Chef at the University Canteen

Chapter 546 - 291: Can’t Betray Jiang Yu’s Trust

Room number seven, in the kitchen.

Ever since an additional chef joined the kitchen on the second floor, Du Guangning officially got promoted to sous chef, and the newcomer, Xiong Zhengtao, temporarily took over Du Guangning’s previous work by serving as an assistant chef.

The sous chef, as the name implies, is the first person under Jiang Yu, which means Du Guangning now has the qualification to prepare dishes for the guests in the private rooms.

Of course, Du Guangning had already started independently making various cold dishes before, and now he is just adding some quick dishes he excels at.

But even so, it has sparked a surge of passion in Du Guangning.

After working at Room number seven for such a long time, it was the first time that his own dishes were allowed to be sent to the private room!

What does this signify?

It indicates that his culinary skills have improved significantly and that his cooking has finally been recognized by Jiang Yu!

How could this not make him excited?

The more excited he gets, the more eager he is to showcase himself.

Thus, in recent times, Du Guangning’s enthusiasm for work has skyrocketed, eagerly taking on every task with boundless energy.

As for Xiong Zhengtao, who just joined the kitchen of Room number seven, upon learning that Du Guangning was initially just a senior chef like himself but has since mastered a wide array of cold dishes and his stir-fry tastes almost indistinguishable from Jiang Yu’s, his eyes couldn’t help but light up with surprise.

Isn’t Du Guangning’s present just like his own future?

He firmly believes that with his own effort and ambition, as long as Jiang Yu is willing to impart even a few skills, his progress in culinary arts will certainly be tremendous!

Not to mention surpassing Jiang Yu, at least surpassing the sous chef Du Guangning will not be a problem at all!

Therefore, Xiong Zhengtao has no complaints about Jiang Yu assigning him the role of assistant chef; instead, he works energetically and cheerfully.

Hope lies ahead, which always ignites a person’s passion.

With the two capable "assistants" in the kitchen on the second floor, Jiang Yu can finally break free from the tedious chores and take a little breather.

All the quick and home-style dishes ordered by guests who reserved private rooms each day were entrusted to Du Guangning, while those special, complex, and challenging dishes still required Jiang Yu’s personal touch.

Although Room number seven is located in a remote area and is not large, in the eyes of many diners, it is known as a culinary sanctuary in Huaxia’s dining scene.

Having gone through the trouble of reserving a private room to taste Jiang Yu’s cooking, why would anyone waste the opportunity by ordering a table full of home-style and quick dishes?

Since they have arrived, they would naturally order some unique and exquisite dishes that are hard to find on regular days.

Some of these special and exquisite dishes, due to their complex craftsmanship and high difficulty, have gradually disappeared from restaurants that pursue speed and profit; even if encountered once or twice, it’s hard to taste authentic flavors due to the chef’s skill issues.

However, at Room number seven, with Jiang Yu in charge, none of these is a problem.

As long as the dish once existed, there is nothing Jiang Yu cannot recreate.

For instance, at this moment, Jiang Yu is preparing a classic Lu cuisine intricate dish — "Bag Chicken."

"Bag Chicken" is a traditional local specialty of Ludong Province, also known as "Mixed Chicken with Seafood," named for its bag-like appearance.

The dish is delicious, and after serving, a cut with chopsticks reveals the stuffing inside, fresh and tender meat with a large filling, rich but not greasy, tender and savory, with a unique flavor.

According to the local gazetteer, "Bag Chicken" originated at the beginning of the Yuan dynasty, flourished during Qianlong’s reign, and was one of the main dishes of the "Manhan Quanxi."

Its main ingredient is free-range organic chicken, which is slaughtered and de-feathered, then a small incision is made about an inch long in the throat to remove the neck bone, wing bones, body bones, leg bones, and internal organs, transforming it into a "chicken bag."

Afterward, the "chicken bag" is stuffed with a proportionate mix of sea cucumber, abalone, dried scallops, ham, bamboo shoots, mushrooms, and other sixteen ingredients, the incision in the throat is sealed, deep-fried until golden, and finally steamed.

After steaming, it is garnished with colorful vegetables such as green, red, and yellow to form a pattern, then arranged on a plate.

Once completed, the "Bag Chicken" appears reddish-yellow, with a complete chicken, stuffed with delights inside, resembling a live chicken nestled on the plate, visually appealing, fragrant when eaten, rich in flavor but not greasy, with a distinctive taste.

The preparation of this dish is not particularly complex but requires extreme patience and attention while handling the "chicken bag"; one careless mistake when deboning the entire chicken and the skin may be pierced, rendering the ingredients wasted.

Although it was Jiang Yu’s first time making this intricate dish, with his exceptional knife skills, he took a bit longer on the "chicken bag" preparation but successfully removed all of the chicken’s bones and internal organs.

After preparing the "chicken bag," the subsequent process was relatively simpler; the pre-stir-fried and seasoned sea cucumber, abalone, dried scallops, ham, bamboo shoots, mushrooms, and other fillings were stuffed into the small incision at the chicken’s throat, then deep-fried until golden and steamed in the steamer.

After placing the "Bag Chicken" into the steamer, Jiang Yu also prepared other highly skill-demanding dishes like "Nine Turned Intestine," "Shrimp Roe Baked Large Sea Cucumber," and "Imperial Rice Fragrant Pork," before finally taking a break.