."
Zhou Yan nodded repeatedly after listening, looking at Xiao Lei with some surprise: "Master, did you come up with this idea?"
Xiao Lei nodded and said, "Yes, do you have any better suggestions?"
"Your idea is excellent, what more could I possibly suggest?" Zhou Yan said with a smile. "I wish you both all the best in growing bigger and stronger! May you both achieve even greater success!"
No wonder he's been a head chef for over ten years; his adaptability is incredible.
Zhou Yan's responsibility for providing the braised meat was now finalized.
He only needed to braise the meat and deliver it to the banquet venue that morning, no cutting was required.
Because it didn't need cutting, he would price it at 2.2 yuan per jin for pig's head meat, 2.8 yuan per jin for pig's ears, and 3.5 yuan per jin for braised beef.
For a banquet with thirty tables, the braised meat revenue would be about eighty yuan, and he would earn half of that.
This is called mutual benefit and mutual success!
Zhou Yan helped them get started on their path as village chefs, and this was a tangible financial return!
Mutual help is far better than mutual harm among the lower classes.
"By the way, Master, how was the Spicy Stir-fried Pork Liver I made today? Could you give me some pointers?" Zhou Yan looked at Xiao Lei with an expectant smile.