roccoschili Chapter 7 Learning Cooking Skills with Divine Sense
Chapter 7 Learning Cooking Skills with Divine Sense
Nine-Turned Intestines is a traditional Beijing dish. There are several versions of its origin, but it is generally believed that it was first created by Manager Du of Jiuhualin Restaurant in Jinan during the Guangxu period of the Qing Dynasty.
There are several explanations for why this dish is called "Nine Turns," including the possibility that the large intestine undergoes nine processes during preparation.
Perhaps it's because of its rich flavor and variety of textures, or perhaps it's because Manager Du has a particular fondness for the number "nine".
The cooking process for Nine-Turned Intestines is very meticulous, with the key being the use of spices and the control of heat.
The preparation process requires the use of various spices, such as cardamom, star anise, and fennel. These spices not only remove unpleasant odors and enhance the aroma, but also have certain health benefits.
Mastering the cooking time is crucial to ensure that the large intestine is tender, flavorful, and melts in your mouth without collapsing in shape.
The finished dish features large intestines with a reddish-brown color and a rich aroma. When plated, the large intestines are usually curled up like a ring and garnished with bright green chopped scallions, making it a traditional dish that is excellent in color, aroma, and taste.
"Master, look, it's almost done. It needs to stew for two hours," Sha Zhu said, scratching his head.
"Hmm. The shredded potatoes are quite good, crispy and delicious, about 30% of my level. As for the braised pork intestines, those were ordered by a customer who came in advance, let them simmer slowly, they're handled well."
"You've smeared oil from your hands all over your hat. That's substandard. There's no pattern at all."
Master Wang Yijun was very apprehensive. Why were these shredded potatoes made exactly to my taste? I just had to tell him that this was the flavor I liked.
Could it be that my apprentice's cooking has somehow captured my heart? That's unbelievable. "And Zhu Zi, how did you make these shredded potatoes taste?"
"Ah, Master, don't you occasionally make staff meals? I always follow your method. I roughly remember how much seasoning and how much you use." Sha Zhu quickly put down his hand, which was about to scratch his head, and replied.
"Why won't this hand obey?" Sha Zhu thought to himself. "Could this be the legendary bloodline suppression, the master suppressing the disciple?" He then looked awkwardly at his master.
Wang Yijun looked at Sha Zhu's hands and glared at him. "Alright, hurry up and chop the vegetables. The customers are starting to order. I've agreed to your martial arts training. I still have some influence over you, after all. I'm a famous chef at Fengzeyuan, and I know a few people who are good at martial arts. I'll go find some for you after get off work. I'll give you some money first. Tomorrow morning, go buy two bottles of good wine and cigarettes, and some pastries. Wait for my message, and get to work."
“Okay, Master.” Sha Zhu said while chopping vegetables, “Master, you don’t need to give me money, I still have my kitchen helper’s salary in my pocket.”
Actually, Sha Zhu didn't have any money before. He had only been a kitchen helper for two months. His apprentice wages were all in his master's hands. As soon as his wages were paid, his father, He Daqing, would snatch them away.
Normally, Sha Zhu would have learned Shandong cuisine from Wang Yijun with prior experience. He Daqing and Wang Yijun were fellow apprentices.
Otherwise, according to the traditional master-apprentice relationship, one would have to follow the master for at least five or six years. Not to mention a salary, it would take five or six years before one could even start cooking.
You have to be in the second or third kitchen, or below. Without connections, you'll be stuck as an apprentice doing odd jobs in the kitchen. Without a keen eye, you can only see your future for the rest of your life and have no chance of making it big.
He only got in through introductions from relatives and friends. Sha Zhu only has some basic skills.
If it weren't for He Daqing's connections, even if I wanted to become a kitchen helper after apprenticing, it would probably be two or three years later.
You should know that working as a kitchen helper allows you to openly or secretly watch the chef cook.
As for which method to use, whether the master wants to teach you, or whether he will only show you and secretly keep something from you, depends on the master's mood.
In this day and age, the saying "Teach your apprentice and you'll starve" isn't just a saying. Even if your master shows you something, you still have to be able to understand it.
If the master chef doesn't explain the secret seasoning recipes, you might have to study them yourself to death, but you still wouldn't grasp the essence of a master chef's skills.
"Alright, I know your father's temperament. Even if the money is in your pocket, it's not yours. Okay, now stop talking, or your spittle will land in the pot." After saying that, Master Wang Yijun got back to his work.
"Understood, Master," Sha Zhu replied, then fell silent and began to assist his master.
When I'm not too busy, I secretly follow the Sichuan cuisine master next door with my mind and learn his skills.
Although, under Sha Zhu's observation, the Sichuan cuisine master had made the same dish more than twice.
But Sha Zhu could still detect a slight difference. At that moment, the Sichuan cuisine master was preparing to make twice-cooked pork.
Twice-cooked pork is a traditional Sichuan dish, characterized by its unique flavor, bright red color, rich but not greasy texture, and strong aroma.
In the Fengzeyuan Restaurant in Beijing in the 50s, although it may not have been the main cuisine, judging from the chef's skillful movements, it was clear that many customers ordered this dish.
The chef first boiled a piece of fresh hind leg meat, which was four parts fat and six parts lean and three fingers wide, in boiling water. He added ginger slices, green garlic sprouts, and peppercorns to remove the fishy smell and enhance the aroma.
Cook until chopsticks can easily pierce the meat, then remove it and let it cool slightly before slicing it thinly.
Heat a small amount of oil in a pan, add the sliced meat, and stir-fry over medium heat until the edges of the meat slices curl slightly and form a "lamp-shaped indentation".
Add finely chopped Pixian chili bean paste and fermented black beans, stir-fry until the oil turns red, then add appropriate amounts of sweet bean sauce and sugar to taste. Clearly, this customer is very familiar with the business.
After stir-frying evenly, pour in cooking wine and soy sauce along the edge of the wok, turn up the heat, add the green garlic shoots, and stir-fry quickly until the green garlic is just cooked through. Then it's ready to serve.
Watching the master's skillful movements and noticing the subtle differences, Sha Zhu was filled with admiration. He exclaimed, "I've truly mastered it!"
Saliva was quietly drooling from his mouth, without even getting Sha Zhu's permission.
Sha Zhu snapped out of his daze, quickly sucking back his drool. Seeing that the chef wasn't paying attention, he breathed a sigh of relief. Ah, the meat, the fragrant twice-cooked pork.
Don't be fooled by Sha Zhu's position in the kitchen; he might get to eat meat occasionally, but to eat meat to his heart's content, you'd have to be the head chef.
The kitchen helpers could sample the food alongside the chef. The odd jobs and apprentices, on the other hand, were leftovers from customers and might not even get a chance to eat them.
Sha Zhu thought about the domestic pigs he raised in his space, the kitchenware he scavenged from the spy's yard, and the kitchen utensils he bought from the department store. Now all he was missing was a kitchen.
I don't have a clear idea for the kitchen yet, but I'm confident I can build a simple stove. I'm just missing some bricks.
To satisfy my cravings, it seems I'll have to sneak out after get off work tonight. I quickly stopped thinking about it and started watching my chef's movements, learning his culinary skills.
Around 8 or 9 p.m., Sha Zhu finished his staff meal and took the 30 yuan that the cook insisted on giving him.
Leaving Fengzeyuan, I headed towards Xi'an Gate. On the way, I passed through a deserted alley, took my bicycle out of the storage space, and quickly rode west.
It's the height of summer now, with long days and the hottest weather.
At eight o'clock, the sky was still clear, but now it was completely dark. There were a few people occasionally walking home from get off work on the street.
Everyone was in a hurry. As they approached the Xi'an Gate, Sha Zhu got off the bike, scanned the surroundings with his mind to make sure no one was around, and then walked to a corner and stored the bicycle in his spatial storage.
Xi'an Gate in Beijing is the west gate of the Imperial City. It was first built in the fifteenth year of the Yongle reign of the Ming Dynasty (1417) and is located in the north-central part of the west wall of the Imperial City.
The Xi'an Gate and the Dong'an Gate are not symmetrical in terms of geographical location. There are four archways at the main street intersection, in four directions, hence the name Xisi Archway.
In late 1950, the Xi'an Gate was unfortunately destroyed by a fire caused by a nearby vendor, and demolition began.
Xi'an Gate is not only an important transportation hub, but the surrounding area also boasts rich historical and cultural relics, such as the Wansong Old Man Pagoda and Huguo Temple.