[Snowflake Chicken] !
Zhou Yan was astonished when he saw the pop up quest reward.
Isn't this the lost Snowflake Chicken from the Old Luo family that appeared in Kong Qingfeng's memory fragments last time?
This is a classic Sichuan dish, usually only served at high-end banquets.
This dish wasn't unique to the Old Luo family, it's just that among the chefs at the Le Ming Restaurant, the Old Luo family's skill in making Snowflake Chicken ensured that he always had a place at the Le Ming Restaurant, and it was one of the restaurant's signature dishes.
Since Old Luo's accidental death after getting drunk, Little Luo failed to pass on the skill of making Snowflake Chicken, and since then, Le Ming Restaurant's menu has been missing a signature dish, which has not been added back to this day.
He never expected it!
He never imagined he would get it.
Zhou Yan pondered for a moment and concluded that it might still be related to Kong Qingfeng's memory fragments, but he hadn't entered a part of it, so the system selected a reward for him from the memory fragments.
Zhou Yan had never tasted the authentic Snowflake Chicken.
When he became a food blogger, this dish was already on the verge of being lost.
Non-spicy Sichuan dishes are usually considered unaffordable.
Steamed Chinese Cabbage In Supreme Soup, Snowflake Chicken, Chicken Tofu Pudding, Jart Meat (Tan Zi Rou), and Divine Duck...
It's all about the kind of Sichuan restaurant you won't find anywhere else, and the kind of restaurants you can find but can't afford.
That is precisely why most Sichuan cuisine chefs don't know how to make it, don't have the opportunity to make it, or die unexpectedly like Old Luo, so the tradition is slowly lost and it becomes a famous dish recorded in literature.
This dish would definitely not have a chance of being on the menu at Zhou Erwa Restaurant.
It's even more outrageous than the Linjiang Eel Shreds.
The workers need to eat juicy, flavorful dishes that go well with rice. The price can be a bit higher than in the canteen, but it can't be outrageously expensive.
Snowflake Chicken is known for its unique presentation of "eating chicken without seeing chicken" and "eating meat without seeing meat," using meat to represent vegetables, making it a kind of molecular gastronomy in Sichuan cuisine.
Zhou Yan once ate a dish called Snowflake Chicken made by a private kitchen. A large white plate was filled with chicken piled up like snowflakes, sprinkled with a little chopped ham. It was quite an eye-catching dish.
At the time, he thought the taste was okay, but the price was a bit high, and the texture was a bit grainy and not delicate and smooth enough.
Later, he checked the historical records and found that it wasn't like that at all.
The Snowflake Chicken at that private kitchen wasn't authentic, at least it didn't taste like the one described in the book. It was probably just that the chef's skills weren't up to par.
Even if the chef is highly skilled, this dish is only suitable for banquets. In a small restaurant, it might only be ordered twice a year. So, should the chef prepare it regularly?
It's elegant enough for formal occasions, but it lacks the warmth and vibrancy of everyday life.
However, Zhou Yan could barely suppress a smile.
It doesn't matter if it's not on the restaurant menu. He just added two new dishes to the menu that go well with rice, and the customers' interest hasn't worn off yet, so he's not in a hurry at all.
Learning how to make Snowflake Chicken is like having a special skill.
Whether it's for chef certification exams or other occasions where he needs to showcase his skills, this will be incredibly impressive.
It emphasizes a high-end, sophisticated, and classy image.
Great quest!
He should accept it.
If they ever crave chicken, he can show off his skills to his family.
He just doesn't know if they'll appreciate the taste.
Qian Siyuan and Kong Qingfeng began discussing the family reunion the next day. Zhou Yan got up to refill their tea before taking his leave.
The rest are all family matters, he, as an outsider, doesn't need to meddle.
"Master Uncle, I'll go back with Zhou Yan then. The driver can take us all back in one car so he doesn't have to make the trip back and forth." Xiao Lei said, standing up.
"Okay." Kong Qingfeng nodded, stood up and patted Xiao Lei on the shoulder, saying with satisfaction, "You two have worked hard. If your master knew that you had found their nephew, he would be overjoyed."
"That's Master's nephew, it's only right." Xiao Lei nodded with a smile, he was also in a very good mood today.
Qian Siyuan stood up and looked at Xiao Lei, saying, "Master Xiao, if I go back to hometown to hold a banquet to welcome my relatives, I will have to trouble you two, master and apprentice, to help with the arrangements."
"I really can't agree to this for you. I have a wedding banquet and a birthday banquet to hold this month. If the times conflict, I can't cancel the reservations of the guests. These are all important life events." Xiao Lei said with a smile, "However, our Kong Sect has many talented people. With my Master Uncle and fellow senior brothers and junior brothers here, there is no need to worry about holding a banquet. It's a small problem."
"You're wrong about that. We need you to organize the banquet. If you drag me to the countryside to organize a field banquet, I'll be completely clueless. I don't even know where to find a steamer for you." Kong Qingfeng shook his head and said with a smile, "You have experience. We'll arrange it according to your availability. Anyway, the welcoming banquet doesn't need to be on a big day, so there shouldn't be any problem."
"Okay." Xiao Lei nodded.
"Thank you so much for your help, Master Little Zhou. I will come to thank you in person after this matter is resolved." Qian Siyuan said gratefully, shaking Zhou Yan's hand again.
If it wasn't for Zhou Yan's persistent questioning, his identification of Linjiang Eel Shreds, his bringing Xiao Lei to cook for him, and Xiao Lei taking him to Linjiang to search for his relatives, this journey to find his family would probably have ended in vain.
He was extremely grateful to Xiao Lei and Zhou Yan, the master and apprentice.
"Mr. Qian, you're too kind. You're the nephew of my grandmaster, which makes you my elder. It's only right that I do this." Zhou Yan quickly replied.
He now realized how wise his master had been.
If he had taken that stack of ten yuan bills yesterday, things would have been incredibly awkward today.
Taking a hundred yuan will make him lose face in the Kong Sect forever.
Now things are fine, President Qian successfully found his relatives, he received a system reward, and he also gained a favor from President Qian.
He said it was because he was his elder, which felt a bit like he was trying to take advantage of the situation, since he's never even met his Grandmaster's own son and daughter.
"That's right, we're all family." Qian Siyuan nodded in deep agreement and said to Xiao Wang, who was standing to the side, "Xiao Wang, see Master Xiao and Master Little Zhou out and have the driver take them back to Suji."
"Okay, President Qian." Xiao Wang replied, seeing Xiao Lei and Zhou Yan into the car.
"Phew—"
Once inside the car, the master and apprentice both let out a long sigh of relief.
The two exchanged a glance and laughed.
"Master, you're so wise! If we had taken the money yesterday, we'd all be squatting at the door eating at the Kong Sect's next meal." Zhou Yan said with a laugh.
Xiao Lei also laughed and said, "Master Zhou, you're quite something. You managed to find out about Linjiang Eel Shreds after going through all that trouble. If he misses this opportunity, he might never find it again in his lifetime."
"This shows that there is some kind of destiny that led him to find it." Zhou Yan said with a touch of emotion, "Ms. Kong Simin must have wanted to return to her hometown, and perhaps she gave him some guidance."
Xiao Lei sighed, "I was saying, this name sounds familiar. Now that I think about it, my master mentioned it when he was drunk. He said that this sister of his was the best person in the world to him. She used to help out in the kitchen, and sometimes she would secretly help him chop vegetables, which saved him from being beaten by his father a lot. Every time he talked about it, he would shed tears, feeling sad and regretful.
I didn't dare ask too many questions, thinking that his sister had died young. I didn't expect that she had been kidnapped. Fortunately, she met a kind person and went to the United States to enjoy decades of happiness, thus avoiding the most difficult period.
If my master knew about this, he would definitely be happy, and he'd drink an extra two liang of liquor today."
"Master, do you know about Snowflake Chicken?" Zhou Yan asked, changing the subject.
"I know. I saw Grandpa Zhang make it once when I was training at Rongleyuan. He arranged it in piles on a plate, and it really looked like a pile of white 'snowflakes.' It was very beautiful, but I've never tasted it." Xiao Lei said.
"It is said that the signature dish of Le Ming Restaurant back then was Snowflake Chicken, a family recipe passed down in the Old Luo family. When Old Luo was still young, his father died after getting drunk. Little Luo was not good enough to learn the recipe and failed to pass it on. The Luo family cuisine tradition has ended, and Le Ming Restaurant no longer serves Snowflake Chicken.
For the past two years, Luo Han has been wanting to go to Rongleyuan for training, specifically to learn how to make Snowflake Chicken. Little did he know that even if he attended the training, he might not be able to fully master the dish. Even if the training was offered, people would treat each student differently based on their personal relationships, and they certainly don't have the energy to teach every student until they learn everything.
A skill can't be learned in just a few months of training. His father taught him for several years, but he still couldn't learn it."
Xiao Lei glanced at Zhou Yan: "Why are you asking this? Do you want to learn how to make this dish too? Let me tell you, I don't know how, and neither does your grandmaster."
Zhou Yan smiled and said, "No, I just saw this dish in that textbook a while ago and thought it was very interesting. I was thinking of trying to recreate it later, so I asked you about it."
Xiao Lei sat up straight and looked at him, saying, "You made it?"
"It didn't work." Zhou Yan laughed, "I tried twice, but it still feels a bit off. The texture needs further adjustment, and the flavor also needs to be refined."
"You little rascal, you really dare to try recipes once you have them!" Xiao Lei rubbed his hands together. "I have several ancient recipe books and textbooks. Why don't you make a replica of Jart Meat (Tan Zi Rou), Braised Beef Head Cube, and Divine Duck... and then teach me?"
"Master, are you making a wish here?" Zhou Yan rolled his eyes at him.
He was just giving his master a heads up in advance, so that he wouldn't have to come up with another excuse next time he made Snowflake Chicken.
"You really think you can make Snowflake Chicken? The Old Luo family has a recipe, and he's been trying to make it for years, but his Snowflake Chicken is all show and no substance, the taste is completely different." Xiao Lei looked at him seriously and said:
"Although Old Luo did not formally become your grandmaster's disciple, but he should actually be considered your grandmaster's first disciple. It was the passing of Old Luo's father that spurred your grandmaster to abandon his family's traditions, open a class, and take on many disciples, which led to the four of us fellow disciples.
Old Luo respected your grandmaster very much, visiting him every year during festivals, and he also got along very well with us fellow apprentices. Last month, he even came to Suji to drink with me, hugged me and cried, saying he was useless, that he had caused the Old Luo family's skill to be lost, and that he was too ashamed to face his father after he died.
If you ever really learn how to make Snowflake Chicken, you don't need to teach me, just give Old Luo some pointers.
That's how people are, they don't take the opportunity to learn when they have it. Once they miss it, they're stuck there for life."
Zhou Yan saw deep heartache and concern for his brother in his eyes, which immediately reminded him of the boy who rushed into the office, crying and trembling, saying, "First Master Kong, my... my dad is dead!"
The Little Luo has grown up and become the Old Luo, just like his father, who also worked in the kitchen of Le Ming Restaurant from the Little Luo to the Old Luo.
"Sure, if I learn it, I'll definitely teach him." Zhou Yan nodded with a smile.
This Snowflake Chicken came from the Luo family, what harm is there in teaching him?
Back then, his grandmaster was able to bring out all the recipes from the Kong Sect and start a class. If he couldn't even spare a single dish like Snowflake Chicken, he wouldn't deserve to be a disciple of the Kong Sect.
However, just as his master said, mastering a dish isn't something that can be achieved with a few comments.
Even with Zhou Yan's guidance, the Snowflake Chicken, which even his own father couldn't teach him to make back then, would likely still encounter difficulties, and making it well would be even more challenging.
Xiao Lei nodded: "It's good that you have the intention. The recipe for this dish isn't unusual, but not many chefs can make it well."
He didn't quite believe Zhou Yan could succeed. His master had tried many times before, but could never recreate the taste and texture, and eventually had to give up.
The two chatted idly along the way, and soon returned to town, each going home.
"Did he successfully verify his kinship?" As soon as Zhou Yan arrived at the restaurant, Aunt Zhao, Comrade Old Zhou, and Zhao Hong surrounded him, cracking sunflower seeds and looking on with curiosity.
"He succeeded!" Zhou Yan nodded with a smile. "Mr. Qian came back with his mother's jade pendant. My grandmaster uncle happened to recognize that the jade pendant belonged to my grandmaster's sister. The name and the token matched, and the search for relatives was successful."
"That's great! His long journey wasn't in vain." Zhao Hong clapped her hands and cheered.
Aunt Zhao chuckled, "Your grandmaster's own sister? So, it's fortunate you didn't accept money yesterday, otherwise it would have been too embarrassing."
"Exactly." Zhou Yan wholeheartedly agreed.
At dinner time, Lin Zhiqiang brought his two children over and specifically asked Zhou Yan about the progress of Qian Siyuan's search for his family.
"Uncle Lin, he has found his relatives. His mother is my grandmaster's older sister. He met with his uncle today. Now it's just a matter of their family affairs." Zhou Yan said with a smile.
"That's wonderful!" Lin Zhiqiang clapped his hands.
"Now that the search for relatives is successful, will your cooperation work out?" Zhou Yan asked curiously.
"It's hard to say. Business is a matter between the two companies, and finding relatives is just a matter of personal friendship. Whether it can be transformed into cooperation depends on whether our products are competitive enough." Lin Zhiqiang shook his head with a smile.
Whether the collaboration succeeded or not, he was quite happy, experiencing a satisfying sense of accomplishment from doing a good deed.
Lin Zhiqiang left contentedly, and Zhou Yan's lips couldn't help but curl into a smile.
Indeed, people who do good deeds tend to have a better mood.
As the restaurant neared its closing time in the evening, a bicycle slowly came to a stop in front of the restaurant.
Zhou Momo came running in excitedly, calling out, "Guo Guo! Mommy! Daddy! Did you miss me?"
Zhou Yan just took off his apron and came out of the kitchen, smiling as he picked up the little one. "Was it fun going back to the countryside?"
"Mmm, it's fun!" Zhou Momo nodded, rummaged in her pocket, pulled out a hard candy and offered it to Zhou Yan like a treasure, saying in her childish voice, "Guo Guo, here you go! It's orange flavored, sweet and sour, delicious!"
Zhou Yan unwrapped the candy and put it in his mouth. It was indeed an orange-flavored hard candy, sweet with a hint of sourness. He smiled and nodded, "Mmm, delicious."
"Hehe." Zhou Momo laughed even more happily, took out a handful of candy from her pocket, and gave one to everyone, already understanding the joy of sharing.
"Guo Guo, did that uncle find his mother's house yesterday?" Zhou Momo ran back and asked him with concern.
"You still remember this?" Zhou Yan was a little surprised. Not only did Qian Siyuan remember the little one, but it turned out that the little one was also thinking about this.
Zhou Momo nodded: "He's so pitiful. He doesn't even know where his mother's house is, and he even cried. So I drew a picture for him and gave it to him, hoping it would cheer him up."
"You're so good! Don't worry, he's already found his mother's house, and he's also found his uncle and cousins." Zhou Yan smiled and patted her head. The little one is truly an angel.
"That's great!" Zhou Momo clapped her little hands, then looked at Zhou Yan expectantly: "Guo Guo, Ah Zhen's cat had kittens! Four kittens! They're so cute! Can we keep one of them?"
"No!" Before Zhou Yan could speak, Aunt Zhao's voice rang out. Looking at Zhou Momo helplessly, she said, "It's not good for our restaurant to keep cats. If there's cat hair everywhere, the customers will shake their heads."
Zhou Momo pouted and stared at Zhou Yan: "Guo Guo..."
"Our restaurant really isn't suitable for keeping cats. The kitchen needs to be kept clean and hygienic, and cat hair is difficult to handle." Zhou Yan said gently.
"But...but cats are our good friends, and they catch mice too." Zhou Momo tried to argue.
"If you want to play with the cat, go to your grandma's house. Play until you're done, then come home. If you raise a kitten, it will sleep next to you every night, what will you do then?" Aunt Zhao said with a smile.
Zhou Momo was stunned for a moment upon hearing this, then her eyes lit up immediately: "Really? Great! Great! I can sleep with it everyday!"
Aunt Zhao: ...
Zhou Yan couldn't help but laugh too.
The little one gets along very well with his grandma's tabby cat and white goose, she's completely powerless against these fluffy little creatures.
Getting a cat isn't that difficult after all.
Cats are raised differently in rural towns than in cities. They are usually allowed to roam freely, and are only fed a little food everyday.
During the day, let it roam freely and come back whenever it wants. You don't need to prepare cat litter or anything, it will find a place to relieve itself on its own.
Cats are wary of strangers and usually won't stay in the restaurant when there are many customers.
However, in this day and age, it's unclear whether veterinary clinics offer deworming and vaccinations. If the little one is going to be playing with the cat everyday, he'll need to find out about these things.
Although she wasn't that delicate, but prevention is better than cure.
Judging from Aunt Zhao's lack of approval for keeping a cat, this matter will probably need to be discussed further.
After all, she's the one who's in charge of everything in this household.
Zhou Yan changed his clothes, went for a run, took a shower, and then played three rounds chess game with Comrade Old Zhou. After that, he did his accounting and went upstairs to bed.
The bedroom door was locked from the inside. Lying on the bed, Zhou Yan opened the [Snowflake Chicken] with some anticipation.
The knowledge flooded his brain, a bit too much, making his head throb with pain.
Zhou Yan closed his eyes and relaxed on the bed, his mind replaying the history, preparation, and techniques of this Snowflake Chicken.
From making the chicken paste, to preparing the batter, and finally stir-frying it until cooked and sprinkled with ham, a dish of Snowflake Chicken is complete.
The ingredients are very simple, using free-range chicken breast, and the method is not complicated either. If you follow the steps, it's actually quite easy.
Why can't so many chefs make it right?
The answer lies in the details.
Choose young chickens, older chickens will have a much poorer texture.
You need to have good knife skills to properly pound the chicken paste, otherwise, every bite will be full of chicken fibers and be a complete mess.
Another crucial aspect is mastering the final mixing of the paste.
The ratio of water to bean flour is extremely important, too much water results in a muddy consistency, while too little water makes it a hard, inedible lump.
To make Snowflake Chicken smooth, tender, and bouncy, with a mellow and lingering aftertaste, truly tests a chef's skill.
Otherwise, it will only look good on the surface and cannot be called Snowflake Chicken at all.
Zhou Yan opened his eyes, his gaze now clear.
Snowflake Chicken, get it!
However, this dish is currently of no use to him.
He selects tender chicken breast meat to make this Snowflake Chicken, but what about the remaining chicken bones, legs, and wings?
The key is that if this dish is actually on the menu, he will have to keep one or two tender chickens on hand at all times, and he will need freshly killed ingredients to make delicious Snowflake Chicken.
After all that work, how much should he charge per serving?
They can eat the rest of the chicken themselves, but the cost should be factored into the dish, right? And the labor cost should also be included.
Three yuan a serving?
Zhao Minghui's sweet-skinned duck is only three yuan a duck.
In rural towns, no matter how much you praise it, it won't make a difference.
Highbrow art is not as appealing as popular taste.
People only care about practicality.
A single sweet-skinned duck can provide a delicious meal for the whole family. The children can even gnaw on a big duck leg, their mouths dripping with oil, while the men can enjoy the duck head with a glass of liquor, getting happier and happier with each sip.
A plate of Snowflake Chicken was served.
Each person took a spoonful and it was gone in no time.
It melts in your mouth, leaving only a faint fragrance before you can even taste it.
The guests were all jumping up and cursing!
This dish is perfect for a grand restaurant in Chengdu (Rongcheng). Guests can sit in an elegantly decorated restaurant, open the fancy menu, order a serving, and then gracefully put it in their mouths to savor the wonderful moment when the delicious flavor melts in their mouths.
When the meal gets exciting, one might even compose a poem…
This isn't mandatory.
That's good. Zhou Yan resisted the urge to go down and steal a chicken to cook a meal and try it that very night.
Although dishes are not distinguished by high or low status, but they are distinguished by occasion and people.
In the future, when entertaining guests, serving a plate of Snowflake Chicken as a transition and garnish between a variety of stir-fried dishes would be excellent.
It would also showcase his skill.
Zhou Yan was thinking that once he had saved enough money at the beginning of next month, he would buy the Qiu family's old house. Then he would invite Old Mrs. Qiu and Duan Yuyan to a meal and make them a dish of Snowflake Chicken as a token of his gratitude. He thought they would like it.
"Clang!"
Just then, a loud thud came from downstairs as an enamel basin fell to the ground.
"What is that?" Zhou Yan sprang out of bed in a flash, grabbed the flashlight from the bedside, and went out the door.
Almost simultaneously, the door to the room at the other end of the living room opened, and Comrade Old Zhou came out with a flashlight, closing the door behind him as he whispered, "Did you hear that too? Something was knocked down downstairs."
"I'll go check. As long as it's not pork cracklings that's spilled, it's fine." Zhou Yan replied and strode downstairs.
Comrade Old Zhou is still very perceptive, he can hear even the slightest noise and will immediately get up to check.
Last time his hometown house collapsed, it was thanks to this meticulousness that he was able to successfully evacuate Aunt Zhao and Zhou Momo in time.
When Zhou Yan arrived at the kitchen, he shone his flashlight on the pork cracklings scattered all over the floor and gritted his teeth: "Damn it! Those damned rats!"