Lu Xunguang guessed that she was going to make food with the pigskin. He rolled up his sleeves without saying a word, burned and cleaned the bristles on the pigskin, then silently sat aside to clean the grease attached to the back of the pigskin.
This kind of work was no different from making gelatin in Deji Hall. He got the hang of it quickly and his movements were clean and neat.
Li Ying, the hands - off boss, was happy to be at leisure. While he was cleaning, she slowly explained things to Bao Guiyou.
"Bird's nest is indeed nourishing, beautifying, and can increase skin elasticity. The most precious ingredient in it is called collagen."
"However, collagen is not only found in bird's nest. Pigskin is another way to supplement collagen."
As she was speaking, Lu Xunguang had already cleaned the pigskin. Li Ying washed her hands too, and then instructed Bao Guiyou to blanch the pigskin, cut it into small pieces, add scallions, ginger, star anise and bay leaves, and simmer it over low heat.
The trick was to use a clay pot and stew it in a water bath, which prevented the grease from churning in the boiling water. Only in this way could the final pigskin jelly be crystal - clear, just like crystal.
If an appropriate amount of soybeans and soy sauce were added during the simmering process, the finished product would be the so - called "preserved beans" that looked like amber. It had a richer taste and a unique flavor.
"After the broth is well - cooked, you just need to let it sit and cool, and it will solidify into a smooth and chewy pigskin jelly. Before serving it to the diners, take it out of the mold, cut it into neat large pieces, and serve it with Chinese vinegar, Chinese prickly ash oil and chili oil. It's a suitable cold dish before the buns are served and goes well with congee."
Before Bao Guiyou could react, she cut the crystal pigskin jelly into small pieces and mixed them into the minced meat that had been prepared earlier.
"The pigskin jelly will melt into soup when heated. Add a little sugar when mixing the filling. It can not only remove the fishy smell but also bring out the freshness of the meat. When making the dough, use boiling water for half and cold water for the other half, then knead them together. Only in this way can the wrapper be thin but not transparent, with a smooth and chewy texture."
While instructing, Li Ying wrapped the thin dough into delicate and small soup dumplings and put them into the steamer.
"If you add a chicken carcass to the pigskin jelly for the soup dumplings while simmering, you'll get chicken - soup dumplings. Blanch the seasonal chrysanthemum leaves, squeeze out the water, and mix them into the minced meat. Then you'll have chrysanthemum - leaf soup dumplings, a combination of meat and vegetables that can clear away heat and fire. In a month or so, when you can get crab powder and crab roe, you can even introduce the ultimate delicacy among soup dumplings - crab - roe soup dumplings."
Bao Guiyou never expected that there were so many variations and details in just one soup dumpling. He was so stunned that he wished he could grow two more brains.
While chatting, the soup dumplings were ready. Different from the large water - filled buns, the small steamed dumplings were dainty and cute. If you gently bit through the wrapper as thin as a cicada's wing, the sweet and scalding soup would gush into your mouth like a spring. If you were a bit careless, it would scald you so much that you'd jump up.
Even so, the extremely delicious taste made people unable to stop eating.
After eating to their hearts' content, chewing on a few pieces of refreshing pigskin jelly was really enjoyable!
Bao Guiyou could almost imagine that once the soup dumplings and pigskin jelly, these cost - effective and beauty - enhancing snacks, were introduced, how crowded his Yufengxiang would be!
"But... Boss Li, you know that my Yufengxiang has always been a small - scale business. There are only me and a few assistants. We don't have enough hands to process the pigskin..."
Li Ying had already guessed his concerns. She smiled slightly.
Deji Hall had just recruited a batch of assistants to process donkey skins. They were still on probation and not very skillful at their work. Du Zhong had sent Shi Hu to ask her a few days ago to find time to give them some instructions.
Scraping the bristles and removing the grease were jobs that would become easier with practice.
Du Zhong knew this well, but donkey skins were precious and every step had to be done perfectly. He really didn't dare to let the assistants practice on them.
"Shopkeeper Bao can send all the pigskins you'll need in the future to Deji Hall for the newly - recruited apprentices to process."
With the label of "Produced by Deji Hall", the beauty - enhancing effect of the pigskin jelly would be like getting an authoritative certification. And the apprentices would also have free practice materials. It was a win - win situation.
Bao Guiyou never expected that Li Ying had already thought out such a proper countermeasure for every step. He bowed his head obediently and gave her a deep bow.
"Boss Li, as long as you don't dislike me, I, Bao, will recognize you as my boss for the rest of my life!"
He discussed the pricing of the soup dumplings and pigskin jelly with Li Ying, and then went back to prepare with confidence.
When Du Zhong heard that she was going to promote the beauty - enhancing effect of the pigskin jelly, he readily agreed without hesitation.
The rich families ate bird's nest for nourishment, and the poor should also have their own ways. Although Li Ying's move might seem like she was stealing business from Lady Lianji, they were actually selling different kinds of food, so it was understandable.
Moreover, as a doctor, Du Zhong couldn't stand the "bird's nest" that Lady Lianji sold.
Sure enough, the next day, when the common people heard that Yufengxiang had launched new products and that the soup dumplings were also rich in collagen, and that they would get a free sample of crystal or amber pigskin jelly if they ordered two steamer baskets of dumplings in the first three days, they all rushed to buy.
Most of the diners in front of Lianji Cake Shop left. It was no longer as bustling as before. Lady Lianji was so angry that she gritted her teeth and stamped her feet.
"These uneducated bumpkins! What's so good about those lousy buns! How can pigskin be compared with my bird's nest! They are really short - sighted idiots!"
Seeing her smash the teacup, the maid waiting on her was terrified, but still had to pluck up the courage to persuade her: "Madam, please calm down... Shopkeeper Feng of Dingtai Building has been waiting for a long time. Do you want to see him?"
Still fuming, Lady Lianji waved her hand listlessly: "Let him in!"
Feng Yuan straightened his clothes and gracefully bowed to Lady Lianji.
"Madam, please don't be angry. This small place is no match for the capital. No matter how elaborate your top - grade official bird's nest is, it's just a bowl of sweet soup after all... Those poor country bumpkins would rather split a single coin into eight pieces. Now that they've heard that the dumplings can both beautify and fill their stomachs, they naturally flock to them."
"They are blind and unworthy to enjoy your delicacies. Why should you get angry, Madam? It's not good for your health."
His words made sense. Lady Lianji took a sip of cold tea, and the nameless anger in her heart finally subsided a bit.
"That slut Li Ying has been rolling in the mud all her life. She sells those cheap and shabby things. Why should I lower myself to compete with her? Feng Yuan, send me some more top - grade bird's nest!"
How could a mere pigskin replace the real and precious bird's nest? It was simply a pipe dream!
She, Lady Lianji, was magnanimous enough not to haggle with a petty person. She would simply show them the top - grade products and let these blind country bumpkins open their eyes and gain some knowledge!
Feng Yuan looked hesitant. After a long time, he tentatively said, "Madam... The bird's nest you usually eat is very expensive. In this small town, I'm afraid..."
I'm afraid no one can afford it.