Courtyard House: My Wife is Xu Huizhen

Page 45

He had to stay in the kitchen and witness Zhang Yong's downfall before he could leave in peace.

Although I've already leveled up my Sichuan cuisine skills to level 5, many dishes have unique preparation methods that I haven't started learning yet.

I need to learn from Hong Henian for a longer period of time, otherwise it wouldn't be worthwhile to go there now and become an apprentice.

It would be better to stay at Taifenglou for now, accumulate more experience, and then gradually showcase your skills. Once you arrive at Fengzeyuan, you can work directly as a chef instead of an apprentice.

"Okay, let's wait until autumn. I'll teach you more skills then."

It's really not easy to get into Fengzeyuan right now. The chefs and shareholders are having a conflict over wages, and they're currently at an impasse.

Now that I've come to my master's house, I can't just sit here and let him cook for me. So I got up and went to the kitchen to help out.

While at the restaurant, although Hong Henian personally demonstrated, He Yuzhu was always assigned to kitchen help and was never allowed to cook.

Upon arriving at his home, Hong Henian said, "Zhu Zi, you have some basic skills, so make two simple dishes and let me taste your cooking."

“Okay.” He Yuzhu wasn’t intimidated. He had already reached level 5 in Sichuan cuisine, and it was time to show his skills to his master for feedback.

Anyway, since He Daqing ran away, no matter how well we did, we can blame it on him, saying that He Daqing taught us well before.

He Yuzhu immediately began preparations, without making any complicated dishes, just washing a potato and two tomatoes.

I plan to make two of the most common dishes in my family: scrambled eggs with tomatoes and shredded potatoes with hot and sour sauce.

The simpler the dish, the more it reveals a chef's skill level.

These two dishes are not difficult to make; any ordinary housewife could make them. However, making them well is not easy.

First, wash the potatoes, peel them, and then cut them into shreds.

Hong Henian said, "With your current knife skills, you've already surpassed Zhang Yong. You could work at any restaurant."

I shredded potatoes and also chopped some chili peppers, scallions, ginger, and garlic.

Then cut the tomatoes into chunks. Hong Henian stepped aside, and He Yuzhu fried the eggs first.

A spoonful of oil was poured into the pot, and it instantly started to smoke.

Then add scallions, ginger, garlic, and chili pepper pieces to the pot and sauté until fragrant.

Once the aroma is released, take the shredded potatoes out of the water and stir-fry them briefly.

Then add balsamic vinegar, salt, and other seasonings.

A chef's home will certainly not lack seasonings.

After adding the seasonings, stir-fry over high heat.

In just two or three minutes, the hot and sour shredded potatoes were ready.

Pour into the prepared plate.

Hong Henian nodded secretly. Sure enough, having a foundation makes a difference. Just by smelling the aroma, this dish was already excellent.

Moreover, He Yuzhu's movements were skillful and his operation was very efficient and orderly. His face was calm, without the panicked look of a novice.

Every movement was unhurried, with a special rhythm, and looked very natural.

A smile involuntarily appeared on his face; He Daqing had truly sent him a fine apprentice.

After stir-frying the hot and sour shredded potatoes, the next step is to stir-fry the tomatoes and eggs.

This dish is even simpler. After the oil is hot, first put the chopped tomatoes in the pan and stir-fry to release the sauce, then add the egg pieces.

It only takes three minutes to stir-fry. Before taking it out of the pan, add some chopped green onions and a little bit of oil, and the rich aroma will instantly whet your appetite.

Hong Henian couldn't help but praise, "Your basic skills are excellent. You can already cook dishes that would make you a head chef in some small restaurants."

He Yuzhu said modestly, "My skills are still just average, and I need to learn more from my master."

Ordinary dishes don't require separate learning; once your skills improve, you can cook delicious meals.

But why are specialty dishes called specialty dishes? It's because their preparation methods are different from ordinary dishes.

Although He Yuzhu's rank has improved, if he were to cook those dishes, they wouldn't have the same unique characteristics as others.

It's not that it tastes bad, it's just not particularly outstanding.

Therefore, although He Yuzhu has the system, he still needs to learn some special skills from his master.

Just like Mapo Tofu, an ordinary dish, the results made by an average chef and a top chef are completely different. You can't say that an average chef's version is not delicious.

However, when two plates of Mapo Tofu are placed side by side for comparison, the charm of this specialty dish becomes obvious.

Hong Henian didn't say much, but he made up his mind to teach more of his unique skills in the future.

It's not easy for someone to find a master to teach them, but it's also not easy for a master to find an apprentice who can inherit their skills.

After all, everyone has a limit to their culinary talent; some people, no matter how much you teach them, will still produce dishes that are not quite as good.

Hong Henian's current hope is that He Yuzhu has the makings of a chef.

As soon as Hong Jinyan entered the kitchen, she smelled a rich aroma and said, "Dad, the dishes taste a little different from what you cook."

"Yes, these two dishes were cooked by your junior apprentice."

"Didn't you just start planning to take on apprentices? Is this someone who already has skills and is seeking a master?" Hong Jinyan asked.

“Yes, your junior brother also comes from a family of chefs. His father is my fellow apprentice, otherwise we wouldn’t have brought him into our family so quickly.”

"Oh, no wonder, this dish smells even better than what my senior brother cooks," Hong Jinyan couldn't help but praise.

He Yuzhu humbly replied, "Not at all, my skills are just average, I still have a lot to learn."

Chapter 61 The young wife digs and digs by herself

The three of them brought out the rice and dishes. Today's dishes were quite plentiful, with four stir-fried dishes and two stewed dishes.

As soon as she sat down, Hong Jinyan pointed to the shredded potatoes and said, "Mom, how about you try this dish?"

Upon hearing this, the teacher's wife knew that the dish wasn't cooked by Hong Henian. She picked up her chopsticks, took a small amount, put it in her mouth, and then her eyes lit up:

"Sure, Zhu Zi. Although every family knows how to make hot and sour shredded potatoes, it's not easy to do it well. The sweet and sour flavors should be just right, and the potatoes should be crisp and refreshing. It takes three to five years of practice to make it this delicious."

"This scrambled eggs with tomatoes is also very good, especially the last touch of oil, which is just right and elevates the overall aroma of the dish without making it too greasy."

Although the master's wife wasn't a particularly skilled cook, she had developed a keen eye for food appreciation by eating Hong Henian's cooking every day.

Both comments were very pertinent, highlighting the excellence of these two dishes, and going beyond simply saying they were delicious.

He Yuzhu quickly offered a few words of modesty.

After all, one should not be arrogant.

Today is my first time visiting my master's house, so I'll just show off my skills. If I learn quickly in the future, it's because I have a good foundation.

Hong Henian said, "You have a very good foundation, but you must not be arrogant and you still need to study more."

"Yes, Master."

He Yuzhu was very well-behaved.

Hong Henian said, "Zhu Zi, you can't just work half a day every day. Evenings are when you should be learning the skills. You should work a full day in the future."

"But I also have to take care of my younger sister."

“That’s easy. I’m free at home, so you can come to my place after school.” The teacher’s wife said, “We have a spare room, so you can sleep here.”

"Isn't this a bad idea?" He Yuzhu hesitated.

Being a chef mainly means being busy at night. Restaurants are always busy until 9 or 10 pm, and the chefs who stay until the end don't get off work until 11 pm.

He Yuzhu knew that if he wanted to be a good chef, he had to live according to a chef's schedule, but He Yushui was still young, and he was not comfortable entrusting her to those beasts in the courtyard.

Otherwise, those beasts would have corrupted He Yushui.

But today is the first time I've come to my master's house, and I've entrusted the rainwater to my master's wife. We weren't familiar with each other before, and I don't know if my master's wife was just being polite or if she genuinely wanted to take the rainwater in.

Hong Henian said, "It's settled then. Let Yushui come over and play more these next few days. If she doesn't want to come at night, you can take her back first. She can stay here overnight once she gets used to it."

Upon hearing Hong Henian's words, He Yuzhu knew that his master and mistress genuinely wanted to help him.

"Thank you, Master and Mistress."

The master's wife said, "Child, we're all family, don't speak like that. Even though your father is gone, you still have your master and mistress."

He Yushui was still eating meat heartily, unaware that her brother had sold her to her master's wife in a short time.

Master's wife, you put a big piece of fatty meat in her bowl and asked softly, "Rainwater, is this meat delicious?"

"tasty!"

"Then you can come and eat here more often, okay?"

Rainwater nodded and ate the meat heartily, not even thinking about what it meant.

After having a meal and chatting for a while, it got quite late before He Yuzhu and his sister left their master's house.

"Rain, do you still want to come see the young lady again?"

"Can I come again?" He Yushui asked, tilting her head up.

"If you'd like to come, I'll bring you here to play."

“Okay, I like the dolls that my sister has,” He Yushui said without hesitation.