"I've already made inquiries, my lord. That Miss Li over there once ran a snack stand in that fishing village. She used the name of her own restaurant and sold some cheap stuff at slightly lower prices, calling it a 'mobile pop - up store'. Customers really liked this gimmick. Why don't we just copy her method? We can sell chicken feet and such as special discounted snacks for Yunlaixuan's customer - rewarding event. In this way, the high - class families won't criticize us."
This servant was really quite resourceful, coming up with such an idea.
Li Yun thought for a moment and couldn't find anything inappropriate about it.
Just imagining stealing Li Ying's method, making money, and then stealing her customers made him feel extremely elated.
"Since you've already come up with a plan, what are you still standing there for? Hurry up and get it ready!"
At Li Yun's order, several chefs and servants scurried away to carry out the order without any delay.
Li Ying had no idea that someone had secretly copied her charcoal - roasted chicken business.
The spicy cold chicken feet she had tried making yesterday were highly favored by the Lu father and son. Now that Lu Xunguang had created the momentum of the "money - grabbing hands" for her, it was a good time for her to introduce a few more new dishes.
She washed the fresh chicken feet, trimmed the nails, and put them into a cold - water pot. Then she added scallions, ginger slices, Chinese prickly ash, and bay leaves to blanch them and remove the fishy smell. After skimming off the foam, she boiled them on high heat for about an incense - burning time.
She poured the cooked chicken feet into cold water and soaked them for a while. The skin and meat of the chicken feet became elastic, crispy, and chewy without falling apart.
The fresh young tangerines brought back from the Ancient Tea - Horse Road were still stored in her space. They were sour and refreshing, much more appetizing than rice vinegar and aged vinegar. They had an extra touch of fruit freshness, which was perfect for neutralizing the greasiness of the chicken feet.
Li Ying took a handful of coarse salt and vigorously rubbed the bright green skin of the young tangerines. After a few rubs, the unique citrus fragrance instantly filled the entire kitchen, making one feel refreshed.
She sliced the tangerines and removed the bitter seeds. Then she took a large pot, poured in soy sauce, cooking wine, sesame oil, and granulated sugar. She mixed in chopped coriander and chili segments. Her self - made oyster sauce and sweet chili sauce were, of course, indispensable. Finally, she added an appropriate amount of tangerine juice. After mixing well, it became a spicy and sour, extremely appetizing sauce.
The chicken feet were well - chilled. Li Ying washed her hands and calmly took a sharp knife to remove the bones.
The chicken feet cooked to her perfect timing were soft and glutinous, with a crispy chew when eaten. There was no fishy smell at all, and the skin and meat were intact, looking extremely presentable.
She cut the fascia of each chicken foot with a knife. With just a gentle push of her finger along the fascia, she could completely remove all the small bones one by one, eliminating the hassle of gnawing on bones and leaving only the satisfaction of feasting.
These clean chicken feet, after being soaked in the spicy and sour sauce for a few hours, would fully absorb the flavor and become excellent accompaniments to wine.
Li Ying boiled some of the tangerine juice into tangerine jam, which was just right for cooking fatty meats, as it was refreshing and could reduce greasiness.
She decided to go all out and introduce the rather bold "charcoal - roasted whole chicken wings" at her roasted - chicken stand. When roasting, she brushed on this self - made tangerine jam, which was sweet and sour. Sprinkling some ground tangerine peel on top made the fruit fragrance even stronger.
After removing the glands and marinating the chicken tails, she also roasted them with tangerine jam. They were fatty but not greasy, with only a small tailbone. The meat was tender and delicate. Li Ying privately thought that they tasted even more fragrant and tender than chicken wings.
The diners in the capital were quite particular, and many of them had never tasted chicken tails. Li Ying didn't waste her breath trying to promote them. Instead of self - glorification, it was better for them to have a try.
For all those who bought the spicy boneless chicken feet, she would give an extra skewer of roasted chicken tails as a gift. Once they tasted it, she was confident that she could win over these diners' hearts.
Sure enough, her business became even more prosperous. The diners' attitude changed from just "seeking a good omen" to being truly convinced by her exquisite seasonings.
Granny Sun was fully convinced and finally felt at ease.
Li Ying greeted customers from all directions with a smile and could hear the casual conversations of the diners.
"I really didn't expect that the taste of the charcoal - roasted chicken tails would be so pleasant."
"I heard from the waiter at Yunlaixuan that their kitchen is also preparing chicken tails and offal. They're going to create some new dishes. Shall we go and try them together then?"
Li Ying raised her eyebrows slightly but still maintained a faint smile on her face.
"Welcome all the guests to taste our food. If there's anything that doesn't measure up to Yunlaixuan, please feel free to give us your advice."
Her words were so straightforward that some of the customers who originally wanted to "compare the goods" felt a bit embarrassed and said with a shy smile, "Boss Li's cooking skills are already extremely exquisite. How could we offer any advice?"
Li Ying just smiled without saying a word and served the customers attentively. But Granny Sun, after she closed the stall, sat there worriedly for most of the night and couldn't sleep.
This was the capital city, not like the fishing village. They were new here. She had heard that there was a high - ranking official backing Yunlaixuan. Could they really be their match?
The words of those diners were true. The next day, sure enough, several delicate small tables were set up outside Yunlaixuan. There were red - clay stoves and silver - wire charcoal, on which were neatly arranged some meat skewers. They were few in number but exquisitely made, just the right size for a single bite, showing the sense of "refined food and dainty delicacies".
There was also a large celadon basin beside it, piled with small pieces of chicken feet. They were bright red and looked quite tempting.
The servant guarding the stall recognized Li Ying. When he saw her from afar and saw the constant stream of people at his own stall, he felt quite proud. He deliberately raised his voice and shouted towards the back of the crowd, "Is that Miss Li who sells roasted meat skewers? You seem to be in a good mood today. Do you also want to try our new products at Yunlaixuan?"
As the saying goes, business rivals are enemies. As soon as he said this, the curious diners all turned their heads and focused their eyes on her.
Li Ying didn't care at all. Instead, she walked forward with a smile and calmly said, "I can't refuse your kind offer, young waiter. Could you please give me a serving of spicy cold chicken feet?"
The waiter had thought that in front of so many people, as a mere woman, Li Ying would surely feel extremely uncomfortable and have to slink away. But he didn't expect her to be so generous. He was taken aback.
Feeling embarrassed, as if to save face, he angrily packed a box of chicken feet and carelessly handed it to Li Ying.
"This is a flavor carefully prepared by our head chef. You won't be able to taste it anywhere else but at Yunlaixuan. Miss Li, enjoy!"