1984: Starting from a bankrupt Sichuan restaurant

Chapter 114 Growing Bigger and Stronger! Creating New Glory!
"It's delicious! This stir-fried pork liver is even better than what my master makes!"

Zheng Qiang ate three pieces of spicy pork liver in a row, then looked at Xiao Lei in shock: "Uncle-Master? Isn't my master considered to have poor cooking skills in the sect? How come he can't even compare to your disciple? Now that I'm becoming your disciple, a grandmaster, it shouldn't count as betraying the sect, right?"

Xiao Lei's mouth moved slightly, his expression somewhat strange, and he murmured, "Senior Brother Xu's talent is above mine."

This stir-fried pork liver tastes better than his.

"Uncle-Master, you're too modest. Zhou Yan's cooking is so good, yours must be even better. My master must not have been serious when he was an apprentice. Next time I go to Rongcheng to see him, I'll make him reflect on his behavior," Zheng Qiang exclaimed.

His master was his cousin. He had been learning to cook from him since he was thirteen. They were like half a son. He dared to say anything in front of him, and at most he would get a beating.

Xiao Lei was both amused and exasperated. This junior apprentice had a good character, but his mouth was a bit too sharp.

In the kitchen of Rongcheng Restaurant, an experienced chef 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 Jiaozhou."

As they were talking, the crucian carp with mint was served.

Zheng Qiang's attention was immediately drawn to the dishes he had ordered.

His master was good at cooking fish. Back then, his master became a famous chef in Jiaozhou by relying on his fish-cooking skills.

Fish is also one of Zheng Qiang's specialties. 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 would be given the opportunity to cook for some formal banquets.

Therefore, Zheng Qiang is quite confident in his ability to cook fish.

Braised crucian carp with agastache is also one of the signature dishes of their Rongcheng restaurant, and he has made it quite often.

The green and red scallions, pickled cowpeas, and pickled peppers are intertwined and coated in a thick broth, covering the crucian carp, making it look quite tempting.

A serving consists of two crucian carp weighing about eight ounces each, which is quite a generous portion, and the price of two yuan is not expensive.

"It looks really good. No wonder you are the pride of our sect." Zheng Qiang picked up his chopsticks and first moved the soup from the belly of the fish 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.

I picked up a piece of fish with the skin on, dipped it in the thick broth, and the broth coated the fish as I picked it up, giving it a slight sheen. The broth was thickened perfectly. I put it in my mouth.

The flavors of numbing, spicy, fresh, fragrant, and sour take center stage, with the aroma of patchouli standing out, elevating the overall taste to another level.

The fish skin is slightly charred, which enhances the aroma, but the fish meat remains tender and smooth. This requires a high degree of control over the heat; if you are not careful, the fish meat will become tough due to overcooking.

The perfect fusion of cooking time and seasoning creates this dish of crucian carp with mint!
Zheng Qiang pursed his lips, spat out two fish bones, his expression a mixture of shock and confusion:
"Is this the kind of crucian carp with mint flavor that a chef who has been learning to cook for two and a half years can make? What have I been doing for the past eighteen years? Are there really such geniuses in this world?"

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 dish of crucian carp with agastache, he felt as if he saw an insurmountable chasm.

cruel……

Too cruel!

The seasoning of this rich soup alone would be enough for him to study for many years.

What frustrated him even more was that he felt his master's braised crucian carp with mint was not as good as this one.

But thinking about it that way made him feel a lot better.

When his master returns to Suji for the New Year, he will bring him to try the crucian carp with agastache that his junior brother made.

He shouldn't have to bear this blow alone.

Also silent was Xiao Lei, who had also taken a bite.

Braised crucian carp with mint is a unique cooking method. It is more difficult to cook the fish by first frying and then boiling it. Therefore, many restaurants choose to boil it directly and then reduce the sauce to ensure that the crucian carp with mint is tender enough.

However, this method also results in the loss of the crispy outside and tender inside texture and aroma because it skips the frying step.

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.

Then, he now serves up a dish of crucian carp with mint, which is perfect in color, aroma, and taste.

Xiao Lei became increasingly convinced that Zhou Yan had other masters outside.

They even began to suspect that Zhou Yan's behavior in the cafeteria more than three months ago was all an act.

No one could cook so many dishes so perfectly in just three months.

Even just stir-fried pork liver and crucian carp with mint 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.

Even his master, who liked to boast after drinking, had never told him such a bizarre story.

It's not shameful for the factory canteen's stir-fry to go bankrupt.

"Uncle-Master, 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 senior uncle, he is of noble character and dignified, and remains humble!" Zheng Qiang nodded with admiration and said, "Then I will ask my junior brother for guidance when I have time."

Xiao Lei, too lazy to explain further, said, "Believe it or not." He continued, "The fish skin is fried to perfection. How much oil should I use? What oil temperature should I put it in? How long should I fry it?"

"Did he pickle these cowpeas himself? They look so refreshing!"

"The sauce is thickened to a perfect consistency, but it's not greasy. The fish absorbs the sauce well without becoming greasy. I think it must be..."

The two ate and discussed in great depth, verifying each other's points and gaining valuable insights.

They didn't arrive 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 we haven't sold out. Let's eat and chat."

"Junior Brother Zhou, your braised crucian carp with mint and stir-fried pork liver are so delicious! I, as your senior brother, am ashamed of my inferiority." Zheng Qiang looked at Zhou Yan with a sincere expression. "When you have time, could you please 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 saw his master's little tricks and wanted to laugh but had to hold it in. He looked at Zheng Qiang and said, "We are fellow disciples, why are we talking like that? Senior Brother Zheng, just ask me anything you want to learn, I will definitely not hold back."

Zheng Qiang was his fellow disciple, and Zhou Yan had tasted his braised fish before; the cooking time and seasoning were excellent.

If we're just talking about cooking fish, outside of Chengdu's top restaurants, it's absolutely unbeatable.

Those who aren't even level-two chefs who are skilled at cooking fish might not be as good as him.

The lineage of their master is terrifyingly powerful.

All he wanted was to take it a step further at the top level.

If he wants to ask Zhou Yan for advice, Zhou Yan will definitely be happy to share.

At worst, you can just get some vegetables back from him; he definitely won'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 the best; he wasn't shy at all.

Zhou Yan then looked at Xiao Lei and said, "Master, are you free tomorrow? I'm almost out of lard in my shop, 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."

"Isn't it easy to make pork lard with cabbage? Do you really need me to teach you?" Xiao Lei laughed and nodded, "Okay, I'll come over tomorrow after lunch. You weigh out the lard first, and I'll teach you how to make it in the afternoon."

"Great!" Zhou Yan was also all smiles.

Stir-fried cabbage with pork cracklings is a semi-meat dish that can be priced at just three cents.

Zhou Yan found a reliable mentor to teach him. 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 for a moment and had a general idea in mind. He then asked, "Master, besides having a meal, is there anything else you want to talk to me about today?"

Zheng Qiang didn't speak, but looked at Xiao Lei instead.

“Yes, we’re here to talk to you about the braised meat supply.” Xiao Lei put down his chopsticks and looked at Zhou Yan. “We’ve discussed it and decided that all the outdoor banquets we’ll be hosting from now on will use your braised meat: braised pig ears, braised pig head meat, and braised beef. You’ll supply all three. What do you think?”

Zhou Yan was somewhat surprised upon hearing this. After thinking for a moment, he said, "The banquets are all large orders, which I would certainly be happy to accept, but will the host agree? If I supply braised meat, it will be calculated by the kilogram."

"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 considered it: maintaining the braising liquid is quite troublesome, and it's easy to cause problems if you drag the braising liquid around. We also need to assign someone to be in charge of it."

"Once we get into the swing of things, we can take on small banquets after the New Year and hire help to do them on our own. On big days, we can take on two orders at the same time, which will earn us more money."

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 other advice could I possibly have?" Zhou Yan said with a smile. "I wish you all the best in growing bigger and stronger! May you achieve even greater success!"

No wonder he's been a head chef for over ten years; his adaptability is incredible.

It was now confirmed that Zhou Yan would be in charge of providing the braised meat.

He only needs to braise the meat and deliver it to the venue for the banquet that morning; there's no need to cut it.

Since it didn't need to be cut, he calculated the prices for them as follows: 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 30 tables, the braised meat would bring in about 80 yuan, and he could earn half of that.

This is what we call mutual benefit and mutual success!

Zhou Yan helped them get started on their path to becoming rural chefs, and now they've received a tangible financial return!
How can mutual harm at the bottom compare to mutual help?

"By the way, Master, how was the stir-fried pork liver I made today? Could you give me some pointers?" Zhou Yan looked at Xiao Lei with an expectant smile.

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(End of this chapter)