1984: Starting from a bankrupt Sichuan restaurant

Chapter 206 [A Quite a Decent Taro and Chicken Stew]

Master, you've really changed!
Zhou Yan really didn't expect that Xiao Shi, who was still hesitant about whether to become a village cook a month ago, would actually start pulling his brothers into business.

It seems that going into business has indeed brought them success.

He and Zheng Qiang have earned at least a thousand yuan in the month since they started their business, with five or six hundred yuan in hand.

When he was the head chef at the textile factory, his monthly salary was only a little over one hundred yuan.

There's really no comparison.

There are only two months left until the Chinese New Year. That month is the busiest time for the village chefs. Six banquets have already been booked in advance, and there are not many days left to squeeze in.

They are now the most prestigious chefs in Suji Town. Anyone who can invite them to their banquet feels very important.

The guests enjoyed the meal, the hosts felt proud, and they made money while standing up.

Triple win!

Nowadays, their business is no longer limited to Suji. The market for banquets in Linjiang opened yesterday, and workers from textile factories, as well as those living in neighboring towns and Jiaozhou City, are also hiring them to host their banquets.

He was genuinely thinking of his brother when he said that to Lao Luo.

With Lao Luo's culinary skills, running a small family-run shop would definitely be better than working in the kitchen of Leming Restaurant, provided it's managed properly.

Leming Restaurant is state-owned, and wages are standardized. No matter how skilled a chef is, he can only earn that much in a month. He can get a bonus if he passes the chef certification exam, and he can also get a bonus if he has been working for a long time.

Zhou Yan had asked Zheng Qiang about his salary during a casual chat last time. Zheng Qiang had been working at Rongcheng Hotel since he started learning to cook, and after thirteen years of service, his monthly salary was only sixty-six yuan and eighty cents.

Living in Chengdu with his wife and two children is not easy, which is why he thought of returning to Jiaozhou to work as a rural cook.

He came back and worked very well with Master Xiao, earning three or four hundred yuan a month, and still had more than ten days of free time to spend with his wife and children. He smiled more often.

Having many opportunities doesn't mean you can pick up money from a sack; Master Zhou certainly suffered a major setback.

The catering industry seems to have no barriers to entry, and anyone can try their hand at it.

In reality, the real challenge lies inside the door; those who can make money are those with genuine skills.

Making money isn't easy these days. Customers are shrewd; if the food isn't good, they won't come back a second time.

Zhou Yan was afraid that Lao Luo would get carried away and plunge in headfirst, only to make no difference.

People in middle age have elderly parents to care for and young children to raise, so they can't afford to be overwhelmed.

So let's start by talking about losing money.

As Zhou Shuren aptly put it: "As long as you don't lose money, you're definitely making money."

Old Luo scratched his head and said with a smile, "I still need to think about this carefully. I've been working at Leming Restaurant with my father since I was eight years old. I learned to cook there and have been doing it for over twenty years. It would be a bit hard for me to leave. Besides, this isn't something I can decide on my own. I need to go back and discuss it with my wife."

"Your money is all with your wife, isn't it?" Xiao Lei curled his lip. "What a disappointment! A big, burly man like you, still being controlled by your wife, you don't have any opinions of your own."

Old Luo glanced at him sideways and said quietly, "What? Isn't Dongmei the one in charge of your family? You think you can get away with this?"

"Tch, how can that be the same?" Xiao Lei waved his hand and said, "I'm not kidding, in our kitchen, no one dares to enter without my permission, and if I don't do any work in our house, no one dares to touch it."

The three of them were stunned.

"You're really something, Teacher Xiao." Old Luo gave him a thumbs up.

“My family is the same,” Zheng Qiang said, suppressing a laugh.

Zhou Yan: ...

Are married men really that miserable?

Take another look at Comrade Zhou, who is silently sweeping the floor to the side.

Alright, second brother won't laugh at eldest brother.

Xiao Lei patted Zhou Yan's arm and said earnestly, "Enjoy these carefree days while you can. You might not be able to experience this again once you get married."

Lao Luo and Zheng Qiang nodded in unison, deeply agreeing.

"Okay, okay, I'll remember." Zhou Yan nodded with a smile; he still had a long way to go.

I don't even have a girlfriend yet, and it's still far from over, so I haven't experienced the bitterness of love yet.

"Oh, by the way, I brought two young chickens with me today, they're tied up in the car. Go check if you want them?" Old Luo said to Zhou Yan.

"Buy two?" Zhou Yan asked in surprise. "That's too expensive."

Old Luo laughed and said, "My old man once said that to learn how to make Snowflake Chicken Noodles, at least two hundred chickens would have to die. Don't worry, I have my expectations, and I will bear the cost myself."

"With such determination, you'll definitely succeed." Zhou Yan gave him a thumbs up, expressing his strong agreement.

"Zhou Yan, how many chickens did you use when you were learning how to make Snowflake Chicken Noodles?" Zheng Qiang asked curiously.

Xiao Lei and Lao Luo also looked at Zhou Yan.

After a moment's thought, Zhou Yan said, "About a dozen or twenty."

Luo: ?
Xiao Lei: ...

Zheng Qiang pursed his lips, wanting to laugh but having to hold it in, which was quite tiring.

Zhou Yan's smile contained a hint of embarrassment. It wasn't that he wanted to show off, but rather that he was afraid that if he said too much, Zhou Momo would come to him and ask how he could have secretly eaten so much chicken behind her back.

"Do you think the word 'fairness' still exists in this world?" Lao Luo asked Xiao Lei.

Xiao Lei's expression carried a hint of pride: "In the world of geniuses, these two words probably don't exist. If you have any questions, go ask my apprentice."

"You're so smug!" Old Luo snorted angrily.

"So what?" Xiao Lei shrugged. "If you're so capable, why don't you go and get one yourself?"

"You're really something." Old Luo was convinced.

Zhou Yan smiled and said, "Master, Senior Brother Zheng, I'll be in charge of teaching Uncle Luo today. I'll leave the food preparation to you."

“Okay, let’s do the same amount as before.” Xiao Lei nodded.

“No problem.” Zheng Qiang nodded in agreement.

Zhou Yan explained to the two men how much food to prepare, then followed Lao Luo out the door and saw two chickens tied to the back seat.

Two high-quality, tender free-range chickens

The results of the examination have already been displayed in the fundus.

Old Luo is quite skilled at picking chickens; both of the young chickens were of good quality.

"Is this chicken alright?" Old Luo stepped forward and untied the chicken.

“Okay, tender chicken, any older and it won’t do.” Zhou Yan nodded with a smile. “Uncle Luo knows how to pick.”

"My father taught me how to pick chickens back then, but he passed away before I could learn the rest. This is all I have left." Old Luo sighed, picked up two chickens, and asked, "Which side is more convenient for killing them?"

"It's under the third tree by the river. My old man usually kills chickens there. You take the chicken over there, and I'll go get a kettle of hot water and a bucket." Zhou Yan pointed in a direction and turned to go into the shop.

"Why are there so many people here today?" Aunt Zhao asked in a low voice, preoccupied with preparing the braised beef.

"This is called internal sparring and learning within the sect. It's more convenient here, so we chose to do it here so we can learn from each other and improve together," Zhou Yan explained with a smile.

“Studying is good, you should study. Just let me know if you need anything.” Aunt Zhao nodded in deep agreement.

"It's alright, you can go about your business." Zhou Yan waved his hand, picked up two thermos flasks and a bucket, and walked towards the riverbank.

"Zhou Yan is so ambitious. He cooks so well and keeps learning and improving. No wonder he makes new dishes one after another and has so many new ideas every day," Zhao Hong said admiringly, watching Zhou Yan's back.

“That’s right. People are much more motivated to learn to cook than to study. They’re willing to delve into things, learn, and put in a lot of hard work.” Aunt Zhao nodded with a smile, her face full of pride.

There's not much to say about killing chickens. Although Zhou Yan learned from Comrade Lao Zhou for two days, his skills are far inferior to Lao Luo's.

The two young chickens were plucked clean in no time, then gutted and cleaned very thoroughly.

Old Luo collected the chicken blood from the two chickens in a small bowl, sprinkled some salt into it, and then quickly cleaned up the chicken giblets, even cutting open the intestines and washing them thoroughly. He put them in a separate bowl and said with a smile, "I'll stir-fry the chicken giblets and blood into a spicy stir-fry later. It'll be very satisfying. Let your master cook it; it's his specialty."

“Okay.” Zhou Yan nodded with a smile, indicating his approval of the arrangement.

The two carried the prepared chicken back to the restaurant's kitchen.

Xiao Lei glanced at the prepared chicken giblets and the bowl of chicken blood that Zhou Yan was holding, and his eyes lit up: "These chicken giblets and chicken blood are delicious. I'll make a special chicken blood and chicken giblets dish for you guys to try later."

Old Luo explained to Zhou Yan with a smile, "He went to Guiyang a few years ago and ate spicy chicken blood there. Since then, he has made this dish every time he kills a chicken. The taste is really good, even better than chicken blood curd."

"Alright, let's try Master Xiao's specialties." Zhou Yan said with a smile. He didn't eat much Guizhou cuisine.

"We'll use the chicken breast to make snowflake chicken soup, but what about the leftover chicken carcass and legs?" Old Luo placed the two chickens on the cutting board, first slicing off the chicken breast, then looking at the remaining chicken carcass and legs, he turned to Xiao Lei: "Master Xiao, do you have any ideas?"

Xiao Lei said, "Taro and chicken stew is also good. Go get some taro to stew. This young rooster will be tender and flavorful when stewed, it'll be perfect and won't go to waste."

"Taro and chicken stew, I've been craving it lately, let's make this." Old Luo nodded, then turned to Zheng Qiang: "Chef Zheng, this is Yunliang's specialty, would you like to make it?"

“Sure! To be honest, I’ve mastered my master’s taro chicken recipe, so I guarantee it’ll be perfect.” Zheng Qiang grinned, put down the cabbage in his hand, and walked towards the door: “I’ll go get two pounds of taro first.”

"Then we're in for a treat at lunchtime today," Zhou Yan said with a smile.

When the chefs gather together, the kitchen immediately becomes lively, which is quite interesting.

"Come on, Uncle Luo, four chicken breasts. We can make four batches and try to learn as much as possible." Zhou Yan put three of the chicken breasts aside, leaving only one on the cutting board, and looked at Lao Luo, saying, "The pounding step shouldn't be a problem, right?"

"I've practiced a lot over the years, but it's all been just me figuring things out on my own. I'm not very confident. Master Zhou, please take a look and criticize me if I make any mistakes." Old Luo said sincerely, "Today you are my master, there's no need for any senior uncles here. You can call me Little Luo."

"Oh dear, Uncle Luo, how can I accept that? We're here to learn from and discuss things together," Zhou Yan said humbly. Three minutes later.

"What are you doing pounding like that? You're pounding here and there, is that how you make a fluffy texture? Pound it little by little, close to the center, with the smaller the intervals, the better!"

"Control your strength! If you use too much force with the back of the knife, you'll break the fibers and the fascia won't be able to come out, then it's all over! What you're eating is a delicate texture, what's the point of calling it Snowflake Chicken Soup if it's full of crumbs!"

"Xiao Luo, I'm not trying to be mean, but..."

Zhou Yan stood to the side, pointing and gesturing, his expression serious and his tone unfriendly.

Lao Luo took it very seriously; he changed everything he was told.

Xiao Lei was cutting pig liver next to him, and he was laughing so hard he almost went crazy.

No one has ever scolded Lao Luo like this since his master passed away.

But Lao Luo was actually quite happy about it, and he didn't even get angry when he was scolded.

The dish Snowflake Chicken Noodles has long been a source of pain for Lao Luo, and this may be the best opportunity for him to learn how to make it.

He arrived at Xiao Lei's house at eight o'clock in the morning and discussed whether or not to bring Zhou Yan a gift.

In the end, Xiao Lei held him down.

Exchanging gifts with fellow disciples would make the relationship seem distant.

The chicken breast was used to make snowflake chicken soup. Two chickens were used to make it, which can also be considered a gift.

Zheng Qiang bought taro and came back. He was amused to see Zhou Yan scolding Lao Luo with his hands behind his back.

Although Lao Luo did not formally become a disciple of the master, his seniority and age made him a senior figure in the school.

It has to be Junior Brother Zhou. He's an excellent cook and can also scold Master and Uncle-Master.

He's truly a superior man of the Confucian school!
In the hall, Aunt Zhao and the others listened in stunned silence.

"Isn't that Master Luo Zhou Yan's senior apprentice? Why is he talking about him like that? It's not... appropriate, is it?" Aunt Zhao whispered to Comrade Zhou.

Comrade Zhou smiled and comforted him, "It's alright. He came to learn cooking from Zhou Yan today. That's how any master teaches."

Pound the chicken breast into a paste, then scrape a thin layer with a knife to remove the tendons and fibers.

This is a delicate task, and there can be no mistakes. Otherwise, if even a tiny bit of fiber fails to dissolve in the customer's mouth, it will be a failure of the dish.

Old Luo suddenly realized, "Oh, I see! My previous thinking was too simplistic. I thought that after pounding the fibrous parts, I could just chop them up. No matter how I chopped them, the texture would definitely be different. I've learned something new. Master Zhou is truly skilled!"

Zhou Yan continued, "We've pounded the chicken into a paste. Now let's prepare the broth. Use cold broth, absolutely no hot broth, or the chicken paste will solidify into clumps. Add the egg, just the egg white..."

Following Zhou Yan's instructions, Lao Luo did it step by step, not quickly, but strictly.

After all, he is a chef with more than 20 years of experience. His basic skills are quite solid, and his practical experience is beyond question.

Moreover, he has been researching the dish Snowflake Chicken Soup for more than 20 years. Although he has not been able to replicate it successfully, his understanding of the dish is far beyond that of ordinary chefs.

It would be more accurate to say that Zhou Yan gave him guidance rather than instruction.

He grasps things instantly; as long as the key points are explained simply, he can understand them immediately.

"Stir-frying the chicken paste is the most challenging part, as this batch of paste can be used to make two batches. I'll demonstrate first and explain the key points and techniques to you, and then you can stir-fry the second batch." Zhou Yan lit a fire on the small stove next to him, took an iron wok, and explained the techniques and key points to Lao Luo while stir-frying.

Before long, a plate of snowflake chicken soup was ready and placed on a plate.

Like snowflakes, layer upon layer, they piled up to form a snow mountain. A few bits of red ham sprinkled on the snow-capped top instantly brought it to life.

"Why don't you try it?" Zhou Yan stepped aside and handed the iron pot to Lao Luo.

Lao Luo first washed the pot and started stir-frying the chicken mince. He held the pot with one hand and tossed it around, while holding the spatula with the other hand and kept stirring. The chicken mince gradually formed a snowflake-like texture in the pot, but when it was finally taken out of the pot, some of the chicken mince still clumped together.

A terrible bowl of snowflake chicken soup

Zhou Yan has already seen the comments.

But Comrade Luo wasn't discouraged. Looking at the failed snowflake chicken soup, he actually seemed excited, "It looks like it! It's half done!"

"Not bad, you've succeeded more than halfway on your first try! Try it!" Xiao Lei had already brought over a spoon, handing one to Lao Luo and keeping the other for himself.

The two scooped up a spoonful of snowflake chicken soup and put it in their mouths, savoring it carefully, nodding at the same time.

Old Luo nodded and said, "The texture and taste are perfect! The spatula was too slow, causing some of it to stick together. It needs to be coordinated better with the tossing of the wok."

"The taste is really perfect! It's almost as good as Zhou Yan's last time." Xiao Lei nodded repeatedly, then scooped up a spoonful of Zhou Yan's cooking and smacked his lips. "The texture is still a bit off, there's a lot of room for improvement. It's not as fluffy and soft as Zhou Yan's. Lao Luo, your wok-handling skills have gotten rusty, you need to practice more."

"You're right. I haven't been handling the pots and pans enough these past two years. My eyes have learned, but my hands haven't kept up." Old Luo nodded and looked at Zhou Yan. "Master Zhou, could you give me some feedback?"

"Your own summary is spot on, it's just that your hands didn't keep up. There's nothing you can do about it, you can only practice more and practice makes perfect," Zhou Yan said with a smile.

Experienced chefs excel at self-reflection and summarization, requiring little verbal explanation from them.

"Okay, then I'll continue." Old Luo nodded with a smile and enthusiastically began the second round of making chicken mousse, preparing the batter, and stir-frying.

Zhou Yan grabbed four spoons and took out the snowflake chicken soup he had made, so that Zhou Momo and Aunt Zhao could have a taste and finish it themselves, since it would be a waste if it got cold.

"Wow! Guoguo made snowflake chicken soup again~~" Zhou Momo put down her crayons and looked at Zhou Yan with shining eyes as he brought out the snowflake chicken soup.

Zhou Yan pushed the half-finished drawing paper aside, placed a plate in front of her, shoved a spoon into her hand, and said with a smile, "Try it."

"Wait a minute, wipe your hands before you eat." Aunt Zhao came over with a towel, first wiping her colorful hands clean, and then gave her a different spoon.

Comrade Lao Zhou and Sister-in-law Zhao Hong also came over.

"Come on, eat this snowflake chicken soup. It won't be edible if it gets cold, and you can't reheat it for a second dish." Zhou Yan handed out spoons to them.

Zhou Momo picked up her spoon, scooped a spoonful from the mountaintop, and then fed it to her mouth, shaking her little head and short legs as she ate with relish.

"The chicken looks a bit like tofu when it's cooked like this. You chefs are really something, making it look quite nice," Aunt Zhao said with a smile, taking a spoonful and putting it in her mouth. Her eyes quickly lit up.

It melts in your mouth like snowflakes, smooth and delicate, the texture is simply amazing!

It's tender and fragrant; you can immediately taste the chicken flavor as soon as you bite into it, and it's especially rich and delicious.

"Eating chicken without seeing chicken, it's amazing! And you know what, it's so fresh and tender, it's the first time I've ever had such a special dish," Aunt Zhao exclaimed.

"It's delicious, smooth and tender, and very fragrant." Zhao Hong also took a bite, smacked her lips, and said, "It's just that it feels like I've eaten something, but also like I haven't eaten anything. It's a bit strange."

"That's right, it tastes good, but it doesn't go well with rice." Comrade Zhou nodded in agreement.

"If you only take two pieces of chicken breast from a chicken, and this dish is on the menu, I'm afraid no one will order it even once every ten days," Aunt Zhao added.

"This isn't a dish meant to be eaten with rice. It's usually served as a transitional dish during a banquet, where each person can have a few bites to taste it. It won't be on our menu," Zhou Yan said with a smile.

Although Lao Zhou and his colleagues are not gourmets, their comments are insightful and represent the true thoughts of diners in rural towns.

Even if he could make this dish perfectly, it still wouldn't make it onto their menu.

It doesn't make you want to eat rice, but that doesn't mean it's not delicious. This is a delicious experience that people in small towns have never seen before.

Look at Zhou Momo, who's engrossed in eating spoonful after spoonful; she's practically hollowed out one side of the snow mountain.

"Eat more, so she doesn't get tired of it." Aunt Zhao hurriedly called to Comrade Zhou and Zhao Hong, and they began their charge towards the snow-capped mountain.

Before long, a plate of snowflake chicken soup was finished, and everyone was still a little unsatisfied.

Zhou Momo scraped the plate clean with a spoon, but was stopped by Aunt Zhao just as she was about to lick it clean.

"Don't lick the plate, or you'll be laughed at when you go out," Aunt Zhao said with a smile as she confiscated the plate.

"Oh," Zhou Momo responded, then licked the spoon clean and looked at Zhou Yan with expectant eyes: "Brother, are those uncles and elders here to cook something delicious for us? What are we having for lunch?"

"Yes, we had a great lunch today. We had braised chicken with taro, stir-fried chicken blood, and stir-fried chicken giblets," Zhou Yan replied.

"Taro and chicken stew! This is so delicious!" Aunt Zhao's eyes lit up. "Which chef makes it? You should learn how to make it too. Your father and I ate it once in a restaurant in Jiaozhou when we were young. It was so good in winter! We can't make it taste the same as before. Let's make a pot for the New Year and invite your grandma and the others over to eat."

"Sure, I'll go learn." Zhou Yan replied with a smile, turned around and went into the kitchen. He came to Zheng Qiang, who was peeling taro, and said with a smile, "Teacher Zheng, my mom asked me to come and learn how to make taro and chicken stew with you. Is that alright?"

“Why not? Master Zhou, just tell me what you want to learn, and I’ll teach you all my master’s unique skills.” Zheng Qiang nodded with a smile. “Come on, Little Zhou, peel the taro in this basket first.”

“Okay.” Zhou Yan pulled over a small stool, sat down, and began peeling the taro.

Taro and chicken stew is a classic Sichuan dish. What Sichuan or Chongqing person could resist a bite of taro and chicken stew soaked in broth?

Today, Chef Zheng is in charge of cooking this taro and chicken dish. Zhou Yan wants to learn, so he can only humbly assist him and work as a helper.

Cut two chickens (with the breast removed) into pieces and set aside.

After cutting the taro, fry it in oil until it turns golden brown, then remove and set aside.

"Fry the taro first. This way, the soup won't get cloudy during the cooking process, and the taro will cook more easily until tender." Zheng Qiang scooped out the taro and explained to Zhou Yan, "To make taro and chicken stew, the chicken should be fragrant, tender, and flavorful, and the taro should not fall apart or cloud the soup to be considered acceptable."

"Teacher Zheng is right." Zhou Yan nodded repeatedly, diligently taking notes of the key points in his notebook.

Next, stir-fry the chicken, stew it, season it, add the taro, reduce the sauce, and then plate it!
A dish of taro and chicken stew with a bright red color is now complete!

The shop didn't have a basin that big, so they used an enamel basin instead.

A whole pot full!
Quite solid.

The enticing aroma drew everyone to the kitchen doorway.

Zhou Yan's eyes lit up; the taro and chicken stew looked delicious.

A pretty good taro and chicken stew.

　Asking for a monthly ticket~
　　
　
(End of this chapter)