1984: Starting from a bankrupt Sichuan restaurant

Chapter 307: The Training Course is Here to Recruit People! (6k words combined)

Twice-cooked pork is a common home-style dish that everyone knows how to make, but to make it taste like something others can't, that's what real skill is.

Compared to dishes I've never heard of or seen before.

This twice-cooked pork is so convincing.

It has a more direct impact than magazines and newspapers.

The plate was placed on the stove, with two pieces left. Zhou Yan handed Kong Liwei a pair of chopsticks and said with a smile, "Senior Brother Kong, wouldn't you like to try some?"

"Have all the students eaten yet? I'm the assistant, so I have to prioritize the students." Kong Liwei picked up his chopsticks and looked around first.

"I've tried them all, but I saved an extra piece for you." Zhou Yan nodded.

Upon hearing this, Kong Liwei didn't stand on ceremony. He picked up his chopsticks, took a piece of twice-cooked pork, and put it in his mouth. His eyes quickly lit up. After chewing and swallowing, he gave Zhou Yan a thumbs up: "Chef Zhou! Your twice-cooked pork is absolutely delicious! The heat control and seasoning are superb!"

As he spoke, he put the remaining piece into his mouth, eating with great enthusiasm.

"Your skill is too high! It's as high as the eighteenth floor!" After putting down his chopsticks, Kong Liwei's gaze towards Zhou Yan became clear, and he whispered, "I think even my master, no! my grandmaster's twice-cooked pork isn't as good as yours."

"Senior brother, what did you say?" Zhou Yan looked up at Kong Qingfeng and Kong Guodong sitting beside him and asked with a smile.

“I’m telling you, your twice-cooked pork tastes better than my master’s!” Kong Liwei’s voice rose a few decibels.

Kong Guodong, who was talking to Kong Qingfeng, looked up and his face was as black as the bottom of a pot.

If looks could kill, Kong Liwei would have been torn to pieces by now.

"Oh no..." Kong Liwei shrank his neck.

Zhou Yan suppressed a laugh, her lips twitching slightly.

Kong Liwei is a year older than him. He is quite an interesting person, with the optimistic and positive attitude that Kong Pai has always had, and he is proficient in the skills of reversing the Heavenly Gang.

The twice-cooked pork left the trainees lingering in their memories, and many of them immediately pulled out paper and pens to take notes after returning to their seats.

Twice-cooked pork is indeed a common home-style dish, but it's also one of the top dishes on the menu of every Sichuan restaurant.

If we can learn and master Zhou Yan's recipe for twice-cooked pork, it will become our signature dish.

Zhou Yan tidied up the stove and prepared to start teaching the next dish.

Zhou Yan looked at Kong Liwei and asked, "Senior Brother Kong, do you still remember the method I taught you last time for preparing stir-fried pig liver?"

"I remember!" Kong Liwei nodded. "Now, our Leming Restaurant is making stir-fried pork liver according to the standards you taught us before. Stir-fried pork liver is the dish I've cooked the most lately. I know everything from processing the pork liver to stir-frying it."

"However, it's still a bit different from what Master Zhou stir-fries. Of course, it tastes much better than what my master taught me before."

Zhou Yan resisted the urge to ask him to speak louder and nodded with a smile: "Okay, then you'll be in charge of processing the pig liver, and I'll explain it to everyone and check if you've learned it well."

"Great! I'm so honored to have Master Zhou personally guide me!" Kong Liwei nodded, unable to hide his excitement.

Zhou Yan: "..."

If his master or Zheng Qiang had said those words, he would have suspected they were being sarcastic or unhelpful.

But looking at Kong Liwei's expression, he seemed quite sincere.

Zhou Yan cleared his throat and said loudly, "Dear students, you should have digested the twice-cooked pork by now. Next, we will begin teaching how to make stir-fried pork liver."

The large classroom quickly quieted down, and the young trainees looked at Zhou Yan with undisguised anticipation.

"Stir-fried pork liver is a very common dish, but to make it truly good, the pork liver must be stir-fried until tender, so that customers don't spit it out after eating. Stir-fried pork liver requires the ultimate control of heat. Mastering this dish will significantly improve your control over heat."

"Today I'm going to share my recipe for stir-fried pork liver, which consists of two parts: the preparation of the pork liver and the control of the heat. As long as you can master these two points, you can all stir-fry tender and delicious pork liver."

Zhou Yan took out a piece of pig liver tied with straw from the basket. It was bright red and very fresh.

"Pig liver has a strong odor, so we need to remove the fascia, cut it into thin, even slices, and then rinse off the blood foam with well water."

"Now, I'll have my senior brother demonstrate the techniques for processing pig liver, and I'll explain the precautions."

"Senior Brother Kong, let's begin."

Kong Liwei responded, took the pig liver from Zhou Yan, rinsed it in clean water, and began to remove the tendons and membranes and slice it.

Zhou Yan explained from the side: "The fascia must be removed completely so that the pig liver will have a smooth and tender texture, and not be tough to chew."

"The slices must be uniform. The control of heat is crucial for stir-fried dishes. Whether the slices of pork liver are evenly sliced ​​determines whether they can be cooked through at the same time. If some slices are thin and some are thick, the thin slices will be overcooked while the thick slices are still raw, and the stir-fried pork liver dish will definitely be a failure."

“The thickness should be slightly thinner than a copper coin, like this.” Zhou Yan picked up a slice of pork liver and showed it to everyone. “If the pork liver is sliced ​​too thin, it won’t have any texture, so it’s not necessarily better the thinner it is. It’s about finding the right balance.”

"Rinse the sliced ​​pork liver with cold water..."

Kong Liwei has a solid foundation in his skills, and the sliced ​​pig liver perfectly met Zhou Yan's requirements.

As expected of a fourth-generation direct descendant of the Kong family trained in the kitchen of a grand hotel like Leming Hotel, he may be cheeky with words, but his skills are definitely not lacking.

Kong Qingfeng made up for his lack of talent with hard work, which is how he gained a foothold at Leming Hotel and was known as one of the "Two Kongs" along with Kong Huaifeng.

It's clear that Kong Liwei has continued the tradition of Qingfeng's lineage.

Zhou Yan did consider recruiting, but then thought that his senior brother Guo Dong was probably unwilling to let go.

After all, Kong Liwei is the direct descendant of the Kong family. Regardless of his future achievements in culinary arts, he still has a good chance of taking over the position of manager of Leming Hotel from him and moving into a management role.

After the pig liver was prepared, Zhou Yan, as usual, called the students forward to demonstrate the most important step in stir-frying the pig liver – stir-frying!
"Senior Brother Kong, start the fire!" Zhou Yan called out after washing his hands.

Kong Liwei responded, stuffed a handful of thin firewood into the stove, and pulled the bellows twice, and the fire immediately surged.

"To make the pork liver tender, the cooking time must be short. We have already drained the water from the pork liver, marinated it, and thickened it with a light cornstarch slurry, all to ensure that the seasoning process does not delay the cooking time."

"Put a strong fire under the stove, heat the wok and add plenty of oil. When the oil is hot enough, which is about the current temperature, add the pig liver."

"Zi la!!"

The pig liver changed color immediately after being put into the pot. Zhou Yan flipped the pig liver with a spatula, quickly spreading it out and stir-frying it thoroughly in plenty of oil.

Stir-frying over high heat and in hot oil for only a dozen seconds, Zhou Yan used a round ladle to scoop out the stir-fried pork liver from the wok and put it on a plate.

The stir-fried pork liver is bright red, coated with a thin layer of sauce, and has an amber-like sheen, resembling stacked pieces of red agate.

Green bell peppers, dried chili pepper segments, scallion whites, and garlic slices intertwine to create a vibrant color, with peppercorns dotting the dish, and an aroma wafting up with the rising steam.

It's a feast for the eyes and the palate!

The trainees gathered around the stove, their eyes lighting up at the sight of the spicy pork liver.

"Is this... all done?" A female voice rang out from the side, her tone revealing surprise.

Zhou Yan looked in the direction of the sound and saw a woman of medium build standing in the front row of the crowd. She was about twenty-five or twenty-six years old, with neat short hair, a square face, and wheat-colored skin. She looked rather simple and honest.

This should be the female student that Uncle Guodong mentioned earlier. Her name seems to be Zeng Anrong, and she comes from Qingshen Restaurant.

“That’s right, it’s done. Fifteen seconds. As long as the oil temperature is high enough, it will ensure the liver is cooked through while maintaining its texture.” Zhou Yan nodded with a smile and handed her the plate first. “Here, try the first piece and give me your feedback.”

Upon hearing this, Zeng Anrong picked up her chopsticks, took a piece of still-steaming pig liver from the side, blew on it, and fed it directly into her mouth.

The pork liver was cooked for less than five seconds, and it was already bursting with wok hei (wok aroma)!

After taking one bite, Zeng Anrong's expression immediately changed, from surprise to amazement, and her gaze towards Zhou Yan was filled with admiration and respect.

"How is it?" Zhou Yan asked.

Zeng Anrong thought for a moment and said, "The outer skin is slightly crispy, and the inside is as tender as tofu! The texture is excellent! The heat control is superb! It has a perfect balance of spiciness, numbing sensation, and freshness. The thin cornstarch slurry holds the seasonings together perfectly, and the seasoning is also top-notch. There is absolutely no gamey smell. The pretreatment of the pork liver is indeed crucial."

"This stir-fried pork liver you made is the best I've ever had!"

Zhou Yan smiled upon hearing this and nodded, saying, "You're quite capable too; you've hit the nail on the head."

Zeng Anrong smiled shyly, "I still have a lot to learn from the teacher."

"Come on, everyone, have a taste. Speak freely and ask if you have any questions." Zhou Yan turned the plate to the other students, letting them all have a taste.

The key to making delicious stir-fried pig liver is controlling the heat, and the timing of eating it is also crucial.

This is the best way to cook it, while it's still carrying the smoky aroma of the wok.

Pig liver is inexpensive, and stir-fried pig liver is not uncommon, but not many people can cook it well.

The students' expressions were filled with amazement as they took their first bite of the piping hot, spicy pork liver.

For a moment, exclamations of praise were heard endlessly.

The smooth and tender texture comes from the perfect control of the heat. It takes only fifteen seconds to cook. This confidence and composure is something they should learn from.

"Teacher, when I stir-fry pork liver, the liver tends to stick together in the pan. The resulting pork liver isn't as smooth and tender as yours, nor is it as refreshing. How can I improve this?" a student asked.

Zhou Yan explained, "Your problem is most likely due to using too much cornstarch. Reduce the amount of cornstarch, referring to the amount I used before. Secondly, make sure there is enough oil in the pan so that the pork liver won't stick to the pan. Slide it in one direction and move it quickly to ensure that each piece of pork liver is separate. This will also ensure that the pork liver is cooked through after stir-frying."

"I understand! I did use too little oil!" The student suddenly realized, his words bringing the matter to a close.

"teacher……"

The students asked a series of questions.

Zhou Yan spoke eloquently and answered every question. He could get to the point in just a few sentences, which made the students nod in satisfaction and take their seats.

Some of the questions were not limited to the dish of stir-fried pork liver. Zhou Yan's understanding of heat control and seasoning, as well as his practical advice, were not only treasured by the young trainees, but also listened attentively and benefited greatly from the chefs in the back row.

Xia Yao can't cook, but she listened with great interest.

Zhou Yan was so composed; he didn't seem like a chef his age at all.

He's a genius when it comes to cooking!
After answering the students' questions, Zhou Yan stir-fried two more rounds of spicy pork liver, making sure everyone got their share and not leaving the chefs at Leming Restaurant idle. The course, originally planned to end in one hour, was stretched to an hour and a half by the Q&A session.

"That concludes today's lesson. I hope all of you will grow into excellent chefs and be able to work independently in the kitchen in the near future," Zhou Yan said, looking at the group of students.

Kong Qingfeng stood up and applauded.

All the chefs in the large classroom also stood up and applauded.

Xia Yao clapped her little hands until they were red, and her face was full of pride.

A smile appeared on Zhou Yan's face. He had been talking for an hour and his throat was dry. At this moment, he felt the respect and gratitude of his colleagues and immediately felt that it was all worth it.

That was his sincere blessing.

Back then, when the advisor stood on the podium, he would repeatedly offer words of encouragement and blessings to the trainees after each course.

The preservation of Sichuan cuisine relies on these masters who selflessly dedicate their life experience and recipes, compiling them into teaching materials and cultivating generation after generation of young chefs.

Sichuan cuisine has been able to flourish in just a few decades, spreading beyond Sichuan and reaching the world.

Standing on this platform, Zhou Yan seemed to empathize with the old advisor from back then.

Kong Guodong and Kong Qingfeng sighed softly, "It's a pity that Zhou Yan opened his own restaurant. Otherwise, he would have had the opportunity to go to the capital in the future. His talent is even more amazing than Song Bo's."

Kong Qingfeng said leisurely, "Even if he opens a restaurant, he may still have the opportunity to cook state banquets in the future. He is only twenty years old, and he has a long way to go."

Kong Guodong paused for a moment, then smiled and nodded.

The applause gradually subsided.

Everyone prepared to leave.

Zhou Yan began, "One last thing, unrelated to the training: I run a small restaurant in Suji Town, Jiaozhou, and I'd like to recruit a few chefs for the business. If any of you chefs here are interested, you can come and talk to me later."

Of course, I should clarify that privately owned restaurants do not have permanent positions; the more you work, the more you earn, and the more capable you are, the more you are paid. Therefore, chefs are required to be hardworking, diligent, and have a strong drive.

Regarding salary and benefits, I will offer you double the salary you would receive in a state-run restaurant or canteen, based on your abilities.

"The kind of instruction and guidance I provide today is routine in my restaurant's kitchen. As long as you are of good character, I will teach you."

The large classroom fell silent instantly, and the expressions on everyone's faces became quite interesting.

Kong Guodong's smile froze as he stared at Zhou Yan, his mouth slightly agape, a mixture of shock and absurdity in his eyes.

Worthy!

They're poaching people by sending training courses!

They even dug it up right in front of him, the manager of the Leming Hotel.

Over the years, Leming Hotel has been running training courses, which have not only cultivated culinary talents for Jiaozhou, but have also produced many outstanding chefs who have supported Leming Hotel.

But these things were all done privately by the hotel leaders, and then arranged under the guise of job transfers.

Zhou Yan didn't pretend at all; he started digging on the spot and even offered double the wages.

Well, how should I put these conditions?

Not bad.

But state-run restaurants offer seniority, benefits, and are considered "iron rice bowls" (secure jobs), so many people are eager to get in, and it sounds like a reliable job.

Zhou Yan's private restaurant business could lead to his dismissal, so the allure of doubled wages wouldn't be as strong.

But Zhou Yan's last sentence was quite tempting: if you went to his restaurant, you could learn to cook from him.

This is incredibly tempting for chefs who lack formal training but are eager to improve their culinary skills.

Kong Qingfeng smiled but didn't say anything.

He has already retired from Leming Hotel and is no longer involved in its operation and management. He attends the training courses voluntarily and has no vested interest in them.

"Is Master Zhou expanding his business? He's even sending out training courses to poach talent. That's Master Zhou for you." Zheng Qiang muttered to himself, looking at Kong Guodong's expression. "Uncle-Master, look at Uncle-Master Guodong's expression. It's hilarious."

"Zhou Yan is quite courageous to poach people right in front of everyone." Xiao Lei smiled as well. Zhou Yan had said he was looking for people, but he didn't expect Zhou Yan to recruit on the spot during the training class.

The trainees looked conflicted. Zhou Yankai's qualifications were good, but they couldn't make up their minds for the time being.

Those selected for training are among the best young chefs in their respective restaurants and canteens, and they have the opportunity to advance in the future, so they naturally have more options to consider.

No one responded immediately.

As for the chefs at Leming Hotel, they remained silent. After all, Leming Hotel was the largest state-owned hotel in Jiaozhou. Getting in was not easy, so they wouldn't leave easily.

Kong Liwei, standing next to Zhou Yan, looked excited and pulled Zhou Yan aside, saying, "Teacher Zhou, are you really recruiting people? Are you really teaching them skills?"

“The real tricks, and the real teaching.” Zhou Yan nodded, and under Kong Liwei’s intense gaze, he subconsciously glanced at Kong Guodong beside him.

Guo Dong's face darkened even more.

“Senior Brother Kong, you have a bright future ahead of you, this is not appropriate.” Zhou Yan quickly pulled Kong Liwei’s hand away. He could poach anyone, but he dared not poach his disciple in front of Uncle Guodong.

That's so unethical.

Zhou Yan put the knife into his bag and walked out of the classroom side by side with Xia Yao.

Xia Yao couldn't help but praise, "Zhou Yan, your lesson today was excellent, very steady, and lively and interesting. It didn't seem like your first time teaching at all."

"Really?"

"Really!" Xia Yao nodded firmly. "I'd be a dog if I lied to you."

"If you put it that way, then I'll believe you." Zhou Yan smiled. Judging from the students' reactions, the effect was indeed quite good.

Zhou Yan waited a moment, and then Kong Qingfeng and Kong Guodong followed him out.

"Zhou Yan, you taught these two dishes exceptionally well today, even better than I could have explained them," Kong Qingfeng said.

Zhou Yan hurriedly said, "Grandmaster Uncle, you flatter me. I have no experience and rely entirely on my intuition. If there is anything I have said that is not good, please correct me."

Kong Qingfeng laughed and said, "You're just trying to get ahead of yourself. The lesson you gave today, if recorded, could be used in the training course materials. We're going to have a meeting tonight to organize the materials, and we'll put your name on it. Do you agree?"

"It's an honor to be featured in the textbook alongside Master Zhou, so why would I disagree?" Zhou Yan nodded.

"Okay, okay." Kong Qingfeng nodded with satisfaction.

"The younger generation is truly formidable; Professor Zhou's lectures are indeed excellent," Kong Guodong remarked with admiration.

"It's all thanks to your excellent guidance, Master Uncle." Zhou Yan, fearing he might do something bad later, flattered him first.

Kong Guodong's next words were indeed cut off. He sighed and said, "You should be more low-key next time. If word gets to the leaders, I won't know how to explain it."

"Really? I thought the leader of Leming Hotel who keeps his word was already sitting there today. I'll be more careful next time." Zhou Yan nodded.

Kong Guodong smiled and patted Zhou Yan on the shoulder. "Young man, you have a bright future. If you have time next time, come to the training class and give more lessons to the young chefs."

“Okay.” Zhou Yan nodded with a smile.

Kong Qingfeng and Kong Guodong returned to their office first, giving Zhou Yan space to contact the chefs she was interested in.

As soon as he sat down, Kong Liwei rushed into the office, stood in front of Kong Guodong's desk, and said, "Master! I want to resign! I want to learn to cook from Zhou Yan!"

Kong Guodong was stunned for a moment, then laughed in exasperation: "Listen to this, is this the kind of thing you should say to your master? You're learning to cook from Zhou Yan, so what are you learning from me?"

Kong Liwei mumbled, "It's all about human relationships and social interactions."

"Kong Liwei! Who are you cursing?!" Kong Guodong was so angry that he stood up and raised his hand.

"Second Master! Look at his claws!" Kong Liwei immediately shrank behind Kong Qingfeng.

Kong Qingfeng picked up the covered bowl, took a sip of tea, and said leisurely, "Liwei is telling the truth. Guodong, you've been so focused on interpersonal relationships these past few years, do you think I don't know whether you've honed your culinary skills or not?"

Kong Guodong's anger immediately subsided. He lowered his raised hand and stammered, "Master, I have indeed been quite busy managing the restaurant these past two years, and my skills have become a bit rusty. But I haven't neglected to discipline this kid. He's always learning from the other apprentices in the restaurant."

"Yes, Master is quite dutiful; he's given me a lot of beatings." Kong Liwei nodded.

“I’m really…” Kong Guodong gritted his teeth.

Kong Qingfeng looked at him and said, "Liwei, do you really want to learn cooking from Zhou Yan and work at his restaurant? If you quit your job, it won't be so easy for you to get into Leming again. There are rules and regulations for everything."

“That’s right. If you stay and work hard, it’s not impossible for you to transition into management in twenty years,” Kong Guodong added.

"Master, I've made up my mind." Kong Liwei said seriously, "The private economy is booming now. Zhou Yan's restaurant is doing very well. He's also a great cook and knows how to teach people how to cook. I want to go and learn from him to improve my skills."

Leming Restaurant is great, but I don't want to be a manager. I want to be a good chef, like Zhou Yan, making dishes that people rave about and can't help but smile after eating them.

Kong Guodong curled his lip: "Damn it, he's cursing me again..."

Kong Qingfeng smiled and nodded: "That's right! Young people should have this kind of ambition!"

……

Zhou Yan and Xia Yao walked towards the small garden on the side.

"Teacher Zhou!" a voice called out to him.

Zhou Yan turned around and saw the female chef who had asked questions in class earlier walking quickly forward.

"Teacher Zhou, I am Zeng Anrong, a chef from Qingshen Restaurant. I am very interested in joining your restaurant and would like to know about its current scale. If I join the restaurant, what kind of work would I be mainly responsible for?" Zeng Anrong stopped and looked at Zhou Yan to get straight to the point.

　There will be another update later, you can check it out tomorrow morning~
　　
　
(End of this chapter)