Chapter 12 Braised Lamb Liver (Part 1)
Chapter 012 Sliced Lamb Liver
At first, He Lin thought Wang Sumo was just teasing him. The old manor lord hadn't had an appetite for a long time. Let alone asking if the old manor lord wanted to eat, even if something was prepared and served to him, the old manor lord wouldn't have an appetite!
Wang Sumo also asked him to have someone specifically go to the old manor lord and inquire...
"Did your manor lord specially invite me here to cook for your old manor lord?" Wang Sumo asked bluntly.
He Lin: "...Yes."
Wang Sumo sighed softly, "That's it. It's an essential part of cooking; nothing can be omitted. If you delay and the result isn't good, you'll be held responsible. Hurry up!"
He Lin was given a rude awakening!
Wang Sumo reminded him again, "You can go by yourself if you want. But you have to be quick. I need to change my clothes and go check out the main kitchen first."
He Lin swallowed hard. The manor lord had instructed him that he must accompany Miss Wang throughout her stay at Qingyun Manor, and do whatever she needed. Of course, he couldn't let her go to the kitchen by herself.
When Wang Sumo urged him like that, he immediately knew that Wang Sumo was not joking, and quickly said, "Then I will send someone to tell the old master."
After saying that, she went downstairs with a clattering sound.
Wang Sumo heard the last sound from the stairs: he fell, then quickly got up and continued on his way.
It's really heavy!
From the second-floor window, one could see He Lin running out of the Zhenxiu Garden courtyard, grabbing a Qingyun Manor disciple who happened to be working nearby and was about his age, and quickly giving him instructions.
The other party was just as surprised as He Lin had been. Then, seeing He Lin gesturing wildly and talking at length, the other party was somewhat bewildered, but was clearly convinced and quickly turned around and headed towards the old manor lord's residence.
He Lin took over the task that the other party was originally supposed to do and went off in a few quick steps.
Wang Sumo couldn't help but smile.
He Lin is quite an interesting guy.
Wang Sumo closed the window, drew the curtains, and actually undressed, then changed into a clean set of clothes.
People who cook often have this habit: if they've traveled a long way and are covered in dust, they won't feel comfortable going straight to the kitchen without changing their clothes, and it's also not appropriate.
The disciples of Qingyun Manor were neatly dressed and followed rules and regulations in their conduct. Such places usually have their own rules. If she wanted to go to the kitchen to see their cooking habits and then to the small kitchen to see the differences, she could figure out the intricacies of their practices.
She believed what He Lingyun told her from the tree today: that the old master of the He family liked to eat mutton.
He trusted her; otherwise, he wouldn't have made a point of coming to tell her.
Old Master He really has a poor appetite. Although He Lingyun is famous and often makes Old Master He angry, he cares about Old Master He in private.
Otherwise, by sheer coincidence, the fact that Lu Wenqu could stay so comfortably in the dungeon of Qingyun Manor must mean that someone was looking after him.
And it just so happened that Lu Wenqu's golden toad pouch could be passed on to her by He Ping before He Ping set off; otherwise, she would not have come.
Moreover, He Lingyun genuinely believed in her culinary skills, which is why he made a special trip to Lianfeng Pavilion to see her and offer her some advice.
— So the person who took care of Lu Wenqu was He Lingyun.
He Lingyun trusted Lu Wenqu, who had spoken of her culinary skills to him. He believed that inviting her over might improve the old man's appetite.
That makes sense.
Master Huo turned a blind eye, partly because the Eight Treasures Pavilion was indeed famous, and partly because Master Huo was indeed tempted;
Secondly, He Lingyun and Huo Lianchi did not have a good relationship. Huo Lianchi did not want to have another conflict with He Lingyun over this matter. It was all for the good of the old master, so Huo Lianchi went along with it.
When He Lingyun heard that Huo Lianchi was coming while he was at Lianfeng Pavilion, he left without thinking and didn't even want to greet Huo Lianchi.
There's an element of childish sulking involved!
Every family has its own troubles, and Qingyun Manor is no exception...
After Wang Sumo came downstairs and drank a couple of sips of water, He Lin returned, panting. He had really run all the way there and back, afraid of being late. However, he still looked a little dejected. When he saw Wang Sumo, He Lin said with slight disappointment, "I went to ask the old master's senior brother, and he said he's not eating."
He Lin had eaten the dishes Wang Sumo had cooked before and knew how many dishes Wang Sumo could cook, so He Lin was looking forward to it!
He felt that if the old manor lord could just take a bite, his impression of him would change.
But the old manor lord flatly refused, which He Lin found somewhat regrettable.
Moreover, Miss Wang had just arrived and was in high spirits. He was afraid that the old master's rejection would discourage her and make her less enthusiastic in the future.
But Wang Sumo was clearly different. Seeing that he was sweating profusely and panting after running up and down the hill, Wang Sumo poured him a glass of water and handed it to him to quench his thirst. He Lin only realized this himself, then quickly took it, thanked her, and drank it down in one gulp.
He Lin was indeed extremely thirsty. After drinking a sip of tea, he felt much better. Then, unable to hide anything, he looked at Wang Sumo and said, "Miss Wang, the old master probably just doesn't have a good appetite and doesn't want to eat anything."
He was afraid that Wang Sumo would overthink things.
It really is heavy!
Wang Sumo smiled and said in a low voice, not caring much, "The goal has been achieved. Let's go and take a look at the kitchen."
ah?
He Lin didn't understand.
But Wang Sumo had already left, so he quickly followed, as he still had to guide her!
"What objective was achieved?" He Lin couldn't help but ask.
Wang Sumo smiled and pointed to the sky, "Look!"
Huh? He Lin looked in the direction she was pointing, then looked confused. "There's nothing there? What are you looking at?"
Wang Sumo sighed softly, "Yes, there's nothing at all."
He Lin: (⊙o⊙)…
As Wang Sumo walked, she laughed, "Don't you just think, 'Why are you showing me this? What's so special about it?'"
He Lin nodded, "Yes."
Wang Sumo stopped and said softly, "The same goes for the old master. If we just put the prepared food in front of him, he might not have an appetite. So let's ask him if he wants some stir-fried lamb liver or lamb soup. He'll at least think about why he would want stir-fried lamb liver or lamb soup."
He Lin: Σ(⊙▽⊙"a, really!
Wang Sumo continued, "Is there something special about this braised lamb liver or lamb soup?"
He Lin: That's true!
Wang Sumo: "They didn't even ask me what I wanted to eat, they just came up with the names of the dishes. Are they really that delicious?"
He Lin: (￣(工)￣)
At least it's all true for him!
Wang Sumo then put her hands behind her back and continued walking forward. "People with poor appetites have to figure it out for themselves first. They have to be interested or curious to try it. Otherwise, no matter how delicious the food is, they won't touch it."
He Lin suddenly realized, and chuckled, "That makes sense!"
His mind was filled with images of braised lamb liver and lamb soup, and he swallowed hard.
The manor has everything, and the small kitchen can make anything you ask for, but the old manor owner doesn't want to eat it.
Miss Wang is right, it was the old master himself who first had the idea!
He Lin looked at Wang Sumo and suddenly realized that besides being a good cook, she was also very smart, especially in understanding the psychology of people who eat.
Otherwise, with such a vast world, why is Bazhenlou the only one that is so famous?
Most people only see the delicious food at Bazhenlou, but they don't see the story behind each meal...
"So what are we going to do in the main kitchen now?" He Lin, this is already our territory.
Grasshoppers on the same rope.
“Pick out the ingredients, and then…” Wang Sumo winked at him, “continue to set traps for the old man.”
He Lin couldn't help but laugh and quickly caught up, "How are you going to set a trap for the old man?"
Wang Sumo beckoned with her finger, and He Lin leaned closer, "Find two people who can talk, two foodies, and two gossips."
“Let’s go now.” Wang Sumo waved his hand. “I can find the way to the kitchen.”
He Lin blinked. Although, this matter seemed to be getting more and more interesting.
He Lin watched as Wang Sumo walked calmly ahead without turning his head, yet still waved steadily at him, urging him to hurry up. He Lin couldn't help but chuckle to himself.
*
Inside the large kitchen.
The chefs and cooks, including the vegetable cutters, watched from a distance.
Hearing that the head chef of Bazhenlou was coming to the main kitchen to test the cooking utensils and control the heat, everyone naturally came to watch.
In the martial arts world, who hasn't heard of the reputation of Bazhenlou? Many people might spend months trying to find a place to eat at Bazhenlou.
The owner of Bazhenlou Restaurant is here in person this time, isn't this a great opportunity to observe?!
Regardless of whether the other person's cooking skills are really that good, it's at least an eye-opener!
Such opportunities are rare!
Although the head chef of Bazhenlou was a woman, none of the chefs at Qingyun Manor found it strange.
People in the martial arts world are different from ordinary people and officials.
Having traveled the martial arts world and seen many female warriors, I not only don't feel awkward, but I also think that a woman who can make a name for herself in the martial arts world must be more capable than a man!
Bazhenlou serves the business of people in the martial arts world, so naturally it operates according to the rules of the martial arts world.
The fact that so many people in the martial arts world flock to it makes the owner of Bazhenlou truly remarkable.
I had heard that the chief镖头 of Jinwei镖局 had been suffering from anorexia for more than half a year, and medicine was useless. He had become thin, but he was cured by a meal from the chef of Bazhenlou.
What is skill? This is skill!
So, since the owner of Bazhenlou is here, he has to have this kind of prestige!
So when He Lin brought his two gossipy, two foodie, and two talkative fellow apprentices to the main kitchen, the entire kitchen was packed with people, and they really had to bite the bullet and squeeze in.
"Holy crap! Senior Brother He Lin, what's going on here?!"
"Senior Brother He Lin, is this the chef you were talking about who cooks so deliciously it makes people want to cry?"
"She stands out from the crowd, and though she is alone, she remains completely composed among a group of cooks. What a heroine!"
"Is it really that delicious? This is... lamb liver?!"
"Senior Brother He Lin, why do I feel like I'm being watched by the old manor lord, the manor lord, and all the branch leaders at the year-end martial arts tournament?"
"Senior Brother He Lin, I need to go relieve myself first..."
He Lin patted each of them on the head in turn, and the senior brother sternly 'reprimanded' them, "What did I bring you here for? Watch carefully!"
One of the chefs got a bump on his head and immediately became quiet, then, like the other chefs, he looked quietly towards the center of the kitchen, next to the stove.
What Wang Sumo needs to do is stir-fry lamb liver.
Lamb liver is something most chefs wouldn't touch. It can easily become gamey if not handled properly.
If you already like lamb, and you can get the gamey flavor right, it's an ultimate delicacy, but you wouldn't risk making lamb liver.
Although Bazhenlou serves rustic, free-spirited dishes that evoke the spirit of the martial arts world, lamb liver is indeed a risky dish.
The chefs present were all secretly sweating bullets.
Moreover, lamb liver is extremely difficult to cook properly; it's easy to overcook it, resulting in a tough, sticky texture that's not very palatable.
Therefore, when preparing lamb liver, the knife skills must be just right, and it usually needs to be blanched in water to remove the gamey smell.
This is a standard, conventional approach.
But after Wang Sumo washed his hands, put on his arm sleeves and waist towel, he began to prepare the sheep liver.
Qingyun Mountain Villa has plenty of lamb liver, but there aren't many chefs who dare to cook it.
Wang Sumo made a cut, not a standard, moderate thickness, but rather a slightly thicker thin slice.
this!
Inside the kitchen, people began to look at each other in bewilderment.
He Lin and the others didn't quite understand, but judging from the puzzled looks and whispers around them, it didn't seem like a good start.
He Lin frowned, and he could indeed see a bit of the tension he felt when watching the martial arts tournament.
Wang Sumo, is it possible that things will go wrong?
[Author's Note]
He Lin: Yes, I am Su Mo's number one fanboy!
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