The next day, Yan Qingqing began to train Li Xiang'an and others on how to make braised chicken, roast duck, and drunken duck.
No matter how good the service or how high-end the restaurant, it won't retain customers if the food isn't good.
Everyone in the family knows how to braise offal, but besides offal, you can also braise other things, such as braised eggs, braised peanuts, braised lotus root slices, braised green beans, braised eggplant, and these vegetarian dishes can also be braised.
Yan Qingqing's cooked food shop also included these in its planning.
After tasting the vegetarian dishes braised by Yan Qingqing, Li Xiang'an praised them, saying, "I never expected that such unassuming vegetables could be braised so deliciously."
It has the chewiness of vegetables and the texture of braised meat.
The key is that these things are not only cheap, but also easy to prepare, unlike pig offal which is too troublesome to process.
Yan Qingqing watched Li Xiang'an continuously praising the benefits of braised food and asked with a smile, "Do you feel like you've missed out by not making braised food before?"
Li Xiang'an nodded sheepishly. That was exactly what he meant, but his mother had never mentioned it before, and he had never thought about it himself.
Seeing this, Yan Qingqing laughed and said, "Doing business is a process of continuous expansion; you can't get fat overnight."
If you already sell braised dishes, do you sell them yourself or to restaurants?
Selling them yourself would definitely take a lot of time and effort, and you might not even make much money.
If you sell it to a restaurant, they might not want it. Because if they do, they'll have to sell less of the same dish, which isn't profitable for them.
Li Xiang'an knew that he was still far behind Yan Qingqing in business, so he smiled and said, "Mother is right, I didn't consider things comprehensively enough."
In fact, Li Xiang'an has already done very well. At such a young age, he is already very shrewd and adept at navigating social situations. What he lacks now is growth and experience.
Just as Yan Qingqing finished preparing the braised dishes, Li Xiangjian and Wang Dong walked in carrying several cleaned chickens and ducks.
Li Xiangjian said, "Mother, the chicken and duck have been prepared according to your instructions. What do you think we should do next?"
Yan Qingqing first took the chicken from Li Xiangjian and examined it, but found that the handling of some of the chickens was not quite right.
Yan Qingqing had to be extra strict about making braised chicken. In her previous life, Dezhou braised chicken was the most famous. Authentic braised chicken was tender and delicious, with bones soft and meat succulent.
Thinking of this, Yan Qingqing couldn't wait any longer. She first trimmed the chicken's nails, then cleaned up the parts that hadn't been cleaned properly, emphasizing that these things must be thoroughly cleaned.
The second part is to style the chicken. Yan Qingqing said, "Look carefully, the shape of the braised chicken is very important. Put the two wings of the chicken into the chicken's mouth from the neck, and then put the two chicken legs into the chicken's belly. This is called 'claws into the chicken's cavity, mouth holding the wings'."
After quickly shaping a chicken, Yan Qingqing explained, "This way, the chicken will have a round and plump shape, making it look exceptionally beautiful."
Li Xiangjian scratched his head and said, "I never imagined that being a prostitute would involve so many twists and turns."
Yan Qingqing: ……
The more she listened, the more she felt that Li Xiangjian's words were not quite right. What did he mean by "a prostitute"? Although she was indeed a prostitute now.
Thinking of this, Yan Qingqing quickly spat twice. What nonsense! She was almost misled by Li Xiangjian.
Yan Qingqing glared at Li Xiangjian, startling him so much that he quickly covered his mouth. But thinking about it carefully, he didn't seem to have said anything, so why did his mother dislike him?
Yan Qingqing put her mind at ease and continued teaching, saying, "The third step is to color the chicken."
As she spoke, Yan Qingqing picked up the maltose that had been prepared beforehand and spread it evenly all over the chicken.
In fact, Yan Qingqing's family also needs to color the offal when making braised dishes, so Li Xiang'an and the others are not unfamiliar with this step.
The only one I wasn't familiar with was Wang Dong, but the boy was very diligent; he remembered every word Yan Qingqing said and every action she took.
The fourth step is deep-frying. Heat the oil in a wok until it reaches about 60-70% of its maximum temperature, then put the chicken into the oil. While the chicken is browning, keep turning it over to ensure even heating.
Yan Qingqing demonstrated and explained at the same time, "You have to be careful during this process and try not to break the skin, otherwise the chicken will be disfigured."
Once the chicken was almost fried, it was time to start braising. The ingredients for braising are very important. Yan Qingqing opened her own box of braising spices and took out bay leaves, galangal, cardamom, tsaoko, nutmeg, Sichuan peppercorns, star anise, cinnamon, white cardamom, angelica root, cloves, and chopped scallions and ginger.
As Yan Qingqing prepared these ingredients, she said, "These ingredients are added according to the water ratio. If there is too much water and too little ingredients, or too little water and too much ingredients, the braised chicken will lose its flavor."
Then Yan Qingqing asked Li Xiangjian to start a fire. She added rock sugar to caramelize it, then added an appropriate amount of water, and then put the braising spices into the pot.
Then they put the chicken back in.
Li Xiang'an asked, "Is it done after boiling?"
Yan Qingqing nodded and said, "The basic steps are all completed, but there are still some things to pay attention to."
Our chickens are all around three months old, so the meat is quite tender. Therefore, the braising time should not be too long, about 30 to 40 minutes, which is about half an hour.
After braising, it's best to let it simmer in the pot for several hours or even overnight.
The most crucial point is that we won't change the broth we use for braising today; this is called the "old broth," and it's extremely important for the flavor of the braised chicken.
Yan Qingqing said a lot in one breath, and the rest was up to them to figure out on their own.
At first, they didn't think much of it, but when the chicken was almost done braising, the aroma was so enticing that it made their mouths water.
Even Xiao Mochen, who was focused on writing "promotional flyers" in his room, couldn't sit still and followed the aroma to the kitchen.
Just by looking at this setup, you can tell that Yan Qingqing is researching delicious food again.
When Yan Qingqing saw that it was Xiao Mochen, she quickly beckoned him over. Xiao Mochen bowed to Yan Qingqing and said, "I was busy with the things my aunt asked me to do, but this smelled so good that I came to take a look."
Xiao Mochen was somewhat embarrassed when he said this, but after spending so many days together, he knew that Yan Qingqing was sincere towards him, so he was no longer so polite.
Yan Qingqing laughed and said, "Your nose is just as sharp as Silang's. I'm teaching your cousins how to make braised chicken. When I make it, you have to help me taste it and see how it tastes. If there's anything that's not good enough, we can improve it."
Yan Qingqing meant what she said sincerely. She knew that Xiao Mochen must have seen good things before, and his advice was much better than what Li Xiang'an and the others had given.
Xiao Mochen didn't stand on ceremony and immediately agreed.
Knowing that he could try it out, Xiao Mochen went back to writing "promotional flyers".
To be honest, he still had to rush to finish writing a thousand copies in three days, otherwise he would lose face if he couldn't finish and it delayed his aunt's important event.
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