Chapter 243: Chapter 243: Kissed with a Puff (6)_1 Chapter 243: Chapter 243: Kissed with a Puff (6)_1 However, Lin Yuan was confident this time.
Having finally met a pastry chef she admired, she was not willing to give up easily.
Stealing a glance at Lao Fan, who was standing behind her with great interest, and Xia Zheng, whose eyes were fixed on her, Lin Yuan rubbed her nose apologetically.
If these two knew her ultimate purpose in today’s competition with Master Wu, she wondered if they would be so angry that they would kick her out of Fuman Building.
Oh no, that’s not right; knowing Lao Fan’s temperament, he would probably kick her out of Zhuma Town.
There are many ways to make Osmanthus Cake.
Basically, it involves mixing various flours, then steaming the dough until cooked, and finally adding osmanthus flowers that have been boiled twice.
Actually, the resulting Osmanthus Cake is very similar to sweet cakes, just with the added fragrance of osmanthus.
But Master Wu clearly had his own method which he kept secret.
During the process of making Osmanthus Cake, he even used screens to enclose himself.
The screens were decorated with tiny openwork patterns, so those outside could only vaguely see Master Wu busying himself seriously, without being able to discern his exact process or technique.
Every chef has their own secret skills, which allow them to stand their ground in the culinary world.
Lin Yuan also had her own secret cooking recipes, so she didn’t mind Master Wu’s caution.
However, the Osmanthus Cake she was making this time was meant to be shared without any intention of holding back, and since she intended to offer Master Wu an apprenticeship, she naturally wanted him to see her special technique.
Speaking of special, it wasn’t actually all that extraordinary.
It just involved first steaming the flours in a steaming pot, then kneading the dough and steaming it again.
Besides this difference, Lin Yuan also brushed a thin layer of oil on the perfect Osmanthus Cake, giving it a glossy appearance and a smoother texture than those cakes without the oil.
Since Lao Fan didn’t like sweets, Lin Yuan made two versions of the Osmanthus Cake, one with syrup and one without, only using osmanthus flowers.
Although Master Wu was busy with his own Osmanthus Cake behind the screen, he was constantly observing what was happening on Lin Yuan’s side.
He was first surprised by her openness in not concealing any techniques, and then shocked by her method of first steaming and then kneading the flours.
But the shock was followed by deep admiration.
Steaming the flours before kneading allowed the fragrance of the flour to fully disperse, and also made the resulting dough finer and without any graininess.
Such a prepared Osmanthus Cake when eaten, truly melted in the mouth.
“Admirable, admirable!” Master Wu nodded repeatedly, and now when he looked at Lin Yuan, it was with more conviction and praise, “I never expected a young lady of your age to possess such skills, it truly is an eye-opener for me!”
Lin Yuan placed a piece of Osmanthus Cake on a plate and handed it to Master Wu, speaking in a voice only the two of them could hear, “Master Wu, if you’re interested, feel free to find me at Rice Flower Fragrance.”
Master Wu’s hand paused as he took the plate, and he looked thoughtfully at the charming young girl before him, surprised even more.
To directly poach their chef in front of the two bosses and the shopkeeper of Fuman Building, this girl really was audacious.
However, to be honest, Master Wu was indeed somewhat tempted.
For a chef who had long pursued culinary perfection, Lin Yuan’s skills truly fascinated him.
Moreover, he knew she must have many more pastry techniques that were different from ordinary people, which he had been pursuing for over twenty years.
Only, he had just agreed to stay on at Fuman Building, so what should he do?
Although he hadn’t signed a formal employment contract, leaving seemed somewhat unfair to Shopkeeper Liu.