1984: Starting from a bankrupt Sichuan restaurant

Chapter 153 The Boat of Friendship Capsizes So Easily (Bonus Chapter 229 for Monthly Tickets)

Zhou Yan raised an eyebrow, not expecting the damn system to actually provide a progress bar.

He glanced at his watch; it was 9:30 in the morning. He figured Laifu should have finished selling tofu and returned home by now.

The core of this task is to persuade Grandma Sun to change her mind and keep Laifu so that he can inherit the Xiba tofu-making method and make a living by making tofu in the future.

The value of his kick this morning is still increasing.

After selling out two slabs of tofu in two consecutive days, they can then sell dried tofu and bean curd sticks.

The lives of Grandma Sun and Laifu, which had been mired in difficulties, began to take a turn for the better.

Now that the task bar had been activated, Zhou Yan felt that completion was not far off.

"Have you peeled all twenty catties of lotus root and potatoes? Are they all sold?" Zhao Tieying asked.

She and Zhao Hong sat to the side peeling lotus roots and potatoes; the two large enamel basins were almost full.

"Let's get everything. This stuff is all about low profit and high volume," Zhou Yan replied. Lotus root and potatoes are 15 cents a pound, nothing to brag about. The low price is just to attract customers.

Even if we can't sell them all, we won't lose much money.

The kelp has had its water changed several times, and the saltiness has decreased considerably.

Zhou Yan seasoned a newly bought aluminum pot and began preparing the braising liquid for the braised vegetables.

The old lady had repeatedly reminded him that vegetarian dishes and meats should not be cooked in the same pot of braising liquid.

Vegetables absorb oil and flavor, and have a high water content, so a pot of braising liquid can only be used once or twice. This is because the flavor is diluted and the braising liquid cannot be preserved and is prone to spoilage.

Zhou Yan now has two pots of rich and flavorful old braising liquid. He braises so many pig heads and trotters every day, and the quality of the braising liquid has always remained high.

Pork products are the best for nourishing braising liquid; the longer they are braised, the more fragrant the braising liquid becomes. Zhou Yan produces several kilograms of braising oil every day.

The old lady said that the brine needs brine oil to protect it, but everything has its limits. A thickness of three centimeters is enough. Too much oil will spoil the brine and have the opposite effect.

Don't throw away the extra braising oil. When you're making new braising liquid for braising vegetables, add some to enhance the flavor.

It can also be sold to shops and vendors that sell barbecue, skewers, and crispy potato.

These are all little tricks that the old lady taught her.

She said that back then she would braise one or two hundred catties of meat a day, and the braising oil in the bucket would increase by several catties. Part of it was used to braise vegetables, and the rest was sold to other places, which also helped her recover some of her costs.

The old lady said that chili oil made with braising oil is more fragrant. Back then, the chili oil for her cold chicken salad was made with braising oil, so it tasted more fragrant than other brands.

This made Zhou Yan somewhat eager to try.

The current daily production of braising oil is only two or three kilograms, and selling it to other vendors doesn't earn much money.

However, if it can be made into chili oil, which can enhance the flavor of cold chicken and create a greater differentiation, then it can be considered turning waste into treasure.

Vegetable dishes need to be diluted with the braising liquid. If they are cooked in the same braising liquid as braised meat, they will be too salty and inedible.

The ratio of brine to water is approximately 1:1. Zhou Yan only used one-quarter of the old brine and then adjusted the brine for this vegetable dish by adding salt, water, and spices, thereby minimizing the impact on the old brine.

This pot of brine is prepared, and it weighs about forty catties.

Braised dishes are cooked in batches, so the amount of braising liquid is not that much.

First, braise the vegetables that don't absorb as much water and oil, and then add the oil-absorbing giants like dried bean curd sticks and tofu last.

In terms of skill, braising vegetarian dishes actually requires more attention than braising meat.

"There's so much, do you need us to help you cut it? Cutting a potato shouldn't be too difficult, right?" Zhao Tieying and the others asked after peeling the potatoes and lotus root.

"Let the old man help me. You and your sister-in-law can help me tie the seaweed into knots," Zhou Yan said with a smile, politely declining Zhao Niangniang's offer.

The appeal of braised vegetarian dishes lies in their texture, which demands higher knife skills. Even slight differences in the thickness of the slices can lead to variations in the braising time.

This is perfectly illustrated in braised potatoes.

"Old man, cut the potato to this thickness. Don't cut it the first time; save it for stir-frying potato slices at noon." Zhou Yan demonstrated how to cut a potato for Old Zhou.

Comrade Zhou picked up the three slices, compared them for a while, nodded, picked up the cleaver, and started chopping them up.

There are two types of braised potatoes: thin slices and thick slices.

Thin slices offer a crisp, raw texture, while thick slices offer a soft, flavorful texture and taste.

This time, Zhou Yan made thick slices of braised lotus root and potatoes.

Zhou Yan had complete confidence in Comrade Zhou's knife skills.

He was even more stable than him.

Zhou Yan was responsible for slicing the lotus root into half-centimeter-thick slices, taking into account both texture and taste.

Adding braised vegetables made an already busy morning even busier.

The braised meat was taken out of the pot one after another, while the vegetables were put into the pot in batches and then taken out and packed in different categories.

The vegetables are placed in a bowl, and a ladle of braising oil is poured over them, making them even more vibrant and appealing.

The green kelp, golden tofu skin and potatoes, and the original color of lotus root, all smelled delicious and looked really appealing.

There are two flavors of braised vegetarian dishes: one is the original five-spice flavor, and the other is the spicy flavor.

Zhou Yan took several other bowls, took half of each vegetable dish, added chili oil, Sichuan peppercorn powder and other seasonings and mixed them together. The vegetables immediately turned bright red, and were decorated with sesame seeds.

He didn't have the braising liquid for spicy braising, so this spicy braised dish is actually made more like a cold chicken salad.

Zhou Yan picked up his chopsticks and tasted a piece of spicy braised tofu skin.

The dried bean curd sticks are soaked in the savory braising sauce and coated with spicy seasoning. They are soft yet slightly chewy, and have a fragrant and spicy flavor!

Ah—this is the taste of spicy braised tofu skin!
Far exceeded his expectations.

He then ate a piece of spiced braised lotus root, which had a soft yet slightly crisp texture and was full of the savory aroma of the braising liquid, giving it a meaty flavor.

The aroma of the braising liquid was already rich enough; he even thought it tasted better than the spicy flavor!

Zhou Momo came over with a small bowl, holding it above her head with both hands, and said in a childish voice with a pious expression, "Brother, give me some, Momo's tummy is so hungry."

"Here, have the five-spice flavor." Zhou Yan smiled and put a little of each on her plate.

"Thank you, bro! I'll always love you the most!" Zhou Momo sat down on a small stool with her small bowl in hand, grabbed a slice of potato, took a bite, and her big eyes immediately lit up.

So soft! So fragrant! So delicious!

"Brother, is this potato and meat?" The little guy looked up at Zhou Yan, his face full of joy at discovering something new: "It tastes like meat!"

"Maybe," Zhou Yan said with a smile.

"Brother is amazing! He turned potatoes into meat!" Zhou Momo exclaimed, burying her head in her food, her eyes only focused on the delicious food and her admiration for her brother.

"Let me try it." Aunt Zhao also brought over a plate, took a few pieces of each, and shared it with Comrade Zhou and Zhao Hong.

"The potatoes are so fluffy! They even taste like meat! The original flavor is already so delicious."

"I think the spicy flavor is really good! The lotus root slices are spicy and refreshing, so delicious!"

"The braised vegetarian dishes taste so good! I feel like they're a bit too cheap?"

The three of them tasted it and praised it highly, all looking amazed.

Zhou Yan's lips curled up. Look, the cost-effectiveness is obvious.

To win over the stomachs of female textile factory workers, you need these incredibly cost-effective braised vegetarian dishes.

Lunch was simple: a plate of braised vegetables, a plate of stir-fried cabbage with pork cracklings, and a plate of plain stir-fried potato slices. Everyone ate with relish.

Zhou Yan apologized for the slightly burnt potato chips.

Potatoes, which are naturally starchy, were difficult to handle the first time I tried them.

As the factory's closing bell rang, workers who had left to find food poured out of the gate one after another.

A conspicuous sign stands at the entrance of Zhou Erwa Restaurant:

New: Braised dishes!

Unbelievable price!
Braised lotus root and braised potatoes—four cents a pound!
Braised tofu skin and braised kelp - 80 cents a pound!
Welcome to try it!

The passing workers couldn't help but slow down and glance at the newly added small table.

In that one glance, the money flew out of my pocket.

Two plates were set with small pieces of braised lotus root, braised tofu skin, and braised kelp, one plate of five-spice and the other of spicy, and the enamel cup next to them was filled with short bamboo skewers.

Behind the plate were two rows of eight platters of oily braised vegetables, half of which were naturally oily and savory, and the other half were bright red and spicy.

Tasting is everyone's favorite!
In particular, we sampled the new products at Zhou Erwa Restaurant.

The workers immediately crowded around, grabbing bamboo skewers to snatch three different dishes in a row, trying to taste them all at once.

Wang Wei hadn't been to Zhou Erwa Restaurant for a week. Today, she made plans with her colleagues from the office to eat twice-cooked pork. When she saw the braised food tasting, she immediately pulled her colleagues over.

"You try the spicy one, I'll try the original flavor, let's see which one tastes better," Wang Wei said, taking out two bamboo skewers, handing one to her colleague, while she grabbed a piece of lotus root and a piece of dried bean curd, took two steps to the side, and made room for her coworkers behind her.

The vegetarian dishes for tasting were cut into pieces about two centimeters in size, just the right size for one bite.

There was a small sign on the table that read: "Welcome to try different flavors and vegetarian dishes, but each bamboo skewer can only be used once."

A simple sentence, yet it exudes sophistication and refinement.

One of the main reasons Wang Wei likes Zhou Erwa's restaurant is that it's clean, hygienic, and well-organized.

She first tasted the braised lotus root. The thick slices of lotus root had a slightly crisp texture. The braising sauce had soaked into the lotus root, making it taste incredibly savory and flavorful with a long-lasting aftertaste.

"These braised lotus root slices smell so good! The texture is absolutely amazing!"

Wang Wei's eyes lit up. This was much more fragrant than those thinly sliced ​​lotus root slices, and she preferred this slightly richer taste.

After savoring the taste for a while, she eagerly tasted the remaining piece of braised tofu skin.

The soft, tender tofu skin soaks up the braising liquid, giving it a rich, meaty flavor. Chewing it almost gives you the illusion of eating meat. The subtle bean aroma is the perfect finishing touch. It's soft yet firm, with a slightly chewy texture that's simply exquisite.

This tastes... even better than meat!
Wang Wei smacked her lips, still wanting more.

Meanwhile, her colleague Xiao Huang, who had just taken a bite of the spicy tofu skin from the bamboo skewer, also had a look of amazement on her face.

"Five-spice flavor is delicious!"

"Spicy and delicious!"

The two spoke at the same time, each holding their own opinion.

"The five-spice flavor is delicious and the braised aroma is rich. It's already perfect and doesn't need any spicy flavor to embellish it."

"You don't understand, spicy is the way to go! This chili oil smells so good, it's numbing and spicy, it's so satisfying to eat!"

……

The boat of friendship capsizes as soon as it capsizes.

　Please vote for me with your monthly tickets!

　　
　
(End of this chapter)