Chapter 45 Wedding Banquet
"Master Liao, how many tables are there today?"
If there were ten or eight tables, Du Shaojie and Liao Yongxin could handle it, so he asked this question.
"There are eighteen tables in total. The host is quite particular, so we invited two chefs to cook."
Liao Yongxin explained. There were one chef and two assistants on each side, a total of four people.
In addition, there were several odd jobs, whose main task was to pick and wash vegetables, which did not conflict with their duties.
Du Shaojie said "Oh" and started to get busy.
Today's dishes are mainly classic dishes of Hongchunyuan Hotel, including sweet and sour pork tenderloin, fish-flavored pork shreds, braised lion head, braised carp, Kung Pao chicken, etc.
Liao Yongxin and Master Dong Yunxian of Hongchunyuan are responsible for nine tables respectively.
This arrangement is to ensure the consistency of the quality of the dishes on each table, so as to avoid everyone's comments. This is also the minimum respect for the two chefs.
Liao Yongxin first started to braise the beef. Today's dishes include four cold dishes and eight hot dishes. The dishes that require time should naturally be made first.
Du Shaojie started to cut vegetables. Each dish had to be prepared in nine portions at the same time. When frying, even three or four portions could be put into the pot at the same time. Of course, wedding banquets are not like the big pot dishes in the cafeteria. The dishes are still much more delicate .
On the other side, Dong Yunxian and the young Yu Jianxin were also busy.
The two sides were not far apart. Dong Yunxian glanced at Du Shaojie who was cutting vegetables and couldn't help but exclaimed "Huh".
Then he whispered, "Jianxin, look at that young man. He is younger than you, but his knife skills are quite good."
Yu Jianxin is Dong Yunxian's most proud apprentice, so he often takes him out to see more of the world.
Although the "master-apprentice" relationship these days is different from before, and it belongs to the category of "passing on knowledge and helping others", Dong Yunxian still treats Yu Jianxin as his own son and nephew.
Dong Yunxian knows Liao Yongxin, who is still very famous in the local area.
But he didn't expect that the young man brought out by the other party is so good. The knife skills alone surpass most people in the restaurant.
"Well, Master, I will try my best."
Yu Jianxin was a little jealous of the young man. Master Dong rarely praised others, but he was unexpectedly fond of this man.
He was only in his early twenties, so of course he would have a strong desire to win. He responded to the master verbally, but he was secretly competing in his heart.
Dong Yunxian glanced at his apprentice and could roughly guess what he was thinking, but he didn't say much. In fact, he was the same. He didn't want the dishes he made today to be outdone by Liao Yongxin.
Du Shaojie didn't know this. He concentrated on processing various ingredients, and his hands moved faster and faster. Various knife techniques changed at will, and even Liao Yongxin, who was familiar with him, was shocked.
"This kid, his knife skills have improved again!"
Yu Jianxin also stole a glance from time to time. Later, he had completely given up the idea of competing with Du Shaojie in knife skills.
If the gap was not big, he could still comfort himself that he might be able to surpass him in the future. But with such an obvious gap, what was there to worry about? He simply gave up the idea of competing.
However, he was still very confident in his cooking level.
If I can't win in knife skills, then I won't compete. The master has said that Yu Jianxin will cook the Kung Pao Chicken today. Let's show that young man his skills!
Thinking of this, Yu Jianxin's mood immediately improved.
The whole morning was spent in a busy schedule. Du Shaojie looked up and saw that all the ingredients had been prepared.
Liao Yongxin also prepared various small ingredients and four cold dishes, just waiting for the master's order to start cooking the hot dishes.
"Xiao Du, follow me."
Liao Yongxin saw that Dong Yunxian was about to finish, so he took Du Shaojie over.
"Master Liao, are you ready? Really fast! I'll be ready soon, don't worry, I won't delay anything. Is this your apprentice? The boy has good knife skills and has a bright future."
Dong Yunxian is the kind of person with an introverted personality. When he saw Liao Yongxin and Du Shaojie, he greeted them with a smile while busying himself.
"This is Du Shaojie from our unit's canteen. Shaojie, this is Master Dong from Hongchunyuan Restaurant. His specialty dishes are shredded pork with fish sauce and sweet and sour pork tenderloin, which are the signature dishes of Hongchunyuan Restaurant."
Liao Yongxin didn't say whether Du Shaojie was his apprentice, but he praised Dong Yunxian.
Dong Yunxian laughed, introduced each other, and then lowered his head to continue his work.
Liao Yongxin didn't bother him, and he and Du Shaojie carefully looked at the cold dish made by Dong Yunxian, and then returned to his workstation.
"Xiao Du, he is a master chef in a state-owned restaurant. There are still many things we can learn from him. For example, for cold dishes, Master Dong's presentation is very particular, which is really pleasing to the eye."
Liao Yongxin has a bad temper and likes to scold people, but he is very
open and aboveboard. He is not arrogant. He can see the advantages of others and comment on them in front of Du Shaojie.
Du Shaojie remembered these details and did not show any impatience.
"Master Dong, Master Liao, we can start the meal now. Please prepare the dishes."
After the wedding, the host came to inform Liao Yongxin and Dong Yunxian that when they started to fry the first dish, the cold dish could be served.
The order of the dishes was discussed in advance, so the first dish made by Liao Yongxin and Dong Yunxian was "Sweet and Sour Pork Tenderloin".
The tenderloin has been fried in advance, and the sauce is directly fried in the pan, and then the fried tenderloin is added. Stir-fry a few times and it can be served.
Du Shaojie watched silently from the side, and Liao Yongxin sometimes gave him some pointers.
Various dishes were brought over in an endless stream, and the small canteen became more and more lively, and even the sound of finger-guessing could be heard.
"Xiao Du, you cook the Kung Pao Chicken, and I'll cook something else."
Both chefs chose to let their assistants cook the "Kung Pao Chicken". At present, it seems that the dishes cooked by Liao Yongxin and Dong Yunxian have their own merits, and it is really hard to tell which one is better.
If there is a difference, it is that Liao Yongxin prefers traditional techniques, while Dong Yunxian obviously bears the mark of the 70-year inheritance of Honghong Chunyuan Hotel.
"Okay, Master Liao."
Du Shaojie nodded in agreement, then walked to the stove and started to heat the pot.
This [Kung Pao Chicken] needs to be fried nine portions, and he plans to fry it in three pots. He is not sure about the quality if he frys too much at a time.
Yu Jianxin over there glanced at Du Shaojie and then started to move. [Kung Pao Chicken] is the best dish he has made so far, and he feels that he can completely suppress the other party.
Du Shaojie was focused, his hands moving as smoothly as flowing water.
Last night he had five hours of simulated training, and during the five hours he only cooked one dish, which was this [Kung Pao Chicken].
Since today was a wedding banquet, the diced chicken had been oiled in advance instead of being stir-fried. But this was not important, and would not have any impact on the quality of his finished dish.
The spatula flew, stir-frying, seasoning, and thickening, all in one go.
The fragrance wafted away, and Liao Yongxin looked back. He was very satisfied with the "appearance" of the dish alone.
Yu Jianxin also fried a pot, and an outsider might not be able to see it, but Dong Yunxian had basically made up his mind just by observing with the naked eye.
The young man named Du Shaojie was really a good seedling, and his "proud disciple" was outdone.
(End of this chapter)
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