"Boss, it was getting late yesterday. After much persuasion, I finally managed to convince these ladies to go back home first. We've set today to prepare fresh caviar dishes and send them to each lady's mansion!"
The manager of Li Ji Restaurant had stayed up all night worrying. He wracked his brains and finally managed to come up with a few dishes.
This matter was crucial to the reputation of Li Ji Restaurant. The manager didn't dare to make a hasty decision, so he brought the prepared dishes early in the morning for Li Ying to take a look and taste.
Li Ying opened the mahogany food box. The delicious food on the white porcelain plate was still steaming, and a strong fragrance wafted over. It was truly a feast for the eyes and taste buds.
Following Li Ying's usual cooking habits, the manager had made a basket of steamed shrimp and caviar shumai. The dough was rolled as thin as a cicada's wing, yet still retained its chewy texture. The tender red of the shrimp filling and the pale yellow of the caviar were faintly visible.
Taking a bite, the shrimp was springy and tender, and the caviar was firm and dense. Although the shumai was small, it was very filling.
The other dish was a spicy stewed caviar and tofu soup, served in a small purple clay pot. It was heated over fine silver wire charcoal on a low flame. At this moment, it was boiling vigorously. As soon as the lid was lifted, the steamy heat blurred Li Ying's eyes.
The caviar was stewed until soft and glutinous in the bright red spicy soup. Every piece of tofu was fully flavored and trembled slightly, looking like the blushing face of a beauty, arousing people's pity.
The manager stood aside nervously, his expression somewhat anxious, waiting for Li Ying's judgment.
These two dishes had tried their best to imitate Li Ying's cooking style, and the taste also had the consistent characteristics of Li Ji Restaurant.
After Li Ying tasted them, she put down her chopsticks, pondered for a moment, and finally slowly shook her head.
"It's not appropriate."
As soon as she said this, the manager looked puzzled and quickly bowed. "Please give me some advice, boss."
Li Ying said gently, "If Li Ji Restaurant just wanted to introduce two new dishes, these two dishes today would indeed have outstanding flavors."
"But if they are to be sent to the mansions of the high - ranking officials and nobles in the capital, they will seem a bit crude."
It was true that with Su Buchi backing Li Ji Restaurant, it had organized the "burning the tail" banquets and the family banquets of the nobles in the capital.
However, Li Ying's original intention was to let the common people all over the world be able to taste delicious food and satisfy their hunger. Therefore, in the Beijing branch of Li Ji Restaurant, the ordinary seats in the main hall still sold home - style dishes that were affordable and delicious.
This shrimp shumai and spicy stewed caviar were sumptuous and delicate dishes for ordinary families, but the noble families were extremely picky about food. How could they look down on these?
The manager was awakened by her words. He couldn't help but break out in a cold sweat on his face and felt extremely ashamed.
He had only focused on imitating Li Ying's cooking methods, but he didn't expect to make such a big oversight!
"The boss's instruction is reasonable. But today is the day we agreed with the ladies. Since these two dishes are not suitable for entertaining guests, then... what should we do? Please show me the way, boss!"
The manager stood in front of her with his head down, waiting for her to come up with an idea.
Li Ying thought for a moment and then had a clear idea in mind.
Mrs. Cao must have exaggeratedly described the sturgeon caviar dishes she had made, making them sound extremely luxurious.
Therefore, although these noble lords and ladies didn't dare to directly ask for the same delicate meals as the queen's, they would surely be very picky and difficult to please.
She actually had some reserves of things that could be compared with sturgeon caviar as rare treasures in the world.
Li Ying composed herself and gave the manager a confident smile.
"It's okay. Just leave this matter to me."
She washed her hands and went straight to the kitchen. She took out several yellowish things from a brocade box, which looked like beeswax.
These were several mullets accidentally caught by the fishing village last winter. The fish had only one main bone throughout the body, and the meat was tender. Li Ying steamed them and had a great feast with Granny Sun and Mianmian.
As for the two long and plump fish roes in the mullet's belly, she had pickled them with fine salt, flattened them, and squeezed out all the water to make two regular amber - colored mullet roes.
Mullet roe, also known as "Tang Mo", got its name because it resembled an ink block. It had an extremely delicious taste and was a rare delicacy.
These mullet roes were hard - won. Li Ying was afraid that if they were left in the fishing village, they might get damp and develop a fishy smell. So she simply brought them with her. Unexpectedly, they would come in handy today.
She carefully sprayed a layer of strong liquor on both sides of the mullet roes. After the thin outer membrane on the surface of the fish roes was soaked in the liquor, it could be easily peeled off intact.
Then she carefully removed the fishy fascia from the mullet roes. After the fragrance of the wine had penetrated, the mullet roes were smooth, delicate, and oily.
She grilled the mullet roes over charcoal fire until the surface was slightly charred, the inside was golden, and it had a proper elasticity. Then she took a sharp knife and cut the mullet roes into even slices.
She chose sweet and juicy autumn pears as the base, laid a slice of mullet roe on it, covered it with a slice of crispy radish, and added green garlic slices cut into oval shapes on top. Finally, she tied up these layered fruits and vegetables with garlic leaves, making it look like an extremely delicate gift.
Taking a bite, the outer skin of the mullet roe was crispy and fragrant, while the filling was like honey, with just the right amount of stickiness and granularity, releasing a unique and rich aroma that instantly filled the mouth.
The spiciness of the green garlic slices masked the faint fishy smell remaining in the mullet roes, and the salty and fresh taste was sublimated when intertwined with the spicy garlic fragrance.
The sweet and fresh juice and fruit aroma of the autumn pears, along with the refreshing crunch of the radish, rounded off all the complex flavors, making the taste harmonious and leaving a lingering aftertaste.
The manager stared blankly as Li Ying easily presented such a delicate dish as if performing a magic trick. He couldn't help but be stunned.
Was this really the caviar he knew?
Caviar, being internal organs, was originally considered unfit for the dinner table. It was very easy to break into pieces and looked rather messy.
Only by slow - simmering could its shape be barely retained. Usually, only poor families with little money would cook it to satisfy their hunger.
Unexpectedly, with Li Ying's skills, she had easily transformed this unremarkable and vulgar thing into something as delicate as a table full of jewelry.
The oily mullet roes like beeswax, the green garlic as green as jade, and the autumn pears like white jade seemed to be so eye - catching just by being placed there, making people's mouths water.
A look of joy appeared on the manager's face. With this delicate dish, they would surely be able to handle the wives of the noble lords without any problems!
If such a dish was added to the menu of Li Ji Restaurant, it would surely become famous in the capital again!
However, Li Ying didn't relax. She had made a variety of dishes with sturgeon caviar. Now, just relying on this appetizer might not be enough to satisfy the noble lords and ladies.