Records of the Cattle and Horses of Chang'an

This is genuine admiration. As a waiter in a restaurant, he knows a thing or two about the things happening on the stove. No matter what the job is, if you want to do it well, you must know your own products like the back of your hand. Otherwise, when customers ask you questions, you won't know the answer at all. Wouldn't that be a laughing stock?

He saw clearly whether Jiang Shangxian was stir-frying the lamb chops or later adding ginger and onions to stir-fry. Later, Jiang Shangxian changed the clay pot, added water, took out a yellow paper bag from his bag, and put some spices in it.

This is not new, and it’s not that no one has ever put it there before. At most, the things Jiang Shangxian put there are a little special. But these two red things are the first time he has seen them!

After hearing what he said, Jiang Shangxian simply took a small plate, picked up a small piece and handed it to him: "This is homemade. It tastes best when paired with white porridge."

The waiter took the small plate with both hands, touched it with one finger, and tasted it. It was smooth. He put it in his mouth and tasted it: "Salty and sweet."

Jiang Shangxian turned his head to look at him, but saw that he hadn't even pierced the skin of the fermented bean curd. He almost laughed out loud: "It's too salty to eat alone, but it's just right with rice."

The young man touched his head and was about to say something when several chefs on the other side came over with a small bowl of rice and chopsticks: "Let me try it, try it!"

The clerk was so frightened that he stepped back repeatedly: "That's all! No! Don't take more! Ouch!"

But in the restaurant, the chefs' status was definitely higher than the waiter's, so the waiter only got to take a bite of the last piece of fermented bean curd, which made him so angry that his eyes turned red again.

But the chefs were loud and curious, having tasted something new. They paid no attention to him. "Young lady, I've never eaten this before. It's really good with rice. Just now, it seemed like you added it to the dish. I wonder what it will taste like when cooked."

Jiang Shangxianwang added diced white radish to the casserole, covered the pot and prepared the last snack: "Everyone, try it later."

For the last dish, Jiang Shangxian prepared a simple dessert. He chose the sweet and orange pumpkin, steamed it, added sugar and glutinous rice flour, kneaded it into dough, pinched off a small piece, rolled it into a round shape, flattened it, and placed the kneaded cheese in the middle, just like making glutinous rice balls.

The cheese used is homemade mozzarella cheese made from milk bought in Xishi. I made two palm-sized pieces in total. It is not difficult to make, but it is hot and time-consuming.

She wrapped the rolled small balls with the crispy flower grains she made at home with red yeast rice. At this step, the boy had already tilted his head with a puzzled look on his face.

When Jiang Shangxian put the dumplings, which were covered with red crispy grains, into the frying pan, the young man suddenly had an idea and was shocked: "Lychee! Lychee!"

"What a good eye!" Jiang Shangxian looked at the wok, scooped up the floating lychees with a colander and placed them on a plate. He then asked the waiter outside, "Young Master, could you help me pick some branches from outside?"

The young man was still in shock. Even the apprentice who was helping her light the fire stood up and looked at the lychees in amazement. "My dear lady, you are amazing! These are really beautiful! They are even more beautiful than the ones we try our best to transport here every year."

Jiang Shangxian took two chopsticks, poked two lychee balls and handed them to them: "Try it, be careful, it's hot."

"Hey, little lady, give me a taste!" The chefs who were cooking were anxious and scolded the apprentice: "You little bastard, why don't you give your master one to try!"

The apprentice, who was holding a pair of chopsticks and grimacing at the hot liquid from the hot pot, was startled and looked at Jiang Shangxian helplessly. He didn't dare to take the food and give it to the masters until she said something.

Jiang Shangxian was busy frying, and he gestured for him to pass the bowl of lychee balls over. "This bowl is for everyone to taste. If it's not enough, just come and get more."

The apprentice stuffed the remaining half into his mouth, which was so hot that steam came out. He picked up the bowl and quickly brought it to the masters who were eagerly waiting but had no time to spare.

"The young lady is really clever, it's amazing."

They are all veterans in the kitchen, and even the chefs who are not good at making dim sum can tell that the most outstanding feature of this dish is its appearance.

Lexianlou naturally had a chef who specialized in making dim sum. He took a bite and couldn't help but sigh, "Although lychees are precious, Chang'an is the richest place in the world, and many people have seen them. But they're not fresh anymore. The skin is black, unlike this one made by the young lady, which is so lifelike."

The nobles in Chang'an mostly ate lychees with lychee honey, which was made by peeling the lychees and pickling them with honey. It could be stored for quite a while. After all, the road to Chang'an was long and the lychees had to be transported for 5,000 miles. Even if they were transported at full speed and the ice was changed constantly, the lychees they received would still not be fresh.

Even so, this thing is a symbol of status and ordinary people cannot eat it.

The current sage is not an extravagant emperor, otherwise he could order a few large vats, move the lychees from the trees into the vats, and take turns transporting them by land and water. This way, the lychees would be much fresher.

It is not easy for a place like Lexianlou to get some every year, so it is considered an attractive gimmick.

"Young lady, is this branch okay?" The young man ran in with a long branch and asked while holding it high.

Jiang Shangxian looked back and smiled: "Okay, that's great."

In fact, she only needed a small amount for decoration, so much was really enough.

After taking out all the lychee balls and draining the oil, Jiang Shangxian went to check on the stewed lamb chops with fermented bean curd. As soon as he opened the lid, the already overbearing aroma instantly filled the entire kitchen, causing everyone to sniff continuously.

The ladies washing vegetables outside couldn't help themselves and poked their heads in. "What are you cooking today? It smells so good I almost swallowed my tongue!"

The clay pot in Lexianlou is a little different from the modern clay pot. It is also larger in size, and one pot can hold two deep plates with some left over. Jiang Shangxian sprinkled coriander and chopped green onions on it and placed it on the wooden tray in the waiter's hand. He then broke off a branch and removed all the leaves at the bottom, leaving only the five leaves on the top.

The 'lychee balls' are neatly placed on the branches, and with the green leaves, they look just like fresh lychees from a distance.

"Sorry to bother you, young master."

"You're welcome, young lady." The young man said as he hurried forward. Before leaving, he turned around and shouted, "Leave some for me!"

Lobby of Lexian Building

Shopkeeper Wang and all the guests were looking forward to it. The first dish was really too good. There were so many people and the quantity was small, so everyone's appetite was aroused. Even the guests who came later were curious about the new chef of Lexianlou because of what others said.

We all heard that there would be new dishes to try later, so we ordered them and are eagerly waiting.

People in the Tang Dynasty actually loved to put effort into eating. Although a gentleman should stay away from the kitchen, many men would personally cut fish sashimi in front of relatives and friends.

The posture must be handsome, the patterns must be varied, the cuts must be exquisite, and the slices of fish must be as thin as a cicada's wing.

It doesn’t matter whether you like the food or not, rounding it up is equivalent to a talent show at a dinner party.

Lexianlou, as the number one restaurant in Chongrenfang, has launched new dishes. The dishes taste wonderful, but only a few people have tried them. What do you call it?

This is a great time to be fashionable!

Shopkeeper Wang was in a state of both pain and joy. Guests kept pulling him to order new dishes, but he reluctantly refused them all.

Even though he was dealing with the guests with ease and was very busy, he was already thinking about how to negotiate the salary issue with Jiang Shangxian.

Every chef has his or her own unique skills, which are the secret recipe for making a living. Even the same dish will taste different when prepared by different people. Shopkeeper Wang thought of Jiang Shangxian's confident look and couldn't help but wonder how many new dishes she had on hand.

"Boss! Coming!" the young man continued to shout, attracting everyone's curious glances. Boss Wang turned his head and saw the 'lychee tree' on the tray. He couldn't help but wonder, "Where did the lychees come from?"