39 Show Off Some Skills (1/2)
39 Show Off Some Skills
Translator: YTJS_ | Editor: Perriemix
After walking about five li of the road, they arrived at a village with a population of a few hundred families. As far as the ancient standard goes, it could be considered as a big village.
”This is the Li Family Village where most of the people have Li as their surnames. Our master is the rich lord of this village and he's doing business in herbs. Oh! I just remembered! He also has business at Jin Ling, brother Li. If you manage to impress him with this wedding feast, you can go back to Jin Ling with our business group,” Housekeeper Li said.
”Really?” Ye Jiayao was overjoyed. If they could follow the Li family's business group, the way back would not be so tough anymore.
Helian Jing's eyes also brightened up and he looked at Ye Jiayao hopefully. Brother Jin, this time around, it is all up to your capabilities.
Many guests have already arrived, milling around the room decorated with lanterns and colored banners. Housekeeper Li rushed them through the room and provided them with a clean set of clothes; the pitiful little Jingjing no longer has to wear three-quarter pants.
In the kitchen, the ingredients have all been prepared, merely waiting for the arrival of the chef.
Ye Jiayao took a look at the menu that the original chef Old Ming crafted. There were no major problems because she knew how to handle chicken, duck, and fish meat. What she didn't like was the ordinary and tacky names of the dishes.
She asked housekeeper Li for a pen and paper and crafted a new menu out.
She changed the Whole Chicken to Auspicious Phoenix Cry, the Roasted Duck to Double Taste Duck Roll calling it Two Hearts Beating as One. She creatively renamed the Exotic Delicacies Hodgepodge to Distinguished Friends All Around, and even tweaked a few of the recipes.
Helian Jing stood at the side, shocked. Brother Jin really knew how to seize every opportunity and adapt to someone's fancy. He was just still a bit dubious if the food that he would make would be as delicious as it sounds.
”Housekeeper Li, I would have to trouble you to bring this menu to your master to look over. If it is good, I would follow it.” Ye Jiayao handed the newly crafted menu to housekeeper Li.
Housekeeper Li walked away merrily, and after a while, came back smiling. ”Our master said that this menu is extremely well done. He is very satisfied and told you to proceed accordingly.”
Housekeeper Li took two sealed red packets out and handed it to Ye Jiayao. ”This is a reward for you by our master.”
Ye Jiayao declined, saying, ”I have yet to start on the feast, how can I accept the reward?”
Housekeeper Li responded, ”Our master said that just by seeing the menu, he knows that you are an expert. There is no mistake, take it as an encouragement.”
Ye Jiayao accepted the packets with embarrassment, passing it to Helian Jing.
Holding the red packets, Helian Jing found big Raorao absolutely admirable. Though she kept saying that she was just helping them out, she earned a reward money even without doing anything yet.
After the menu was approved, and she has accepted the reward money, Ye Jiayao fastened the apron around her and began her work.
First, she chose a prepared hen that was half a catty heavy. A hen of this weight would be delicious no matter how it was prepared. The quality of the meat was perfect, not too soft, and not too tough. Ye Jiayao deboned the chicken in a highly skillful manner that awed Helian Jing once more.
Ye Jiayao brushed the blended seasoning on the chicken from inside and out. She then added peeled chestnuts and cooked quail eggs into the seasoning and mixed it for a while. She left 10 chestnuts for plating and stuffed the rest into the chicken's stomach, making it full and bulging to signify a blessing for many descendants.
She tied a knot at the chicken's neck and placed it into the steaming tray to steam for 40 to 50 minutes.
”Little Jing, help me take note of the time.” Ye Jiayao handed him a task so that he has something to do. She was not familiar with the counting of time in the ancient times so it was best to hand it to someone accustomed to it.
Helian Jing sat on a chair at one side, staring at the steaming tray with concentration. He also has rewards so he has to at least do something to earn it.
Ye Jiayao felt like laughing upon seeing how earnest he was. He was indeed an innocent child.
After she had finished the first dish, Ye Jiayao started on Two Hearts Beating as One.
She began by mincing the prawn meat, adding chopped onions, mixing the seasoning, and slicing the roasted duck into long rectangles. She then beat the eggs and spread it to make it into an egg-skin of even thickness of similar rectangular shape. Following that, Ye Jiayao rolled the prawn paste in it, dabbed a small amount of beaten egg, and coated it in crushed almonds before deep frying it in the wok.
This dish's characteristic was that it was crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. It was a dual roll with a dual taste, both fragrant and tasty.
However, to the people watching, the highlight was Ye Jiayao's skills in vegetable sculpting.
After getting rid of the insides of a tomato and slicing it into strips of two centimeters wide, she arranged it into a blossomed flower on the plate. For the leaves, she used sliced cucumber skin strips. A red flower with green leaves, coupled with the rolls that were fried till golden brown arranged neatly, and an exquisite dish of double taste duck roll was completed.
The women helping out in the kitchen could not help but stare in admiration. A chef from a well-known restaurant in Ji Nan province! His skills are indeed admirable, and not only does he pay attention to the taste, he also makes sure it looks pleasing. It was making them drool just by looking.
Ye Jiayao was agile with her movements; stir-frying, pan-frying, boiling, deep-frying, steaming, simmering, roasting, sculpting flowers and decorating. She started on all 10 dishes together, overseeing and planning, yet everything remained neat and tidy. Bonus - she also finished in the shortest time possible.
Helian Jing's eyes could not keep up with all the movement. Brother Jin's aura and attitude when he was cooking were radiating. It was as if he was the king here - taking control of everything, a pair of miraculous hands changing something rotten into something magical. With skills like that, even if he had claimed to be the head chef of Wang Xian Restaurant, no one would question him.
Helian Jing planned that when they return to Jin Ling, he would appoint brother Jin as the head chef in the prince's mansion. He would repay his debt and he would get to eat exquisite meals! That would be the best of both worlds.
Housekeeper Li entered the kitchen to check the progress and saw the jaw-dropping state of the dishes. They looked so precious, it was almost a shame to eat them. He definitely underestimated the little chap. Oh my! Such culinary skills, even Old Ming, the region's most famous, is left far behind.