Chapter 123 Lucky Golden Rooster
Chapter 123 Lucky Golden Chicken
Time seemed to fly by in the kitchen as one dish after another was prepared.
Bai Cen also brought the braised beef from the stove outside back inside to cool before slicing it.
As the lid was lifted, the aroma of braised beef wafted out.
The sauce is rich and flavorful, and the interplay of meat and tendons on the shank creates an enticing marbling.
I wonder how delicious it will be after it cools down and I slice it.
Pair it with several large bowls of rice wine, and it'll have that perfect flavor!
Bai Cen's favorite dish is this braised beef, which is better than the stewed lamb chops served elsewhere.
But the old man clearly preferred the stewed lamb chops. To each their own, when has Bazhenlou ever been anything less than satisfactory?
The pot of braised beef was emptied, and water was started to be added to the stove outside.
All the bowls and chopsticks must be taken out and scalded or boiled in hot water. Although one is not particular about details when traveling, customers will go to whichever restaurant makes the food they eat with peace of mind.
Looking at the sea of people waiting in front of him, Old Master Qu looked at Weng He with some concern: "How can we possibly take care of so many people?"
Grandpa Weng said in a low voice, "We'll serve as many tables as we can. There's always tomorrow."
The old man rolled his eyes at him: "Don't exhaust everyone!"
Grandpa Weng remarked, "I was quite relaxed during my time at Zhenhu Division, and I wasn't overworked."
The old man couldn't refute it immediately; indeed...
"The water's boiling, go scald the bowls and chopsticks," Weng He instructed.
The old man said irritably, "All you do is talk!"
The old man kept muttering to himself as he did it.
With more staff at Bazhenlou, things became much more meticulous. In the past, the maid was busy in the kitchen all by herself, while she had to take orders, serve food, settle accounts, and clear tables all by herself. She didn't have time to worry about these details. But with more people, everything became much more efficient.
After the bowls and chopsticks were boiled, Duan Wuheng went to set them off at each table.
He is agile and fast; sometimes he can't even walk in a straight line between two tables. He is so light-footed that he can arrange bowls and chopsticks in a fancy way.
The diners waiting to eat at Bazhenlou were stunned—was that some kind of light-footed skill? Was that the old master?
I've never seen anyone run around like this before. They can put down bowls and chopsticks so quickly and efficiently, like flowing water.
Such light-footed skills are so amazing, I could watch them forever!
But he's working as a waiter at a place like Bazhenlou?
Anyway, it doesn't matter if my mouth hasn't tasted it yet, I've already eaten with my eyes!
That light-footed skill is a feast for the eyes no matter how you look at it.
The bowls and chopsticks are all set out; it must be time to eat.
Bai Cen took the pot that the old man had used to cook the dishes back and quickly had Jiang Yutang wash it, as it would be used for other purposes later!
The old man strung a line between two trees, and as the crowd grew, it served as a dividing line. Lights were placed outside the line to prevent people from crowding into the Bazhenlou restaurant; as people continued to crowd in, they eventually entered the restaurant first.
Anyway, the old master didn't like having so many people at Bazhenlou, so the kitchen was constantly busy.
Bai Cen ran in and out carrying pots, Zhao Tong killed chickens and ducks and prepared dishes, while Wang Sumo and Jiang Yutang were busy in the kitchen and did not show their faces.
The old man was worried that Wang Sumo and the others would get tired.
The Eight Treasures Pavilion isn't short of that.
But Weng He insisted, "How will we know they won't agree if we don't try? Maybe this kind of Bazhenlou is more suitable?"
The old man didn't argue with him.
A moment later, Duan Wuheng went up to Old Master Weng and whispered in his ear: "Old Master, everything is almost ready. The chairs for the tables outside have been set up, and the stone stools for those who don't have chairs have been cleaned and are ready to sit on!"
"Old Qu, I'll go take a look." Weng went to confirm again, but Old Master Qu didn't say anything.
Just then, someone's arm crossed the line, and the old man glared at him: "You think I'll twist your arm off?"
around:"……"
The rumors outside are true. There is an old man in the Eight Treasures Pavilion who has a bad temper. It should be the old man who has broken through the clouds and mountains.
Those around them didn't find it impolite at all; on the contrary, they were even more excited: "It's about marrying a senior!"
"Grandpa! Are you well?"
"So it was for the old man! No wonder he looked so distinguished and extraordinary!"
"Hello, sir!"
I'm so annoyed by the old man!
Wang Sumo could hear everything as she busied herself in the kitchen. Jiang Yutang glanced over and then said to Wang Sumo, "Everyone is taking care of the old man."
“That old man must be so annoyed!” Wang Sumo thought of the old man’s temper and then quickly said to Jiang Yutang, “Go find Bai Cen and ask him to go to the front and relieve the old man.”
Let the old man catch his breath, and let Bai Cen ease the tension.
Jiang Yutang understood.
As soon as Jiang Yutang left, Zhao Tong returned to the kitchen, carrying three whole chickens that had already been killed and processed in one hand, and two ducks that had also been killed and processed in the other.
The side dishes can be made to order; the Lucky Golden Chicken and Old Duck Stew are already being prepared.
"Cut the duck into pieces and stew it into soup; remove the chicken's internal organs, but leave it whole, and steam it later," Wang Sumo clearly stated her requirements.
Zhao Tong does it quickly.
First, prepare three whole chickens, removing the internal organs and emptying the cavities. If it's a steamed chicken, you'll probably stuff it with something or some broth.
As Zhao Tong processed and cleaned the organs, he asked whether he wanted to keep the ones he had removed.
Wang Sumo thought for a moment, "Let's keep it. We'll make spicy and sour chicken giblets ourselves tonight."
I'm really craving it.
Many people don't eat chicken offal, but stir-fried chicken giblets with Evodia rutaecarpa are delicious. She and her husband had tried it when they drove through Wenlan before. Her husband didn't really like it, but she thought it was amazing. She just didn't know if she could make a good copy.
But now is not the time to be busy with that.
Dried scallops, made from dried scallops, are one of the key ingredients in the "Lucky Golden Chicken" dish.
Scallops are always available at Bazhenlou Restaurant.
Scallops are produced by the sea and are very precious. They can enhance the flavor of soups and stews, and can be used to make delicacies when paired with precious ingredients. Therefore, not many of them survive in the Eight Treasures Restaurant, and Wang Sumo buys them whenever he happens to be there.
If I come across one, I'll stock up on it even if it's more expensive.
It's perfect for making soups, dishes, stews, or porridge.
Today's recipe for Lucky Golden Chicken is quite special, especially because it uses dried scallops to make golden threads.
The dried scallops were just steamed in the pot. In addition to the scallops, there was also a full bowl of scallop broth. Just the smell alone was incredibly fresh.
Drain the dried scallop meat using a strainer. Add a little soy sauce and two spoonfuls of sugar to the remaining scallop broth and stir well.
The warm broth was poured over the three whole chickens that Zhao Tong had styled. The broth was poured slowly to ensure that every part of the surface was covered, so that the umami flavor of the scallop broth would cling to the chicken skin.
It requires patience, but for those who love cooking, slowly pouring the sauce is a pleasure.
This is a crucial step in covering and infusing the ingredients with the broth; this current step will make the chicken more flavorful later on.
Finally, pour the remaining broth into the chicken's cavity to lock in the flavor. Adjust the chicken's position to prevent the scallop broth from leaking out.
After arranging everything, place the plates containing the three whole chickens into the steamer one by one.
Steamers are the most common item in the kitchen; they are needed for cooking and steaming buns.
Wang Sumo doesn't particularly like noodles, so she makes fewer steamed buns, and most of her dumplings are boiled dumplings, rarely steamed dumplings.
So when Bai Cen came to the kitchen to ask when they could start welcoming guests, he saw Wang Sumo placing three plates containing whole chickens into the steamer in a leisurely and ceremonial manner.
Bai Cen joked, "I'm reminded of the imperial chefs in the palace."
Wang Sumo looked at him and said, "Tell the imperial chef to save you some stewed lamb chops and braised beef!"
Bai Cen laughed it off, and Zhao Tong laughed along with him.
"What kind of dishes are these?" Bai Cen was genuinely curious. He knew the previous two dishes, but he was still clueless about how to cook chicken and duck. However, seeing such a grand display, he couldn't help but ask to satisfy his curiosity.
"Auspicious Golden Rooster." Wang Sumo said simply.
"What a sophisticated name!" Bai Cen exclaimed before lifting the curtain and leaving the kitchen.
He understands.
The dishes are high-end and just went into the steamer. It won't be ready so soon; we'll have to wait. Everything depends on the owner's notification!
But knowing the name of the dish, with such auspicious connotations, Wang Sumo could hear people outside outside praising it to the skies from inside the kitchen.
There was still hope. Although the outside world was enthusiastic, it wasn't as chaotic as it seemed, and things eventually calmed down.
The chicken should be steamed for three quarters of an hour.
The high-temperature steamer that Zhao Tong had just made was very prone to collapsing, so Wang Sumo used small twigs to secure it before putting it into the steamer.
Pour in water, cover the pot, and leave the rest to the steamer.
Zhao Tong was chopping duck meat on the side, while Jiang Yutang had already started washing fruit. The host said that today's dessert would be candied hawthorns, and Bai Cen said to make more, as they hadn't had enough last time.
Jiang Yutang looked at these small grapes, hawthorns, and apples. Even if they weren't made into candied hawthorns, they looked delicious.
"Try a couple of bites if you want," Zhao Tong said abruptly.
Feeling her thoughts read, Jiang Yutang coughed twice and said as calmly as possible, "I won't eat."
Wang Sumo added, "Don't worry, last time Bai Cen washed the fruit, he ate half of it himself."
Jiang Yutang: "..."
No wonder someone kept urging me to buy more fruit yesterday; apparently, I have a history of doing so.
While Jiang Yutang was washing the fruit, Wang Sumo used chopsticks to shred the steamed scallops. He heated the iron pot until it was slightly hot, added a little bit of pork fat to melt it, and then put the shredded scallops into the pot and stir-fried them gently until they turned from watery to golden and oily.
The fresh aroma of the seafood seemed to be activated, and the color and fragrance were written on the golden-brown stir-fried scallop strips.
Jiang Yutang couldn't help but turn around and look a few more times.
The owner had never made this dish before, but even though the chicken was still in the steamer, the aroma of the shredded scallops was already wafting up.
After Zhao Tong cut the duck meat, while Wang Sumo was making the old duck soup, Zhao Tong went to cut the already well-prepared braised beef.
The combination of the group was seamless.
Once all the ingredients for the old duck soup pot are in the pot, the chicken in the steamer will be almost ready.
Wang Sumo lifted the lid of the pot, and the aroma of tender chicken and scallop broth wafted out, moving even Wang Sumo herself, who swallowed softly.
Pick up your chopsticks and gently poke the chicken in the corner to make sure the meat is cooked through.
But with just a gentle poke of the chopsticks, the broth inside gushed out like a spring, perfectly steamed to perfection.
"Brother Zhao, can you help me out?" Because the steamer has three layers, Wang Sumo was able to place it on his tiptoes.
But now that it's steamed, it's too hot to handle.
Zhao Tong took a thick towel and a cutting cloth in each hand and took the three large plates of whole chickens out of the steamer and placed them on the table one by one.
My gaze lingered on the chicken for a moment; it was so fresh and tender.
Wang Sumo used chopsticks to lift all three chickens off the plate and place them on a new plate.
The scallop juice had been drained from the chicken's cavity earlier, so several plates were filled with chicken soup and scallop juice mixed together. Wang Sumo poured all of this broth back into the pot, as it was the essence of the dish!
This is also the essence and key to this auspicious golden chicken dish!
Add one and a half spoonfuls of salt, one spoonful of sugar, and half a bowl of freshly prepared mung bean starch water to the pot. Simmer slowly with chicken broth and dried scallop water until the sauce thickens and becomes a concentrated chicken broth and dried scallop sauce.
Meanwhile, Zhao Tong was already skillfully slicing the chicken.
The three whole chickens are quite large, and one table of people can't finish them all. If you cut one whole chicken into three pieces, the three whole chickens can make nine large plates.
One plate of dinner left over from Bazhenlou Restaurant, and eight other large plates.
Sprinkle the deep-fried golden scallop shreds evenly over each plate of tender chicken. Before serving, heat up the chicken broth with scallop sauce you just prepared and pour it over the chicken. It's incredibly delicious!
The auspicious golden chicken dish was almost ready. Wang Sumo rang the bell in the kitchen. Duan Wuheng had been trained by the old man and Bai Cen, so ringing the bell meant the kitchen was calling.
"Master!" Duan Wuheng appeared almost instantly.
"We can start taking orders now," Wang Sumo said. Duan Wuheng immediately called out with enthusiasm, "Open the door and welcome our guests!"
Good heavens!
Only when the sun was setting and the sky began to glow with evening colors did Bazhenlou begin to welcome guests and take orders.
Bai Cen, the old man, and Duan Wuheng greeted the guests in a lively and busy manner, while the accountant was free at this time.
As the sun set and darkness fell, Old Master Weng took out lanterns of various sizes from the carriage, hung them up one by one, and lit them.
"Wow~ The Eight Treasures Pavilion is absolutely magnificent!"
"This trip to Meishan Village was totally worth it!"
"I can't wait! I don't know how long it will take to eat up here, or if there will be any food left at the back!"
...
[Author's Note]
All done today! Enjoy your meal, everyone!
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