Chapter 299 Food Tasting
There were a total of sixteen dishes on the menu. Zhao Xiaojing scanned it carefully from top to bottom. They were all common banquet dishes here, such as family portrait, roasted pig's trotters, steamed pork with rice flour, pork ribs and lotus root soup.
"Yes, but you need to give me the phone number of their team. There are a lot of details to discuss. I also need to know the ingredients and seasonings they provide, as well as the main dishes made by the other chef."
Zhao Xiaojing handed the phone back and glanced at the expressions of the three people in front of her. The second son, who had been silent, looked solemn and hesitant. The grandson still looked impatient and questioning. The eldest son gritted his teeth and actually had a feeling of being ready to die. What was going on?
Sensing that her eldest son was about to agree directly, Zhao Xiaojing chuckled, "Of course, in our line of work, we can sample dishes beforehand when preparing banquets. You guys prepare the ingredients, and I can come over anytime to sample the food. If I'm satisfied, we'll make the final decision. We also need to agree on the price in advance. Having me cook is more expensive."
Tasting the food in advance is a standard procedure. Zhao Xiaojing can also understand that people of her age would doubt her ability based on her gender and age. However, since she has to work overtime during the Chinese New Year, she must be paid extra.
"Okay, okay! Then let's go to my house. The banquet is at the second son's house. The old lady is over there. We haven't dared to tell her yet. Let's go now?" The eldest son agreed in haste. Upon hearing this, the grandson swallowed his words and let out a breath. The second son, who had been silent, also relaxed his expression slightly.
Su's mother locked the door, and the group of seven walked towards their eldest son's house.
Now he didn't care whether he could visit or grab the fortune. The eldest son led a few people straight into the yard and into the kitchen.
"Did you find it?" The eldest daughter-in-law saw the man coming back and hurried to the kitchen. When she saw Su's father, she hurriedly greeted him, "Oh, Secretary, sister-in-law, you guys came in person during the New Year. It's really troublesome. We really don't have any ideas, so we can only bother you."
Father Su waved his hand and said, "Every family has its difficulties. Don't worry, the chef is here for you."
"Ah?" The eldest daughter-in-law was anxious. After hearing this, she looked around at everyone in the room and then looked at Su's father. "Secretary, you can also prepare a big banquet? Oh, how can I be so embarrassed..."
Mother Su smiled, "Oh, he only knows how to eat! Don't worry, sister, Chenzi runs a restaurant, let her try the food first, and see if it's a mule or a horse - take her out for a walk. There's no point in talking too much, you can just taste it yourself later!"
After saying this, Su's mother said no more, patted Su's father, and the two of them left the kitchen and moved a chair to sit outside.
The eldest daughter-in-law looked at her husband in confusion, only to see him touch his nose awkwardly and point at Zhao Xiaojing, "You stay here and take care of them. See if they need any help. We're going out now."
The eldest daughter-in-law nodded in confusion, then turned to look at the two little girls who were picking vegetables in the kitchen. Although she was confused, she couldn't ask in front of them. When she heard her husband outside calling Su's father and mother into the main hall, she felt that it was not appropriate to stand here, "Chenzi, Auntie will sit outside. Just call me if you have anything!"
Su Yuchen nodded obediently, turned around and put on a sly smile, "Tomorrow we'll have the feast you cook, and see how my parents can still be stubborn. My chance to redeem myself has finally come! Once you decide which dish you'll make, I'll make sure to remember it, and I'll supervise how many bites they eat!"
"It hasn't been decided yet, you're too happy." Zhao Xiaojing poked Su Yuchen with a smile, "Okay, go in too, and take my clothes in too. New clothes will be covered in fumes soon."
"Don't you want my help?" Su Yuchen took the clothes.
"There are only two or three dishes, they won't be needed." Zhao Xiaojing pushed Su Yuchen out the door, turned around and looked at the dishes with a smile.
There is really no need for help. The comb would be troublesome. She has a shortcut module.
Although the weather has started to warm up, the water is still very cold. The water in the countryside is even freezing cold. Washing vegetables is simply a torture. It is better not to wash them if you can avoid it.
Zhao Xiaojing looked at the aunt sitting at the door with her back to the kitchen. While running water to make noise, she thought about it and the quick module washed the vegetables in an instant.
Most of the sixteen dishes on the menu were braised, stewed, or steamed, which took too long to prepare and were not suitable for tasting. Zhao Xiaojing chose the last two stir-fries, one being shredded pork with green peppers, which was said to be the must-order dish for the buffet here, and the other being braised Wuchang fish, which happened to be available in the Wei family kitchen.
The lean meat should have been prepared by the Wei family for their own lunch. It was thawed just right at this moment. After Zhao Xiaojing prepared the dish a little, she added onion, ginger, garlic water, cooking oil and a little seasoning to marinate and mix it.
The fish looked fresh, as if it had been killed in the morning. Zhao Xiaojing cleaned it carefully and made beautiful cross cuts on it. After briefly marinating it, she put it in the pan. It looked even more beautiful after being fried on both sides until golden brown without breaking the skin at all.
Zhao Xiaojing stir-fries a little lard, star anise, chopped green onion, ginger and garlic, then puts in the fried fish and shakes the pan gently. She pours a spoonful of light soy sauce on it, waits for the pot to boil and bubble slightly, then pours in cooking wine and vinegar, and then continuously pours the juice from the bottom of the pan on the fish until the golden fish gradually turns a beautiful brown-red color. Then she adds boiling water, seasons, and simmers for a while with the lid open to collect the juice.
During this process, Zhao Xiaojing also prepared the starch for stir-fried shredded pork.
The dish of shredded pork with green peppers is very dependent on the cooking time. Sichuan cuisine emphasizes not changing the pot, not adding oil, and cooking the whole dish in one pot. If you add seasoning directly while stir-frying the shredded pork, the heat will easily overcook the pork, and the pork will easily become overcooked.
When the starch is ready, it is time for Zhao Xiaojing to open the lid of the pot of roasted fish and start to collect the sauce.
The rich sauce continued to evaporate under the boiling fire, and the kitchen, which originally relied on open doors and windows to naturally exhaust oil smoke, was now filled with fragrance.
The eldest daughter-in-law at the door sniffed hard, beginning to feel restless. Why did it smell so good? Like fish? Could cooked fish smell this good? It wasn't even lunchtime yet, so why was she already feeling hungry?
"Auntie, the fish is ready!" Just as she was sitting there feeling restless, a voice came from the kitchen. The eldest daughter-in-law stood up and rushed into the kitchen.
"Bring it in and eat it first. It gets cold quickly these days, and the next dish will be ready soon!" Zhao Xiaojing instructed the stunned aunt.
"Good, good." The fish in the plate was cooked perfectly, and the thin skin was not broken at all. Instead, it absorbed the soup after being fried until golden brown, and was slightly wrinkled. The fish body was also decorated with shredded green onions and red peppers, which were cut thinly and dotted with the reddish-brown soup poured on the fish, making it even more mouth-watering.
The eldest daughter-in-law forced herself to look away, said ok a few times, took a few pairs of chopsticks from the drawer, and carried the fish out of the kitchen.
In the main room, a group of people were chatting idly. Just as they smelled a strong fragrance, the eldest daughter-in-law came in carrying a plate.
"So fast?" The grandson was very surprised.
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