23, Fragrance (4 more updates)
Having left the Vegetable Market, Xie Zhinuan went to the spice shop, “Actually, many spices can be used in dishes, and just a little bit can enhance the flavor of the dish several times over!”
She picked out several spices and had Yuan Cheng pay for them.
Then they went to the herbal shop, “There are also many medicinal herbs that can be used in dishes, which are great for enhancing flavor and removing unwanted gamey tastes!”
Xie Zhinuan was completely open with her knowledge, and Yuan Cheng was boiling with excitement.
Upon returning to Yuanji, they immediately sent someone to inform a few of the old masters’ families, saying they had new dishes today and inviting them to come and taste.
They also went to invite the county magistrate.
Xie Zhinuan was also very busy, explaining to the chefs how to cut the vegetables.
“Is there also a requirement for cutting vegetables?” the chefs couldn’t help but ask.
“Of course, there is. Look at the vegetables, they have grain. If you cut along the grain, it will look nice and taste sweet and crispy when fried!”
Xie Zhinuan took a kitchen knife and went chop chop chop, placing them on a plate.
Only after the spices were fried and crushed to a paste did they start stir-frying in the pan.
When the first plate of fried greens came out of the wok, the chefs took a bite first.
“…”
The men all fell silent.
Having cooked for so many years and recognized as chefs wherever they went, a simple dish of fried greens had left them with nothing to say.
“Miss Xie, do you take on apprentices?”
“Yes, Miss Xie, please take us on. We will respect you profoundly from now on!”
“…” Xie Zhinuan was taken aback and after a moment of silence, she said, “I am leaving tomorrow!”
“Miss Xie, you can’t go, please continue to give us some guidance…”
The crowd clung to Xie Zhinuan, pleading and employing every argument they could.
After some thought, Xie Zhinuan said, “Then I will stay for a couple more days. But just one thing, it won’t do if I teach you here and then you turn around and go to another restaurant. It’s a cold thing to do, and it’s definitely disheartening!”
“Miss Xie, rest assured, we won’t do that!”
Xie Zhinuan agreeing to stay a few more days was something Yuan Cheng was more than happy about.
The old Master Yuan was somewhat groggy and dared not linger; Lady Yuan packed some things and sent Master Yuan and the old Mrs. Ni back to Xiaohe Village first, planning to arrange a carriage in a couple of days to send Xie Zhinuan back.
Mrs. Ni had no objections, instructing Lady Yuan to take good care of Xie Zhinuan and not to lose her, and Lady Yuan took note of each instruction.
Seeing that Xie Zhinuan only charged a hundred and fifty taels of silver and taught the chefs so warmly, a certain thought in her heart became clearly evident.
Xie Zhinuan prepared a large quantity of braised meat at noon, with several large pots, as well as chicken, duck, and goose, teaching the chefs how to cut the vegetables, pair them, stir-fry, and season the dishes.
“Spices should not be used too much, just a little is enough; they’re just to enhance the flavor, not to cover up the taste of the dish itself!”
Yuanji wasn’t taking orders today. Whatever the kitchen cooked, the patrons would eat. It was only upon asking that they learned a master chef had come to Yuanji and was advising the chefs on how to cook.
At first, some people laughed.
But when the food was served, they realized it was no joke-the flavor was genuinely exquisite.
The dishes looked the same as before, and the sides hadn’t changed, yet the taste was incredibly fresh, and having eaten it, one wanted more.
Xie Zhinuan was busy spinning around, with sweat on her forehead.
The scent of the Leng Zhuxiang on her grew stronger.
Refreshing to the extreme.
The chefs smelled it, but not one of them spoke up; they just took a couple of deep breaths when they got close.
They felt much more invigorated.
Was the lunch business good? It was terrific. Many people ate and didn’t want to leave, just waiting for the new dishes to come out. They didn’t care if they knew each other or not; they shared tables and waited, sipping their wine slowly.
Yuanji sold more wine today than in the past half month.
Yuan Cheng couldn’t stop smiling, and several times he went to the kitchen door to look, but amidst the enticing aroma of the dishes was the crisp and refreshing scent of Leng Zhuxiang.
Could it be Miss Xie’s body fragrance…
Chapter 25