When Manager Xue saw that Yan Qingqing was silent, he began to complain: "Auntie, you don't know how difficult it is to do business now. All the restaurants are launching new dishes."
Thanks to the "Flip Red" project you did recently, our Yuelaiju restaurant became quite popular in Chengyang County.
However, even the best dishes can become tiresome for customers, especially since most of our restaurant's customers are regulars.
Moreover, this "turning red" style isn't unique to our restaurant; of course, I'm not referring to my aunt's newly opened Canghe Li Ji restaurant.
Yan Qingqing nodded after hearing what Manager Xue said and said, "Manager Xue is right, business is indeed difficult now."
But a restaurant as large as Manager Xue's should have no shortage of new dishes.
Manager Xue sighed and said, "We don't lack new dishes, but we lack attractive ones."
To be honest, I've spent a lot of money secretly trying to get recipes, but the response has been lukewarm at best, and they haven't made much of a splash.
Seeing Manager Xue's bitter and resentful look, Yan Qingqing could only ask, "Then why did you come to see me today, my dear nephew?"
When Manager Xue heard Yan Qingqing address him as "nephew," he was secretly delighted. Yan Qingqing had never addressed him like that before. Did this mean that his request for today might be successful?
Shopkeeper Xue glanced at Yan Qingqing and said, "I heard that your family's ancestors were imperial chefs in the previous dynasty, so you must have many ancestral secret recipes."
I wonder if my aunt would be willing to part with a couple of photos for her little nephew.
Yan Qingqing's expression changed repeatedly as she listened. Could this be considered shooting herself in the foot? Sure enough, once you tell one lie, you have to use countless lies to cover it up.
Seeing Yan Qingqing's expression change repeatedly, Manager Xue quickly added, "I know this request is a bit abrupt, but I really have no other choice. As long as you're willing to part with it, the price is negotiable."
Yan Qingqing's eyes lit up when she heard this. It was just a recipe, and since she didn't plan to open a restaurant right now, giving him a few wouldn't hurt.
Yan Qingqing looked at Manager Xue and said, "Nephew, you know that family secret recipes are not passed on to outsiders unless absolutely necessary. To tell you the truth, even Erlang and the others don't know them. But now you call me 'Auntie' and have come to my door in person, which shows that you are very sincere."
"Then I'll make an exception. May I ask what kind of cuisine you'd like, my dear nephew?"
Manager Xue was secretly surprised. He thought Yan Qingqing was indeed bold and generous. As expected of a descendant of the imperial chefs, she asked him what kind of cuisine he wanted as soon as she opened her mouth. It was clear that she knew more than one kind of cuisine.
Manager Xue dared not be too greedy and replied, "In your opinion, Aunt, I'm not sure what dishes would be suitable for my Yuelaiju restaurant."
Yan Qingqing thought to herself, "This Manager Xue is quite clever; he knows how to respect my opinion. So I definitely won't give him any ordinary recipes."
Yan Qingqing pondered for a moment before speaking, "Actually, Manager Xue's Yuelaiju has a very good positioning, but it lacks a few high-end dishes. If those dignitaries come, Manager Xue can't just serve them some ordinary dishes."
Shopkeeper Xue nodded and replied, "Auntie is absolutely right. To be honest, I always feel a little guilty whenever Magistrate Ling comes to eat. Although the magistrate loves to eat 'Flipped Red', we can't have the same dish every time he comes. But I've racked my brains and still can't find anything that really suits his taste."
Yan Qingqing guessed that this was the purpose of Manager Xue's trip, so she said again, "Nephew, I can only pass on two prescriptions to you. Whether the magistrate likes them or not is beyond my control."
Upon hearing this, Manager Xue quickly replied, "Of course. My purpose in coming here is simply to ask for the recipes for two dishes. After all, besides the magistrate, our restaurant also needs to entertain other guests."
Moreover, my nephew opened the restaurant to make money.
Seeing that Manager Xue was being frank, Yan Qingqing stopped keeping him in suspense and said, "I have two recipes here, one is called Buddha Jumps Over the Wall, and the other is Boiled Cabbage in Clear Broth."
Judging from the name alone, Buddha Jumps Over the Wall might seem more upscale and made with better ingredients.
Indeed, this is the case. Buddha Jumps Over the Wall contains as many as eighteen ingredients, including sea cucumber, abalone, shark fin, fish lips, dried scallops, fish maw, razor clams, ham, pork belly, lamb shank, pig's trotters, tendons, chicken breast, duck breast, chicken gizzard, duck gizzard, shiitake mushrooms, winter bamboo shoots, and so on.
Sometimes, if it was difficult to find all of these things at once, other raw materials could be used as substitutes in small quantities.
Furthermore, the preparation of Buddha Jumps Over the Wall is very complicated. It requires frying, stir-frying, cooking, boiling, deep-frying and other methods to prepare the eighteen ingredients into a dish with its own unique characteristics.
Then, layer by layer, they are placed into the jar and simmered over a low flame.
Although Buddha Jumps Over the Wall is made by simmering a variety of ingredients in one pot, each ingredient retains its original characteristics.
It has a soft, tender, and smooth texture, a rich savory flavor, and is not greasy.
Moreover, it has extremely high nutritional value and is the best for nourishing the body.
Manager Xue thought the Buddha Jumps Over the Wall was delicious just from Yan Qingqing's description, and he was sure it would be very popular in the future. If it weren't for the inappropriate occasion, he would have liked to try it right away.
Manager Xue asked Yan Qingqing many more questions about the Buddha Jumps Over the Wall dish.
In contrast, Manager Xue was not as enthusiastic about boiled water with white wine.
Yan Qingqing seemed to have seen through Manager Xue's thoughts and asked, "Manager Xue, do you think that Buddha Jumps Over the Wall might be more popular than Boiled Cabbage in Clear Broth?"
Upon hearing this, Manager Xue nodded honestly and said, "Auntie, please forgive my bluntness, but this boiled cabbage in clear broth sounds bland and watery. Even ordinary families might not like to eat it."
Yan Qingqing laughed and said, "If you think that way, you might be wrong. Let me tell you this: as long as you have all the ingredients, a master chef can learn how to make Buddha Jumps Over the Wall in just two days."
However, learning to make boiled cabbage in clear broth is not something that can be done in a day or two.
Although selecting ingredients for boiled cabbage is not difficult, as long as you choose the tender heart of the cabbage, it is best to choose cabbage that has been touched by frost, as it will taste better.
However, the difficulty lies in the boiling water. It doesn't use real boiling water to blanch the cabbage, but rather a rich broth. Making this broth is the most difficult part.
Since it's both fragrant and flavorful, yet as light as water, the broth is prepared to be as clear as boiled water. Pouring it over the cabbage, layer by layer, allows the cabbage to unfurl beautifully, like a flower blooming.
Shopkeeper Xue was utterly astonished. He had never seen or even heard of such a method before. How could an ordinary cabbage be transformed into something so sophisticated?
Shopkeeper Xue now felt that this was not a recipe at all, but his God of Wealth. So he stood up, bowed to Yan Qingqing, and said, "Auntie, thank you for being so kind. I will take both recipes. Please name your price."
Yan Qingqing certainly wouldn't give this recipe away for nothing; it's touted as a secret imperial recipe, so it wouldn't be appropriate to ask for a low price.
Besides, even a typical modern hotel couldn't make these two dishes.
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