Food starts with Mapo Tofu

Chapter 200 A Decision Against My Ancestors
Yu Yue of the Qing Dynasty "Tea Xiangshi Congchao": "Wensi word Xifu, Gongshi, and good at making tofu soup and sweet porridge. Those who follow the method so far are called Wensi tofu." "Tiao Ding Ji" is also known as It is called "Assorted Tofu Soup".

This dish of Wensi tofu pays attention to the fineness, it is necessary to cut a piece of tofu so thin that a needle can be pierced, like a strand of hair.

While eating this dish, it is not more about tasting the taste of this dish. For diners who order this dish, they pay more attention to an experience.

In the restaurant where Jin Dachuan works, his master knows how to cook this dish, and is also a veteran of this dish. The Wensi tofu made by his master is just like the one in front of him.

Even Jin Dachuan can make it himself, but although he has been making Wensi tofu for more than ten years, until now, the thinnest shredded tofu can be kept as needle-like.

He had spent a lot of effort on this dish, but he was still unable to take the last step.

But right now, I actually saw this Wensi tofu here. If he didn't know that his master is still cooking for him in the restaurant, Jin Dachuan would have thought that his master had come.

And this dish was served by Chen Nian, the most terrible thing is that he knew that the only cook in Chunyu's class was Chen Nian!
Doesn't that mean that this dish is made from old age?
"Did you cut this tofu?" Jin Dachuan turned his head and asked aggressively, looking anxious.

"Yeah, there's no one else in this kitchen except me." Chen Nian said with a look of reason.

But these words seemed a little different to Jin Dachuan's ears!

This is really old cut out!

And after he thought about it, there was indeed no one in this kitchen who could cut tofu for him.

But looking at Chen Nian's relaxed appearance while speaking, it seems to be a matter of course. Could it be that Chen Nian's cooking skills are not limited to this?
Before, he was just being polite to himself, but he really regarded Chen Nian as a rookie.

From the previous dishes to the last one, Wensi Tofu, the aging was stable from the beginning to the end, without any abnormality, and the taste of each dish was impeccable.

This shows that aging does not rely on luck to cook. For each dish, the scale of the heat and seasoning has been mastered perfectly.

Moreover, it took about half an hour from the time the dishes were ordered to the time when the last dish was served, which coincided with the time mentioned before the old age.

This is no longer a simple sentence that can describe good cooking skills, right?
Such confident boasting, and finally able to finish it accurately, Jin Dachuan knows that his master is the one who can do this step, and he is very familiar with the recipe of every dish, even if the master is old now, but Those movements have formed muscle memory.

One spoonful is just the right seasoning, and one spoonful is just the right amount of water.

"Brother Chen, come and eat some too!" At this moment, Jin Dachuan's attitude towards Chen Nian was obviously completely different from before.

Although the former Jin Dachuan was quite polite to Chen Nian, he kept a respectful distance, but maintained a perfunctory and polite expression on the surface.

But now it's different, now Jin Dachuan is very cordial when he speaks, as if they got along very well in the kitchen this afternoon.

"I won't, I'm already full at night, and I might feel uncomfortable if I eat too much." Chen Nian said.

Originally, Jin Dachuan wanted to be courteous with Chen Nian and ease the previous relationship, but since Chen Nian said so, he couldn't insist on it anymore, so he could only find a way to ask Chen Nian what kind of craftsmanship it was. Where did you learn it?

If it is not taught by someone, it is by no means an easy task to research this dish.

Just like myself, if it wasn't taught by the master, if you want to learn the essentials of cutting Wensi tofu and cutting it as thin as a hair, it will not be possible to understand it in a short while.

So Jin Dachuan immediately decided that Chen Nian had other unique skills.

As a chef, I am very interested in the specialty dishes of other chefs, and if the other chef is a chef of the same cuisine as myself, it is even more exciting.

After all, opposites repel, same-sex attracts.

Back in the kitchen, Chen Nian thought about the change in Jin Dachuan's attitude just now, which was also part of his plan.

This trick is called playing hard to get.

……

Sure enough, Chen Nian waited here for a while, and Bai Yueshuang came over and told herself that she had finished eating, and at the same time told herself excitedly that she also accepted the snacks he gave to Miss Xiangyun today.

"That's good, keep it up, don't worry and don't do anything hot, it's good to be tepid like this, by the way, you can help me carry the plate later, I can't carry it alone."

"Okay!" Bai Yueshuang nodded heavily, feeling grateful to Chen Nian in her heart, with such a great kindness, what can I do with serving a few dishes?
When Chen Nian returned to that box again, the dishes on the table had been eaten up by everyone, and the big bowl of Wensi tofu soup was drunk to the bottom.

Seeing Chen Nian tidying up the dishes, Jin Dachuan quickly stood up and took the initiative to help Chen Nian take the dishes to the kitchen.

"No, no! Master Jin, you are a guest, how can I let you work?"

"That's right, go back and rest!"

"Yes, Master Jin, it would be great if we stayed to help you. You just arrived today, so you should go and rest first after the journey is exhausting."

But Jin Dachuan waved his hands cheerfully: "That's no need, I haven't been here for long, and I'm familiar with the kitchen, you should go back and rest, this is not an easy thing to do. By the way, chat with brother Chen about some details of the squad leader's birthday banquet."

When everyone heard this, they stopped making excuses.

It turns out that Chef Jin has something to discuss with Master Chen, so let's not disturb him for now.

So Bai Yueshuang and Xiao Hua'er helped deliver the dishes and chopsticks to the kitchen and then went back.

Only Chen Nian and Jin Dachuan were left cleaning pots and chopsticks in the kitchen...

"Why doesn't Master Jin go to rest? Just leave it to me to do it." Chen Nian said, holding the brush with both hands very neatly and kept brushing the pot.

But Jin Dachuan's hands were not slow, and he said while washing the dishes: "Brother Chen, I just want to ask you, how did you make that Dao Wensi tofu like that?"

Chen Nian smiled: "It's easy, just practice more."

"Then I wonder how long brother Chen practiced?"

Chen Nian thought for a while: "Three or four months."

According to the real situation, it is indeed three or four months, but in order to get stuck in bugs, I deliberately left a large piece of uncut pieces in it every time I finished.

This is what Yang Chiqing's diners in Ruyi Building call it cloudy and foggy.

So it took me three or four months to completely cut this tofu into its current form.

As a result, Jin Dachuan heard that it only took three or four months for the old age, and he was not very well.

"Is this true?"

"How can it be fake?"

"Brother Chen is so talented, I really admire him." Jin Dachuan said in admiration.

"Where is it, Master Jin, oh, no... Brother Jin's craftsmanship is what I admire. At least half of the dishes on the banquet are famous Jiangnan delicacies. It is enough for ordinary people to be proficient in one dish, Brother Jin." Those who are proficient in these are the real talents!"

As a result, the two just flattered each other for a long time, and Chen Nian's performance was impeccable, without revealing his true intentions at all.

In the end, it was Jin Dachuan who couldn't help it: "I wonder if Brother Chen is satisfied with his current life, do you want to change the environment?"

Chen Nian thought that this is going to poach people, but now he has to be naive, this is called great wisdom and foolishness, and put himself in a weak position in advance to take the initiative.

"What does Brother Jin mean by changing the environment...?"

"Just go to our restaurant. With your skills, your monthly salary will definitely be several times higher than here."

Jin Dachuan is actually not the kind of narrow-minded person.

It is their rule and habit to not let others secretly learn their skills, and not only him, but basically all famous chefs do this now.

Even if you want to pass it down, it will only be passed on to your own descendants.

If other people learn from it, it is called stealing a teacher.

And now that I want to bring Chen Nian to their restaurant, I also want to bring a good chef to the restaurant. Although I will pay more at that time, but with a chef like Chen Nian, the number of customers I can receive every day is natural. It will also increase.

And the serving speed will also be faster, the earlier the serving time, the earlier the guests will eat.

In this way, the dining cycle of diners is shortened invisibly.

Moreover, Jin Dachuan felt that if Chen Nian could be kidnapped for his craftsmanship, his master would definitely take a fancy to him, and he might have another junior brother at that time.

Anyway, the restaurant is neither my own nor the master's, and there will be no problem of inheritance in the future, so one more person who learns the master's craft can also let the master's craft be passed on better and spread.

But Chen Nian had no intention of changing jobs at all, he had to stay in Chunyu's class.

"I'm sorry, Master Jin, the class leader is very kind to me, and everyone in the Chunyu class likes to eat my dishes. For me, cooking is a kind of enjoyment. Watching others taste the dishes I made Showing a satisfied smile is the greatest encouragement to me.

As for money or not, I don't think it matters, as long as I can have food and clothes, that's enough. "

Jin Dachuan never thought that Chen Nian would be so pure-hearted and so Buddhist.

Chen Nian didn't expect that he would pretend to be aggressive by accident.

Because it is useless for me to really want the money, the money earned in these dreams is not included among the various items that I can bring back, otherwise, wouldn’t it be rich if I go back to ancient times and collect some gold casually?
But to be honest, Jin Dachuan wanted to know what is the secret of making Wensi tofu in the old age, and he was able to practice it in three or four months, but he has practiced for more than ten years and has not made any significant progress.

And he felt that Chen Nian must have a unique skill at the bottom of the box.

Thinking of this, Jin Dachuan suddenly made a decision that went against his ancestors!

I saw that he first looked around for a while, then looked around the door worriedly, and then closed the door.

"Brother Chen, how about this? I also know some vegetables and I can teach you, but at the same time, you also have to teach me how to cut Wensi tofu to the point that it is as thin as a hair, and I can also take it. My dishes come to exchange with other dishes you know."

This is what Chen Nian was waiting for!
"That's fine. Anyway, I'm only interested in cooking. As for making money, it's all outside the body. It just so happens that I'm more interested in the few dishes that you served at your birthday banquet this time, Brother Jin. Why don't you just use these to cook?" How about an exchange?"

"Okay! Brother Chen, you can tell me which dishes you want to learn, but there is one more thing, that is, no one should tell anyone about our deal today, otherwise my master will expel me from the teacher."

"No problem." Chen Nian nodded.

"Among the sixteen dishes for the birthday banquet prepared by Big Brother Jin, among them are boiled dried shredded rice and Wensi tofu, which my younger brother just happens to be able to cook. As for the rest, I want to learn."

Upon hearing Chen Nian's words, Jin Dachuan said, "Good guy, this is a big talk for the lion! This little brat is not very old, but he has a big appetite! He will learn his own fourteen dishes when he comes up."

"Yes, yes, but you have to exchange it for something equivalent!"

Chen Nian smiled: "That's natural, but how many dishes does Brother Jin think is worth the superb knife technique of Wensi Tofu?"

"Three ways." Jin Dachuan came up and gave a number that he thought was more sincere.

But Chen Nian shook his head: "It's not enough, if you let Brother Jin come by yourself, you may not be able to cut this Wensi tofu so finely in the time you are proficient in five dishes."

Jin Dachuan discovered just now that this little brat is not easy to deal with, but he has such a big appetite!
But he really wants to learn this Wensi tofu!

Every time the guests ordered this dish in the restaurant, they had to ask the master to help, which made him feel very guilty.

And he is over 40 years old now. If there is no big opportunity, his culinary skills in this life will probably be like this. At most, as he gets older, he can master more dishes, but the basic skills are just as good. Stop there.

If you can learn more skills from Chen Nian, even if you pay five dishes?

"Okay, for the remaining seven dishes, Brother Chen, I won't make such concessions."

But Chen Nian didn't care at all: "I wonder if Big Brother Jin has ever heard of a dish called Rouge Goose Preserved?"

Rouge goose breast...

Jin Dachuan felt that it seemed a little familiar.

"Red Mansion?"

"That's right!" Chen Nian nodded.

"But isn't this dish lost? And it only appeared in this book." Jin Dachuan remembered that he heard it before when he was listening to an opera, and then went back to ask his master about it.

As a result, his master said that this dish should be regarded as Jinling cuisine. Many people have tried it since ancient times, but no one can really make it taste like in the book.

"It is indeed lost, but it is not lost, because I know this dish, but does Brother Jin think this lost dish is worth the remaining seven dishes?"

　Thanks to guo7684 for tipping 100 starting coins.

　　Thanks to Drag Racing Party 666 for the 500 starting point reward.

　　Thank you boss, the two spent money~

　　
　
(End of this chapter)