Chapter 15 Selling Two More Dishes (Bug Fix): The First Pot of Gold

Chef Fang then invited his boss over to try the chicken feet, and finally decided on boneless lemon red oil chicken feet, garlic chicken feet, and ginger chicken feet.

It seems that people still prefer the 9-to-5 lifestyle. At least in Jinning, the local tastes are still more inclined towards the light flavors of Huaiyang cuisine, which is not so heavy.

Wang Xiao was a little disappointed; she had originally thought that pickled chicken feet and Sichuan pepper chicken feet would be the best.

Fortunately, although the current social and political atmosphere is serious and no one dares to mention the market economy, Jinning Hotel is known for its foreign hospitality and is familiar with the capitalist system. They readily paid 1,500 yuan for the recipe, as it was a cash-on-delivery transaction.

These days, restaurants value innovation, and in some ways, innovation is even more important than tradition. Their Jinning Grand Hotel went to great lengths to learn from other restaurants, sending chefs on business trips, lobbying, and even seeking apprenticeships—expending considerable sums. Now, the restaurant is offering its services to them, saving them the trouble.

Wang Xiao haggled with the person for a long time, but he still couldn't raise the price.

She originally wanted to sell one of her recipes for 1000 yuan. It wasn't that she was greedy, but the food at Jinning Restaurant was already very expensive; a small plate of salted goose, probably less than a quarter of a whole goose, could sell for 11 yuan. What was wrong with her pricing this recipe at 1000 yuan? With the size of their restaurant and the volume of customers, they could probably recoup their costs in a day.

However, Jinning Grand Hotel, with its extensive experience, firmly believed that their reputation was well-established, and any dish served there would quickly become famous throughout the city. Then, she wouldn't have to worry about selling the recipe to other restaurants.

As for whether Jinning Grand Hotel itself is afraid of its recipe being leaked? Of course not.

The quality of food depends first on the ingredients, second on the chef's skill, and only third on the preparation process. Otherwise, why would the same dish of shredded green peppers and potatoes taste so different?

Besides, the Jinning Grand Hotel is popular and expensive, and it's not just about the taste of the food.

Wang Xiao was moved by the phrase "famous throughout the city." She believed the restaurant was being conservative; given its reputation, it was only a matter of time before its innovative dishes became famous nationwide.

With Jinning Restaurant's tireless efforts in helping her chicken feet gain recognition, it will be much easier for her to open the Chicken Feet King braised food chain store and make vacuum-packed instant chicken feet snacks later.

1500 it is, there are plenty of large-scale restaurants in the provincial capital anyway. She can also use the name of Jinning Grand Hotel directly.

Hey, do you want the same style as the top celebrity?

No sooner had Wang Xiao received the money than he grabbed his lunchbox and headed straight for the Four Seasons Spring Restaurant just across the street.

Uncle Pang had been keeping her in suspense all night, so he wasn't about to let her run away. He quickly grabbed her arm and said, "Alright, alright, there's no rush today. The remaining chicken feet are just enough to make snacks for your dad and me. You go ahead and work on the duck. I want to see what you're going to do with this roast duck that's all cold. Don't worry about your chicken feet, it's okay. I promise I'll sell them for you tomorrow. I know people at Sijichun."

To be precise, he knows people at almost every restaurant in the city that makes its own braised dishes and is of any decent size.

Chef Fang also became interested. People in Jinning love to eat duck. The way Jinning roast duck is eaten is different from that of Beijing roast duck. It is not wrapped in dough, but is chopped into pieces and then drizzled with braising sauce, which has a unique flavor.

When it's cold, ducks tend to develop a lot of white fat, so it's definitely not the best time to eat roast duck. Even though their restaurant is cozy and warm, their roast duck sales are a bit slow right now.

With those 10 lunchboxes of her secret-recipe chicken feet as a base, he was equally curious about how this young woman managed to give the roast duck a second treatment. Or, to be more specific, what ingenious methods had the veterans in the catering industry devised?

After all, this young girl didn't look like she was cut out to be a chef; she herself admitted that she learned it by chance from a book.

With nearly a century of natural disasters and man-made calamities, as well as the impact of the "Destroy the Four Olds" campaign, many crafts have lost their lineage. It is fortunate for the industry that they have been rediscovered and brought back to life.

"You don't need to go back. Just work at our restaurant," Chef Fang said, half-jokingly and half-seriously. "If you can produce something of real quality, buying the recipe won't be a problem for us."

If it were a year and a half ago, when the restaurant was so busy that he was practically waiting to turn over tables, he would never have said that during mealtimes.

But now, due to the impact of the international environment, the store's business has been greatly reduced, so it's not that difficult to free up a stove for her to try.

Wang Xiao's eyes darted around: "Do you have any beef tallow hot pot broth base here?"

She didn't know if it was because there were no ready-made hot pot base blocks on the market, or because locals didn't eat hot pot often and there was a lack of market demand, but she didn't see any base blocks in the seasoning shops at the market.

"Yes, we make it ourselves at our restaurant." Chef Fang said doubtfully, "You want to put roast duck in hot pot? No way, that's really reckless."

Wang Xiao laughed and said, "It's not hot pot, it's maocai (a type of Sichuan hot pot) and maokao duck."

She learned this dish from her college roommates, including the previously viral chicken feet.

That girl went into the food vlogging business, making and eating her own food. Unfortunately, even though Wang Xiao frequently interacted with her and helped promote her content, her account didn't take off. Fortunately, she honed her skills. After graduating from university, she didn't pursue a master's degree but instead sold various handmade foods in her neighborhood's WeChat group, easily earning over 10,000 yuan a month, which was much more profitable than when she was doing food vlogging.

It is clear that choice is far more important than ability.

Since there was a proper chef in the kitchen, Wang Xiao didn't want to embarrass herself by going up there. To be honest, she was quite intimidated by Lao Fang's diesel stove with its blazing flames.

So she gives the orders, and the others do the work.

Heat oil in a wok, sauté peppercorns, minced ginger and garlic until fragrant, add fermented broad bean paste and stir-fry, then add the restaurant's homemade beef tallow hot pot broth. After boiling, remove the ginger and garlic, then add bean sprouts, lettuce and lotus root slices, Chinese cabbage leaves and enoki mushrooms and tofu skin in that order. Remove them and place them at the bottom of the casserole. Then add duck blood, duck intestines and shredded tripe, remove them and place them on top of the vegetables. Finally, add the roast duck cut into pieces, cover and pour red broth over it.

Uncle Pang sneezed from the spiciness, thinking the dish was finally ready to be served. But Wang Xiao had one last crucial step: making chili oil with chili powder, minced garlic, and sesame oil, then pouring it scalding hot over the roast duck. The aroma was so enticing, it could be smelled miles away.

Uncle Pang didn't know what others thought, but he made up his mind on the spot that he wanted the so-called recipe for roast duck.

He could imagine himself setting up a pot and making this dish at his braised food shop, the aroma so enticing it would draw people in. They wouldn't even need to use a megaphone or put up any fancy signs; the smell alone would be enough to attract everyone.

Well, the braised dishes and stew shops have them readily available, and they always keep tofu skin on hand. As for duck blood and duck intestines, well, they make their own roast duck, how could they not have those? He considers shredded tripe optional; after all, "maocai" (a type of Sichuan hot pot) is essentially a variation of hot pot. And with hot pot, you can put almost anything in. They're selling roast duck, so it'll just be whatever's convenient to have as a side dish.

Hmm, it's getting cold, and cabbage and white radish are cheap. They'll probably taste good in this hot pot.

His mind was working incredibly fast, but that didn't stop his chopsticks from moving quickly; in a flash, he snatched a piece of roast duck.

Uncle Pang blew on the roast duck that had been poured with hot oil twice, then carefully put it in his mouth to taste.

Absolutely amazing! The roast duck soaks up the spiciness of the red oil broth, resulting in crispy skin, tender meat, and rich flavor. Paired with rice, it's so delicious that you can't help but devour a whole bowl in no time.

The soybean sprouts, lettuce, and tofu skin in the pot were also full of broth, and the taste was rich.

This is truly a dish that goes perfectly with rice.

A three-yuan duck with two yuan's worth of seasoning, cooked into a large bowl, is enough for a family to enjoy a hearty feast. Just imagine, with the weather freezing outside, your family eating until their foreheads are glistening with sweat—how satisfying that would be!

Uncle Pang tasted all the side dishes in the braised duck and immediately decided, "We'll take this dish. Tomorrow, no, tonight I'll block the manager's door. Lao Fang, get me a lunchbox, I'll pack it up and take it to the boss to try."

Chef Fang said irritably, "That's all we have. We're counting on this for dinner."

Uncle Pang didn't care about them: "You can just cook it yourselves. Hey, let me be fair. This is a proper dish that can be served as a main course, don't try to fob us off with five hundred yuan. Don't think I don't know, if you create a dish that you can be proud of, the bonus would be more than that."

Those who work in the food industry rely entirely on their skills; chefs who can create innovative and popular dishes will never lack jobs. Chef Fang's predecessor was poached by another large hotel this spring. He took a leave of absence without pay, paying 380 yuan a month to Jinning Hotel while retaining his permanent position. He had this confidence because the new boss offered him a monthly salary of 3,000 yuan.

Yes, a proper 3000 yuan, enough for an eighth-level fitter to work for a year.

The restaurant owner was drawn to him because he had created several innovative dishes that had earned the restaurant a lot of money.

Master Fang, feeling pressured by his old friend, had no choice but to ask his superiors again to increase the price of the formula to 800 yuan.

Of course, the chefs at Jinning Grand Hotel had already prepared braised roast duck once based on Wang Xiao's instructions. Even if they claimed the hotel didn't want it, but later sold it directly, there was nothing Wang Xiao could do about it.

But for a large and well-established restaurant like Jinning, such petty greed is completely unnecessary. Even though the restaurant's business has plummeted, a lean camel is still bigger than a horse; it's not like they can't come up with 800 yuan.

Besides, do you know how deep their knowledge is, or how much substance they can offer?

If you kill the goose that lays the golden eggs, people will never talk to you again and will sell all their innovative dishes to your competitors. Aren't you just asking for trouble?

It's public money anyway, there's no need to skimp on it, we absolutely won't skimp.

Having stayed at the restaurant for an extra half hour, Wang Xiao earned an extra 800 yuan, and he was extremely satisfied.

Wow, what a pleasant surprise! At this rate, I'll probably be able to afford the initial investment to open a braised food shop myself.

Wang Xiao turned to Uncle Pang with a grin and said, "Uncle, you're busy now. My dad and I are going home first. We'll treat you to some braised dishes that sell well even in winter tomorrow."

Uncle Pang then remembered that there was another unknown new product. He wanted the young lady to reveal the secret on the spot, but he was afraid that it would be too late and the roast duck would get cold. He couldn't take it to the food company leader's house to have someone taste it before making a decision.

Chef Fang kept urging her to show off her skills right now, but Wang Xiao firmly refused: "No, this dish takes a long time to prepare. Let's do it tomorrow. I'll definitely come back tomorrow."

Hey! She's not stupid. Scarcity drives up prices. She's already sold four dishes at the Jinning Grand Hotel today. If she keeps going like this, she definitely won't be able to raise the prices. It's better to wait and sell them one by one slowly.

Her Sichuan pepper chicken is just as delicious as Zi Yan Bai Wei chicken!

Braised chicken feet are also a good option. Since people accept chicken feet well, it's perfectly fine to sell them.

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The story of a monthly salary of 3,000 yuan is inspired by the experience of Lou Lanhua, Hangzhou's first female head chef. According to the "Metropolis Express" report, in 1991, the owner of the Aomaotou Hotel poached Lou Lanhua from his job, offering her a monthly salary of 3,000 yuan. Lou Lanhua took a leave of absence without pay, paying her former employer 390 yuan each month.

Haha, this isn't something Ah Jin made up; I just wanted to describe the restaurant industry back then. Skilled chefs were very valuable.