When the imperial chefs saw the serious look on Li Ying's face, they all gathered around her, waiting to hear her further instructions.
Li Ying then calmly presented a flawless white jade plate as round as the full moon.
On the plate lay a phoenix head she had pre - carved from a radish, as crystal - clear as glass.
The nine phoenix feathers laid flat on the plate were carved so exquisitely that every detail was visible, looking so vivid and otherworldly.
"Gentlemen, what do you think if we combine all the methods of cooking tender chickens from all over the world into this one plate? Each cooking method corresponds to a phoenix feather, and we present this dish named 'The Phoenix Gives Birth to Nine Chicks' to the Empress Dowager?"
The imperial chefs looked at each other. The Empress Dowager ruled the world, and the world was peaceful. If they could really create the dish Li Ying had in mind, condensing the abundance of the whole world on this white jade plate, the royal family would surely be greatly pleased.
The old imperial chef pondered for a moment and immediately nodded in agreement.
"We will follow Miss Li's orders. We will do our best to prepare this 'The Phoenix Gives Birth to Nine Chicks'!"
Since they had reached an agreement, Li Ying didn't waste any more time and began to give instructions directly.
For the first flavor, they chose the famous soy - sauce chicken from the southern border.
Soy sauce, sesame oil, rock sugar and various spices were boiled into a whole pot of bright red and steaming sauce, which was poured over the hanging chicken for a full two hours.
The chicken was cooked just by the heat of the soup. The chicken skin was the color of amber and candied dates, crispy and delicious. The chicken meat was cooked to perfection, neither undercooked nor overcooked, juicy, tender and extremely fragrant.
The soy - sauce chicken was evenly sliced and neatly arranged on the plate, becoming the first phoenix feather.
For the second chicken, only the breast and thighs were taken. They were kneaded and massaged repeatedly with refined salt and rice wine. After being marinated to absorb the flavor, clean white gauze and bamboo - strip mats were used to tightly roll up the chicken meat.
After being cooked, it was soaked in the soup made of rock sugar, Chinese wolfberries and aged Huadiao wine for six hours.
The second phoenix feather made up of the drunk chicken from the south of the Yangtze River had crispy skin and tender meat, smooth and delicious. The fragrant smell of wine was accompanied by a sweet aftertaste, which was very refreshing and appetizing.
The third chicken was skinned and boned, leaving only the tender meat. After carefully picking out the tendons, it was beaten into minced meat repeatedly.
Only egg white, starch, sea salt and ginger juice were used for seasoning. The minced chicken was evenly mixed into a fine paste and spooned into the wide oil at 30% heat.
This famous Sichuan dish, the lotus - flower chicken slices, was pure white and tender. The soft egg liquid neutralized the dryness of the minced chicken just right. After being rolled in a layer of clear oil, it was shiny and slippery. It was fresh but not greasy when eaten, like the first snow melting silently on the tip of the tongue under the warm sun.
For the fourth phoenix feather, the "beggar's chicken" from the north of the Yangtze River was selected.
The young chicken was wrapped in lotus leaves and yellow mud and baked, with a unique burnt aroma. The freshness of the lotus leaves permeated the chicken, bringing a clear and cool smell unique to plants, which neutralized the greasiness of the chicken fat just right.
Then the century eggs were rolled into the well - beaten minced chicken, wrapped in a layer of golden egg skin and steamed in a pot. After cooling, it was sliced and drizzled with ginger, vinegar and red oil. This fifth phoenix feather, the pine - flower sausage from the northern border, had a chewy texture and looked a bit like the "eye of a peacock feather".
The sixth phoenix feather was made by slicing the marinated chicken after being smoked with fruit wood, brown sugar and charcoal fire. The smoked chicken was crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, with a unique aroma of fruit - wood smoking.
The cooked chicken thighs were torn into large pieces and drizzled with sweet - and - sour sauce, ginger, garlic, sesame oil and red oil. This spicy chicken from the ghost city was colorful, spicy but not overbearing, adding an attractive color to the phoenix feathers.
The whole chicken was deep - fried in a pot until a bright red tiger - skin appeared on it, and then stewed for a full two hours. The Daokou roasted chicken from the south of the capital had absorbed the marinating soup so thoroughly that even the bones were full of the strong aroma of the old soup. This eighth phoenix feather was so fragrant that one couldn't help sucking their fingers and the aftertaste was endless.
The eight imperial chefs each showed their skills and did their best to cook the dishes they were good at. Li Ying rolled up her sleeves and personally handled the last phoenix feather.
She borrowed the recipe for Beijing roast duck, evenly brushed the honey and crispy water on the chicken repeatedly. After blowing the skin dry, it was baked in a kiln until it turned a bright jujube - red color.
The roasted chicken was sliced into thin pieces while it was still hot. Compared with the fattiness of roast duck, this Beijing roasted chicken was just as fragrant but less greasy.
The chicken skin was crispy and made a crunching sound when chewed. The chicken meat was soft, tender and juicy, in its original flavor.
Even without the thin spring pancakes and without cucumber and scallions to relieve the greasiness, one couldn't stop eating and the fragrance lingered in the mouth.
The nine phoenix feathers were colorful. From afar, they looked like a riot of blossoms.
This dish "The Phoenix Gives Birth to Nine Chicks" had nine colors and nine flavors, symbolizing the grandeur of the phoenix ruling the world and a prosperous scene of peace and prosperity in the country.
Even though the imperial chefs had heard Li Ying's detailed plan before, they were still shocked and couldn't help gasping when they saw the magnificent dish with their own eyes.
Li Ying was also very satisfied with her masterpiece.
It wasn't really difficult to cook this "The Phoenix Gives Birth to Nine Chicks".
But if it were just her alone, even if she grew three heads and six arms, she would never be able to cook nine different flavors of fresh chickens at the same time and present them on the table hot and in the best condition in terms of color, aroma and taste.
Seeing the imperial chefs looking at the delicious dishes in front of them, surprised and overjoyed, with tears in their eyes, Li Ying smiled slightly and bowed gracefully.
"Gentlemen, I was able to successfully complete this 'The Phoenix Gives Birth to Nine Chicks' thanks to your great help and full cooperation."
"Please rest assured that I will definitely tell the Emperor about your contributions in person! Ying thanks you all here in advance!"
Li Ying's proper and humble attitude made the imperial chefs feel extremely comfortable, and they nodded to her repeatedly.
"Miss Li, you're being too polite. If we get rewards this time, it's all thanks to your excellent arrangements!"
Everyone worked in a hurry and finally managed to present all the dishes to the palace maids in charge of serving food on time, and the dishes were sent to the palace banquet one by one.
The chaotic imperial kitchen finally got a moment of peace.
After chatting for a while, the imperial chefs put their hearts at ease and chatted in small groups, leaving Li Ying sitting quietly in the corner. But there was no sign of relief on her face.
She didn't know what was going on in the magnificent palace hall at this moment.
She was absolutely confident in the dishes she had presented today and was sure there was nothing wrong with them.
But she didn't know if A Man's dance today, the birthday gift prepared by Lu Xunguang, and the "gold - embroidered sparrow robe" presented by the Cao Textile Commissioner would all go as she and Lu Xunguang had expected.
Li Ying took a deep breath. Her face still showed a calm expression so as not to let anyone with ulterior motives notice anything unusual. She secretly held her breath.