Chapter 68 Salt-Baked Chicken Powder: A Secret Recipe for Sale
Last night, when making shredded chicken, Lin Yao thought it would be great if she had salt-baked chicken powder, as it would make the chicken taste even better.
With that in mind, Lin Yao got up very early today and went to the pharmacy to buy sand ginger, cardamom, angelica, bay leaves, gardenia and turmeric. She weighed out the right amount of each and filled several large bags.
The most important ingredient in salt-baked chicken powder is the chicken powder itself. Although she had never made it herself, she had seen it a few times while scrolling through short videos. Some mothers make their own chicken powder to avoid their children consuming too many additives. Chicken powder requires dried shrimp, dried shiitake mushrooms, and chicken breast, and she had to visit several shops to gather all the ingredients.
After buying a bunch of things, Lin Yao returned to the restaurant carrying large and small bags.
Seeing Lin Yao carrying so many things, Wang Xiaoyu quickly stepped forward to take them: "Master, are you making a new dish today?"
Lin Yao rubbed her slightly sore wrists and replied, "Today's dish is salt-baked chicken."
Zhao Niangzi asked in confusion, "Salt-baked? Does that mean chicken is braised in salt?"
Lin Yao then started to keep everyone in suspense: "No, you'll find out soon enough. It's a flavor you've never tasted before!"
Lin Yao tied on her apron and began making chicken powder.
She rinsed the dried shrimp thoroughly with clean water to remove any seafood smell, then drained them and set them aside. Next, she put the dried shiitake mushrooms in a large bowl, added salt and flour, then water, and stirred until well combined. She then repeatedly rubbed and washed them until all impurities and dirt were removed before cutting them into thin strips and setting them aside.
The most time-consuming part was the chicken breast. The chicken breast needed to be put into a pot of cold water with scallions and ginger to remove the fishy smell. After boiling for half an hour, it was taken out and rinsed with cold water, then shredded into thin strips. She and the others shredded it for a long time before finally pouring the shredded meat into a hot pan to stir-fry.
"Heat the pan without oil, stir-fry over low heat until the chicken breast strips are golden brown and fragrant, and the moisture inside is evaporated." Lin Yao picked up a small strip of meat, which crumbled easily when she gently squeezed it with her hand. "It's ready when it's cooked to this consistency."
The same method is used to prepare shiitake mushrooms and dried shrimp.
Xiaoman and Linsong were playing in the sand in the yard when they smelled the aroma of burning food coming from the kitchen and ran inside.
Lin Song, being greedy, snuggled up to Lin Yao and said in a coquettish tone, "Sister, it smells so good!"
Looking into their big, round eyes, Lin Yao immediately understood what they meant. She filled a small bowl with shredded meat for them, and the two children were as happy as squirrels that had received pine nuts. Each of them picked up a pine nut and started eating.
After preparing the ingredients, Lin Yao poured them into a stone mortar and pestle, crushed them, and then mixed them together to make two full jars of chicken powder.
This chicken powder is a great thing. It can be used to make salt-baked powder and is also a natural MSG. Adding a little to stir-fries and stews can greatly enhance the flavor.
Once the chicken powder is ready, you can start making salt-baked chicken powder.
Lin Yao unpacked the medicinal herbs and spices she had bought, and then took out the dried garlic, licorice, and star anise that the shop always kept on hand, and crushed the ingredients she would need. "Su Niang, go get me some paper and pen."
Although Lin Yao had seen how to make salt-baked chicken powder, she had long forgotten the proportions. She could only control the amount based on her general memory and then make minor adjustments based on the taste of the finished product.
However, Lin Yao's past life as a food blogger wasn't for nothing. She was extremely sensitive to the flavors of the ingredients and adjusted the ratio three times before finally creating the salt-baked chicken powder.
Wang Xiaoyu and the others watched as she scribbled and revised on the paper, repeatedly weighing the seasonings, but they couldn't figure it out. Finally, when they heard Lin Yao say it was done, they saw the golden-yellow seasonings on the table, leaned closer to smell them, and were all attracted by the wonderful aroma.
Wang Xiaoyu exclaimed in surprise, "This is the seasoning used for salt-baked chicken? It smells so unique!"
"This seasoning tastes amazing!" Lin Yao blew on the paper with the seasoning ratio written on it to dry, folded it up, and put it in her sleeve. "Go get me two chickens."
Lin Yao carefully coated the chicken with salt-baked chicken powder, even covering the chicken's cavity with the seasoning. "It needs to marinate for at least half an hour." She then stuffed scallions and ginger into the chicken's cavity to remove any fishy smell, and then placed it in a cool place to marinate.
Lin Yao originally wanted to steam the chicken in a steamer, but then she thought about it and decided to try roasting the chicken in yellow mud.
She took out a bamboo steamer, poured enough water into the steamer, and brought it to a boil over high heat. She removed one of the marinated chickens; its body was now a pale yellow. She tied the chicken legs and wings tightly with cotton thread to prevent the meat from deforming during steaming. "Steaming preserves the tenderness of the chicken," she explained. She carefully placed the chicken on a bed of scallions and ginger, then covered the steamer.
For the other chicken, Lin Yao wrapped it in lotus leaves and then covered it with a thick layer of mud. After making sure the mud was firmly wrapped around the lotus leaves, she put the chicken in the stove and poked around the ashes with a fire poker until it was completely covered.
She straightened up, dusted off her hands, and said, "Alright, it will be ready in half an hour."
As they were talking, Liu Xu hurriedly ran to the kitchen. "Manager, the managers of Zhenxiulou and Changle Restaurant are outside. They say they have something to discuss with you."
Lin Yao was taken aback. She knew about Zhenxiulou, which was owned by Xu Zhiheng, but she had never heard of Changlelou. "I'll go out now."
Xiao Jin of Zhenxiulou had met Lin Yao a few times and naturally recognized her. As soon as he saw her come out, he greeted her warmly: "Manager Lin! It's been a while. Everyone has heard about your lawsuit against the thief yesterday. They say you exposed the rogue's tricks in court with just a few words. They all praise you for being a woman who is just as capable as any man!"
Lin Yao was somewhat taken aback by his sudden enthusiasm and politely replied, "Manager Xiao is too kind. These are just some low-class tricks, not worthy of such praise."
Seeing that Xiao Jin seemed quite familiar with Lin Yao, Bai Zhuhai, who was standing to the side, couldn't help but get anxious. He couldn't let this old fox get ahead of him. He cupped his hands and quickly introduced himself: "Manager Lin, I am the manager of Chang Le Lou in Jianglin City. My surname is Bai."
Lin Yao returned the greeting: "Manager Bai! I've long admired your name!"
This time, Bai Zhuhai didn't give Xiao Jin a chance to interrupt and directly stated his purpose for coming today: "I have come here today to discuss the matter of five-spice powder with Manager Lin. Chang Le Lou is willing to purchase your family's secret seasoning at three times the market price."
"You!" Xiao Jin didn't expect Bai Zhuhai to be so blunt, and he retorted without backing down, "My Zhenxiu Restaurant will offer five times the market price."
Bai Zhuhai: "We're six times as good!"
Xiao Jin: "Seven times!"
Seeing that the two were about to get angry, Lin Yao quickly spoke up to stop them: "The two managers don't need to argue or raise prices. The five-spice powder will be available for sale soon, and the two managers can come and buy it then."
Xiao Jin and Bai Zhuhai stared at each other, wide-eyed: ?
Xiao Jin was the quickest to react: "Shopkeeper Lin means that everyone can buy five-spice powder?"
Lin Yao nodded: "That's right."
Since the incident involving the Lin family's eldest branch, more and more people will only know that she possesses the secret recipe. Possessing such a treasure is a crime, and who knows how many more people will be eyeing her recipe? You can't guard against a thief forever, so she simply decided to sell it. This way, she can earn money selling spices while ensuring her own safety—a win-win situation!
Upon hearing this, both shopkeepers deflated like punctured balloons. Well, in this way, neither of them could possess this unique advantage.
Bai Zhuhai looked at the young woman before him. Though young, she was quick-witted and had a keen eye for detail. If his son were even half as capable as her, his father wouldn't have to keep him confined to the martial arts school every day. Suddenly, an idea struck him, and his eyes lit up. "Excellent! This is the most appropriate move! Manager Lin truly lives up to his reputation. When the five-spice powder is officially on sale, I will definitely bring my younger brother to support it. My brother is also a great eater, and I'm sure he won't want to miss out on such a delicious treat from your shop!"
Xiao Jin glanced at Bai Zhuhai. This man was really good at scheming and flattering. He curled his lip and said, "It's been a while since I've seen the young master of the Bai family. The old master should let the young master go out more and temper his character. Otherwise, he'll be cheated and still help the cheater count the money."
Bai Zhuhai had no way to refute this. His own foolish younger brother was really simple-minded. He believed whatever others said and had been tricked countless times. He could only try to make amends and said awkwardly, "My younger brother is just simple-minded."
After seeing the two shopkeepers off, Lin Yao breathed a sigh of relief, finally getting some peace and quiet.
But then she recalled what Bai Zhuhai had just said: Lin'an City, surnamed Bai. Someone flashed through Lin Yao's mind, but she couldn't quite place who it was. She simply stopped thinking about it and began preparing the five-spice powder.
Lin Yao plans to open a seasoning workshop. She entrusted the task of finding a workshop to Lin Cheng, while she herself will handle the manpower issue.
Currently, she only has Zhang Ping and Zhang An at her disposal. She originally thought of hiring some people to make it, but after thinking it over, she was unwilling to gamble with people's hearts since it involved a secret recipe. In the end, she decided to go to the brokerage to see if there were any suitable people.
Lin Yao returned to the brokerage firm where she had previously bought Ah Zhu's group. The broker, seeing her, smiled broadly: "Manager Lin! You've come at the perfect time! A new batch of men, all young and strong, have recently arrived from the north! The Zeng family just took a bunch, so there aren't many left. You'd better act fast if you want them."
The matchmaker's words made Lin Yao feel uneasy. Which of these people being sold hadn't suffered misfortune in their homeland, forced to leave their homes? They had no other choice but to sell themselves into slavery. Ultimately, they were all ordinary people; who knew if the misfortune that befell them today wouldn't befall them tomorrow? Yet, in the matchmaker's mouth, these circumstances were portrayed as good business, as if human lives were nothing more than commodities in a marketplace.
She sighed deeply. In this world, the power of an individual is ultimately too insignificant. Equality for all will not be fully realized even after thousands of years, let alone now.
Looking at the group of pitiful people swept up by fate, Lin Yao felt a pang of pity, but she also knew that in this cannibalistic feudal world, she was ultimately just a floating leaf, powerless to resist this overwhelming torrent.
She snapped out of her thoughts and began to carefully select the workshop's workers.
This group of people was indeed, as the matchmaker had said, mostly young men. Last time, the matchmaker said there was a severe drought in the north, with a shortage of water and food, and many people had moved their entire families away. So, the matchmaking business had both old and young, men and women, but this time it was mostly men.
Lin Yao was puzzled and asked, "Grandma, why are there so many men this time?"
The matchmaker leaned forward and lowered her voice, saying, "Most of these people fled from Xingyuan Prefecture. Xingyuan Prefecture borders the Jin Kingdom and has never been peaceful. In the past, they would just plunder some food for the winter and that was it. But this time it's terrible. I heard that when the Jin people came, the soldiers guarding the city disappeared. When those barbarians found no one to guard the city, they couldn't just grab some food and leave. They went straight into the city and started killing people on sight! I heard that those Jin soldiers are all like giants, at least eight feet tall. How could ordinary people be a match for them?"
She shook her head. "After all the able-bodied men were killed, the remaining families either died at the hands of the executioner or were kidnapped and used as livestock. The only ones who managed to escape were these teenagers, who managed to escape by sneaking into the ravines and saving their lives." As she spoke, she grabbed a cowering boy. "Look at his physique. He's just starved and looks terrible. Give him some food and he'll be a good laborer."
Lin Yao sensed something was wrong. No matter what dynasty it was, border areas were always heavily guarded. How could there be a situation where no one was guarding them? She couldn't help but recall the information in the original owner's mind when she first transmigrated. How long could a country that was even starting to relax its border defenses last?
Upon realizing this, she was startled by her own thought and broke out in a cold sweat.
She counted the group of people in front of her; there were ten in total. Among the nine boys, there stood a small, thin girl, about thirteen or fourteen years old. Upon seeing her, the matchmaker hurriedly stepped forward, saying, "Look, this little girl is that boy's younger sister; she's very quick and efficient."
"I've taken all of them with me." She's in dire need of manpower right now, and ten people are probably just enough.
As soon as Lin Yao finished speaking, the matchmaker was overjoyed, her face beaming with delight. She flung her handkerchief around, exclaiming, "Oh my! Manager Lin is truly kind-hearted! I knew that someone as fortunate as you would have a long and prosperous future!"
Lin Yao led such a large group of people down the road, making it impossible for anyone not to notice them.
"My lord, is that Lady Lin? Why is she buying so many people?" Jin Yu was accompanying Xu Zhiheng to write letters by the roadside. Just as they finished writing one, they saw Lin Yao leading a group of people out of the brokerage, looking quite imposing.
Lin Yao also saw Xu Zhiheng, and asked Zhang Ping and Zhang An to wait with their men on the side while she walked over.
Xu Zhiheng put down his calligraphy brush as he saw her approaching: "Is Miss Lin opening a new shop?"
“It’s not a new store, it’s a spice workshop.” Lin Yao recalled Manager Xiao’s visit today and, with a hint of pride, winked mischievously. “The manager of Zhenxiulou even came to me today to buy five-spice powder. Once my workshop is open, Manager Xiao can buy directly from me.”
Xu Zhiheng was taken aback. He didn't know that Manager Xiao wanted to buy Lin Yao's secret recipe. But looking at her now, she seemed like a child showing off a new toy, more lively than usual. He couldn't help but chuckle: "As expected of Manager Lin, your business acumen is as good as ever. It's just a pity that my Zhenxiu Restaurant failed to win the favor of Miss Lin."
Hearing Xu Zhiheng's teasing, Lin Yao belatedly realized that her behavior was somewhat childish and couldn't help but feel a little embarrassed. She cleared her throat and got down to business: "The restaurant is launching new dishes soon. I wonder if you have time to try them later?"
Upon catching the key words, Jin Yu immediately nodded: "Yes! My lord is always available."
Xu Zhiheng: ......
Lin Yao chuckled: "Then it's settled. Our shop awaits your patronage, young master."
-----------------------
Author's Note: Bai Di: Here I come! Guess who I am? [Lower-eared rabbit head]
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
