Chapter 18: Steam Pot Chicken
"But if you don't go now, we really have no choice!"
An older woman made the decision, "Xiaoya, just give it a try. We're just leaving it to fate. If you can do it, you might even be appreciated by the big boss!"
Hearing this, Luo Ya was indeed tempted, but she was clear about her own level. Not to say that it was unpalatable, but it was just edible at the moment.
Perhaps it was because she didn't have much talent in cooking, had only been learning for a short time, and had never had to cook at home before, so it was already very good for her to have her current level.
Dealing with ordinary people is not a big problem, but the problem is that the people who came today are not ordinary people.
"Sister Zhang...I..."
"Are you looking for a cook? How about I give it a try?"
Chen Jintao parked her bicycle and walked into the state-owned restaurant. "Don't worry, I don't have any other intentions. I just heard you say that a senior leader is coming to our place for dinner, and I thought it would be great if I could help. How about letting me try a dish? If you think it's okay, leave the meal tonight to me!"
Shen Jintao spoke beautifully and quoted some quotations such as "Workers, peasants and soldiers are one family and we help each other", making her seem like a selfless person.
But she was not without any purpose. After all, she had heard their discussions. There was only one chef in the state-owned restaurant. If she could really solve this problem smoothly and conquer everyone with her cooking skills, she might have a chance to work in the state-owned restaurant.
Of course, she will definitely join the army in the future. Although she doesn’t know exactly when, isn’t there still some time left? She could have trained a competent successor before leaving. After all, the current job can be transferred. As long as the person she trained is capable of doing the job, wouldn't the job fall into the hands of their family members?
"You?" Luo Ya looked at the woman in front of her. Although she was very beautiful, she didn't look like someone with that kind of skills at such a young age. "Can you do it? Our time is very precious."
The first time she saw Shen Jintao, she felt a little uncomfortable. This woman was so beautiful that she couldn't help but feel inferior when she saw her.
But she was not convinced. Her family was well-off and her parents were both working. There were few girls in the town with better conditions than her. Now she worked in a state-owned restaurant and relied on her parents' relationship to learn from Master Zhuang. She would fill the vacant position sooner or later, so she really didn't take Chen Jintao seriously.
"We are entertaining a senior leader, so it's not as simple as you think. Do you think we can just prepare some home-cooked meals?"
Sister Zhang also looked at Shen Jintao, but there was not so much hostility in her eyes, "Are you good at cooking?"
She needed a positive answer.
"I don't think it's a big problem, Sister Zhang? How about this, you order a dish first and I'll make it. If you're not satisfied with the result, I'll buy the meal myself."
"Okay, you try it!"
Sister Zhang is the director of a state-owned restaurant, a position equivalent to the general manager of a large hotel in later generations. She can decide such things, and she already has some guesses in her mind that this girl might really be able to do it. After all, there are not many young people who dare to speak so directly.
"Then you can make a steam pot chicken, which is the leader's favorite dish. If you can make it delicious, I can give you a chance."
Being able to sit in the position of director, Sister Zhang is not a fool. She does not believe that Shen Jintao really has no purpose. She can only say that she is a very smart young person. Of course, if her ability can match her intelligence, she will be invincible.
Chen Jintao smiled. She had already memorized the method of steam pot chicken by heart. Not only was it taught by Xu Xuemei, but it was also something engraved in her bones. It was a memory from her previous life.
Chen Jintao put on an apron and tied her hair up to prevent a single strand of hair from coming out. She tried to be absolutely clean and washed her hands several times before starting.
Sister Zhang nodded in satisfaction, but Luo Ya was not very happy. "Sister Zhang, do you really believe that she can make good things? I think it's just a decoration. The preparations took so long, but she didn't get to the point at all."
Sister Zhang did not look at Luo Ya, and said, "Hygiene is very important when cooking. I think she seems to be quite good at it."
Luo Ya was a little unconvinced, but she didn't say anything. She firmly believed that Chen Jintao couldn't produce anything good, so she just waited to see Chen Jintao waste and fail, and Sister Zhang got angry.
Luo Ya felt that she should be able to make the steam pot chicken dish, even though hers wasn't as delicious as the chef's, but if Chen Jintao messed it up and she had to fix it, it would be very different.
Even if what she cooked was not so delicious, Sister Zhang would definitely praise her. Thinking of this, Luo Ya felt that the appearance of Chen Jintao might be a good thing.
But then she couldn't laugh anymore.
Shen Jintao took out the chicken that she had prepared in advance, rinsed it briefly, and then started to chop it into pieces. Her movements were very skillful. Even though she was chopping the chicken pieces with a machete, the sizes of the pieces were very uniform. This alone is something that not everyone can do.
The next step is to prepare the ingredients, which are also simple, requiring only onion, ginger, salt, pepper and mushrooms.
That’s right, the ingredients are so simple. The steamed chicken is mainly based on fresh soup, but this soup does not require a drop of water.
"She's just being ridiculous. How can you make chicken soup without adding any water?"
Luo Ya said unconvinced.
Other people think so too, but what they don’t know is that real steam pot chicken does not require a drop of water, it relies entirely on steam.
However, not all chefs in state-owned restaurants are professional chefs, so their cooking skills vary.
Chen Jintao pretended not to hear what they said and continued to work on her own.
After all the chicken pieces and ingredients were placed in the pan, she focused her attention on the heat.
As time went by, the rich aroma of the steam pot chicken gradually spread. Not only did the people watching couldn't help swallowing their saliva, but it also attracted quite a few people to enter the store.
Sister Zhang could only lead people to explain to customers that it was not yet time to eat, but everyone said they could wait, and they were waiting for this pot of steamed chicken.
Sister Zhang said helplessly that the portion of the steamed chicken was not big and could not satisfy everyone's needs. Everyone said in unison that the portion could be smaller, but they must be allowed to try it.
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