Chapter 13 Chapter 13 Perfection When Li heard this, she glared at Zhao...
"Oh, the mistress said that the servants went to the butcher's stall today and saw that there were only this much left. They have already bought it all."
Lin Qiuran frowned. Even if he put everything together, it wouldn't be enough. At most, he could cut four plates. If he really had to put sixteen plates together, the guests would laugh at him.
Lin Qiuran decided on the menu three days ago. There's definitely more than one pork vendor in the county, so why not discuss it with the butcher earlier?
Lin Qiuran took a deep breath and was about to speak when the cook said, "The lady didn't think the food was enough, so she bought some more. Here, there's large intestines. The lady also said that you are the head chef and have great cooking skills, so you will definitely not be unable to complete the table without two dishes."
This seems to be a compliment, praising Lin Qiuran's cooking skills, but it is not true when you listen carefully.
Lin Qiuran understood. It wasn't that it wasn't enough; it was a deliberate attempt to make things difficult for her. She'd last been here on the 23rd, and today was three days later. If she'd ordered earlier, the butcher would have definitely left some, but he hadn't, and instead brought over a bucket of large intestines.
This was also because Lin Qiuran didn't have morning sickness symptoms, otherwise, judging by the smell, the meal would definitely not be cooked. She was recommended by Madam Yu, and if the birthday banquet didn't go ahead, Madam Yu would be implicated. Worse still, Lin Qiuran would have offended the Wang family and would probably not be able to gain a foothold in Yu'an County in the future.
If the birthday party can't be held, who would ask her to host it?
Lin Qiuran thought to herself, no wonder Madam Zhao was so cold to her that day, and even said that the person was recommended by her sister-in-law Li, and she didn't even change the menu.
Lin Qiuran smiled and said, "That's fine. I'll have to clean the large intestines. We have a banquet tomorrow and it can't have any smell."
The cook's smile froze and she frowned, as if she wanted to say something. However, Lin Qiuran didn't give her a chance to speak. "Auntie, you better hurry up. The birthday banquet is tomorrow. If you delay it, I don't know how I'm going to explain it to you."
After Lin Qiuran finished speaking, he turned to Sun and said, "Mom, please soak the beans and other things quickly."
It tastes better if you soak the eight-treasure rice for a day in advance.
The cook went to clean the large intestines. Lin Qiuran took a look and started working on it too. It wasn't like she only knew how to make that one dish. Since she had large intestines, she could make them into rice noodle sausages, or cut them up and eat them cold. However, compared to braised pig ears, rice noodle sausages were definitely more laborious. After all, she had to mix the stuffing, stuff the intestines, steam them, and finally slice and plate them.
It’s not like braised food, where you can just put it in the pot and do other things.
Seeing that something had happened, Sun hurriedly asked Lin Qiuran what was going on.
Lin Qiuran gave a brief explanation.
Sun said anxiously, "Qiuran, why not ask Madam Yu? I think she's easy to talk to, and maybe she can even buy us some pig ears."
Large intestines are traditionally eaten stir-fried, and offal wouldn't be suitable for a birthday banquet. No matter how you cook it, a plate of large intestines just doesn't look good.
Lin Qiuran shook his head. "It's okay. I can do something else."
Even if we bought the pig liver and pig ears, we might still need something else. If Madam Zhao did it this way, she would definitely not be able to cook well, and neither would the cook.
The cook is now going to wash the large intestines. If she doesn't spend time and effort to clean such a large bucket, no one will stare at her.
It is easy to dodge an open attack but hard to guard against a hidden arrow. It is better to do your job well and then complain to Madam Yu. Maybe you can get more wages.
Time was tight, so Lin Qiuran asked Sun to wash and cut vegetables, especially side dishes like onions and garlic, because there were many tables, so they had to be prepared in large quantities.
Just wash and cut the food, cover it with a bamboo cover and put it in a cool place. She will use some of it soon.
Lin Qiuran quickly prepared the rice noodle sausage, peeling two cloves of garlic first. After that, she began chopping the stuffing. She found the garlicky flavor of rice noodle sausages the best, so she minced the garlic finely, wanting it to have a garlicky flavor without being visible.
The garlic was ground by Lin Qiuran. The rice flour sausage is different from the meat sausage. It has less meat and more rice flour. The rice flour is made of sweet potato starch, which makes it chewy when eaten. Lin Qiuran also added egg white and the mushroom powder he brought with him to enhance the flavor and freshness.
Because there were too many sausages to stuff, and she was afraid that the taste would not be good after steaming, she tested the filling first, scooped a small piece and steamed it in the pot. When the taste was about right, she could stuff the sausage.
During this time, the Wang family's cook asked Lin Qiuran if she had cleaned the large intestine properly. Lin Qiuran took a closer look and said, "Auntie, all the fat must be trimmed off. It must be trimmed cleanly, otherwise the birthday banquet will not be held and we will not be able to explain to her. Oh, and find me a bamboo tube two fingers wide and a funnel. Pig liver is not difficult to find, but this should be easy to find."
The cook felt that Lin Qiuran was using chicken feathers as a token of authority, as if he could really accomplish anything. However, she was just a servant. If the birthday banquet was really not held because of her, the eldest lady would be fine, but she and the others who helped prepare the birthday banquet would definitely be punished.
After Lin Qiuran prepared the stuffing, the cook had cleaned the bucket of large intestines and even found the bamboo tube and funnel that Lin Qiuran wanted.
There's no sausage stuffing machine here, so having these two things would be much more convenient. Lin Qiuran put the sausage opening onto the bamboo tube, tied it tightly with a rope, and pulled it up layer by layer. Only when he reached the end did he fill it with stuffing through the funnel.
When it is almost filled, tie a knot with the rope and then fill the next section.
This is the most troublesome thing to do. After stuffing the intestines, it was already past noon. Lin Qiuran rubbed his waist, took a deep breath, and poke some holes in the intestines with a bamboo stick before putting them in the pot to steam.
During this time, the cook came in to take a look and asked Lin Qiuran what was in the pot. Lin Qiuran sighed and said, "I'm really stumped. I don't know how to cook large intestines. Oh, by the way, if you have time, wash this vegetable and soak it in water."
The cook looked around but couldn't figure out what was going on. However, she thought that the large intestine was usually fried, so it was probably braised and she wanted to cut it into a plate, but the way the large intestine was presented on the plate was probably unknown and no one would touch this dish.
At noon, Lin Qiuran and Sun had a simple meal and then started to work again. By the afternoon, the vegetables had been washed and the necessary seasonings and dishes were also ready.
Madam Yu came over. Lin Qiuran was recommended by her, so she had to come and take a look. If she was too busy, she could ask someone else to help.
However, as soon as Mrs. Yu entered the kitchen, she was shocked by the neatly arranged vegetables. The eggplants, peppers, cucumbers... had all been washed. The stove was burning with sausages hanging on it, as if they were being smoked.
The color of the sausage had been smoked dark. Madam Yu was puzzled because sausages were not made at this time. However, since Lin Qiuran was a cook, she did not ask any more questions. "It's almost done, right?"
Lin Qiuran said, "Almost done. We'll make some of the main dishes tomorrow; fresh ones are more delicious. Oh, and I changed one item on the menu. The lady said there wasn't enough pig liver and pig ears on the street today, so I didn't make the braised food platter, but instead made some rice noodle soup."
Madam Yu couldn't believe her ears, "Pork liver and ears aren't enough?"
Lin Qiuran nodded awkwardly, "There's only one pair. The lady said it wasn't enough. I was afraid that the old lady liked braised food and was not disappointed."
Seeing that it was getting dark outside, Madam Yu said, "Why didn't you tell me this in advance? Isn't it too late to buy it now?"
Lin Qiuran smiled helplessly, "Madam Yu also said that it's just one dish. I'm a chef, and I can't fail to prepare the meal just because one dish is missing. I just want to tell Madam Yu that there won't be any discrepancies between the menu and the dishes tomorrow."
Madam Yu frowned, "Qiuran, if you need anything tomorrow, just tell me directly."
She couldn't understand why these two items were missing. They weren't expensive, and they were offal, so not many people ate them in the past. Yu realized belatedly that Lin Qiuran was someone she had invited, so Zhao might have been deliberately making things difficult for her by sending the large intestines.
Lin Qiuran is pregnant, really...
She really didn't know what to say. Madam Yu felt guilty and repeatedly told Lin Qiuran to tell her if she needed anything. Then she took Lin Qiuran to the room prepared for them. The room was small, with only a bed and a table. "You two should have a good rest."
Lin Qiuran nodded. It was already dark and she was tired after a long day.
The next morning, they both woke up bright and early. Perhaps Madam Yu had given them instructions, so they had everything they needed. Sun butchered and cleaned the fish, while Lin Qiuran used his free time to make braised pork, eight-treasure rice pudding, and lotus leaf chicken.
Sixteen portions were made at a time. By the time these three were ready, it was only two quarters to noon, and Xiao Dashi also came to help.
Lin Qiuran rested for a while, drank some water, and ate some eggs that Xiao Dashi had brought from home. She had breakfast at Wang's house, which provided meals, but the food was simple.
Next, fry the tofu and fish, and all the dishes that need to be fried are also fried, with the oil reduced from half the initial amount in the pot to four fingers.
The cook was cutting vegetables on the side. She cut them however Lin Qiuran asked her to, because Madam Zhao had told her not to make trouble this morning.
If Lin Qiuran didn't do a good job yesterday, she could have replaced him, but today it was too late, and Zhao didn't want to delay the birthday banquet.
At 3:30 am, there was still some left to fry, so Lin Qiuran asked Sun to take over while she went to make four cold dishes. After Sun finished frying, Lin Qiuran taught her how to arrange the cold dishes, because she had prepared the sauces and knew how many spoonfuls to put in each dish.
The dishes were served as soon as they were cooked, but there were not so many maids in the mansion, so even Madam Yu and the others came to help.
Each dish was placed on each table and Lin Qiuran counted each item before serving it.
The rice was steamed by Sun. Unlike Yujiazhuang, the Wang family used rice and still steamed it in a wooden barrel. There were more people and more rice, so it was easy for her and Xiao Dashi to steam it together.
Now only hot dishes were left. Lin Qiuran took a break and then started cooking again, cooking one dish after another. As soon as he finished, he put them on a plate and served them. Some dishes were fried in advance, so they took less time to cook.
The cook kept staring at her. She couldn't understand why Lin Qiuran looked slim, but she could cook a big pot of food with just a big spatula.
It is said that most of the noodle chefs are men, but I didn’t expect that Lin Qiuran, a woman, has such strength.
Lotus leaf chicken, eight-treasure rice, braised pork... followed by various vegetarian dishes, a total of fifteen dishes, and the last one is crucian carp and tofu soup.
It is served in a porcelain bowl. The soup is milky white, the tofu is tender white, and the green onions are emerald green. It is a pleasing sight when served on the table.
The old lady of the Wang family is surnamed Li. She is sixty years old this year. Today is her birthday party. Those who come to pay their respects are all younger generations. She wears a headband on her head and has wrinkles on her face, but she looks very kind when she smiles.
"Everyone, eat and drink well, and make sure you enjoy the meal. Try this braised pork, it tastes delicious." Mrs. Li was happy today. The dishes at the birthday banquet were to her taste, and the guests were also happy and proud.
It was a truly delicious table. As soon as the cold dishes were served, the guests sat down to eat. The four cold dishes were equally delicious, each with its own merits. The preserved egg was the best, and the rice noodle sausage was also good, firm and chewy with a strong garlic flavor.
The hot dishes were just right, each one was delicious. The braised pork was soft and tender, and it was very fragrant when eaten with rice. I don’t know how the tofu was made, but it was very tasty.
The table was filled with salty, spicy, fresh and sweet eight-treasure rice and cold dishes to relieve greasiness. The guests enjoyed the meal and Mrs. Li also felt proud.
After serving the dishes, Madam Yu offered a toast to Li and stood up. She didn't sit down to eat. Everyone else was seated, so her standing up at this moment naturally stood out.
Mrs. Li knew that the cook was hired by Mrs. Yu, so she smiled and said, "Why don't you sit down and eat together? What are you doing now?"
Yu smiled and said, "Mom, we're ready to eat. The cook is still busy. I'll go get the wages. They've been working hard these past two days. This rice noodle sausage is a new idea. You can see that it's made from large intestines. I originally wanted braised pig ears, but my sister-in-law didn't buy any, so I made this instead. Luckily, everyone likes it."
When Mrs. Li heard this, she glared at Mrs. Zhao and said, "Give me more wages. Are there any lucky bags left? Take some of the leftover food back with you so that no one will go hungry."
Yu smiled and agreed, "Well, I said it was your thoughtful gesture, to share in your good wishes."
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