Chapter 125: Chapter 125: How did it suddenly grow a mouth!
The courtyard was bustling with noise and excitement. Some of the younger generation had returned to the village, and the elders liked to pull them aside to ask all sorts of questions.
"You’re not getting any younger. Have you found a girlfriend yet?"
"At your age and not married? You must have saved up quite a bit of money, right?"
"You always say you have no time. Are you making big money?"
The younger ones found their drinks turning bitter upon hearing such queries. Why did these elders have to be blessed with such mouths!
Everyone was waiting for the feast to begin.
Meanwhile, Jiang Feng had started preparing the ingredients. Cleaning the soft-shelled turtle, blanching, stir-frying, removing the gamey smell, coloring, stewing for 15 minutes... He completed the whole process in one smooth sequence. When he lifted the lid, the turtle meat was a rosy color, and the skin was soft and bouncy. The aroma of the spices, mixed with the scent of the meat, wafted out—a delightful fragrance.
Jiang Feng had cleaned the turtle very thoroughly, leaving not a hint of gaminess, only a delectable freshness. He added white wine during blanching to remove the blood foam and poured in a can of beer at the end of stewing, which gave the meat a faint aroma of alcohol and made the texture even softer.
Normally, some small quail eggs would be added to the turtle, which would make it taste even better. However, stewing turtle and eggs together was considered inauspicious, so Jiang Feng didn’t add them.
The guests had taken their seats, and one exquisite dish after another was served. The Wang family expressed their thanks to everyone, and the guests responded with applause and cheers.
The guests were already hungry and began to eat with gusto. The cold dishes were incredibly appetizing and refreshing. After eating the cold dishes, their initially somewhat hungry stomachs felt a bit more satisfied, and at the same time, their appetites grew even stronger.
Jiang Feng’s soft-shelled turtle was ready. The young man arranging the dish placed a layer of leafy greens on a plate, shaped like petals, and then Jiang Feng poured the turtle meat on top. He even arranged the stewed shell on top to make the dish appear complete. The juices from this dish were very rich, emitting an intoxicating fragrance. Braised soft-shelled turtle—a delicacy usually only available in big restaurants.
Jiang Feng prepared several plates in a row, serving them one after another.
The Wang family was having a great time eating when someone brought over the turtle, announcing, "This dish is called ’Wealth Abounds.’"
Seeing the turtle brought to the table, Wang Lei immediately said to Old Master Wang, "Grandpa, try this. I specifically asked the chef to prepare it; this turtle is extremely delicious."
Seeing his grandson so thoughtful, Old Master Wang’s face beamed with smiles. Old Master Wang was a village doctor, familiar with Western methods of injections and infusions, as well as the Chinese art of health regulation. He knew well that soft-shelled turtle was a great tonic, extremely beneficial for the body.
So, Old Master Wang lifted the turtle shell and took a piece of turtle meat to taste. The meat was stewed so tender that it fell apart after just a few chews.
Old Master Wang’s eyes lit up. How can this be so delicious? The meat wasn’t greasy at all but rather exceptionally fresh and tasty. The spicy flavor paired perfectly with the turtle meat. After a few chews and a swallow, a pleasant spicy taste lingered on the tongue. Jiang Feng’s handling of the ingredients was meticulous, with every step executed to the highest standard, resulting in a naturally delicious stewed turtle. The spicy flavor was so comforting.
"It’s indeed good, really good," Old Master Wang said, his laughter growing even more joyful as he praised it repeatedly.
Witnessing the old man’s happiness, everyone else felt joyful as well.
In a brief moment, Wang Lei took a piece of turtle meat, slurping some of the broth first. Its spicy taste immediately made his mouth water. Then, he ate the turtle meat, swallowing it eagerly even before his tongue could fully savor it.
"So delicious!" Wang Lei exclaimed. "Executive Chef Jiang is the best!"
At another table, Wang Miao was also enjoying her meal heartily. Although she was about seventeen or eighteen years old, as a high school student, she still sat at the kids’ table. She too sampled the flavor of the turtle. Having never eaten turtle before, she wondered, Is this meat even edible?
But after taking a bite, she realized it was incredibly delicious. Delicious enough to make her cry! How have I never tasted such a delicacy before!There are many uncommon ingredients, and most are usually average in taste, appealing only to a niche market. But soft-shelled turtle meat is genuinely delectable. It has the freshness of fish and the substantial texture of large pieces of meat like pork or chicken. And it’s extremely nutritious as well. If it were stewed turtle soup, that would be even more delicious.
"This is really so good!" Wang Miao exclaimed in amazement. That’s Executive Chef Jiang for you.
She wanted another piece, but at that moment, Wang Lei suddenly came over from the next table. As soon as he arrived, he started to grab pieces of the turtle meat.
"Bro, what are you doing? Go eat at your own table," Wang Miao immediately intervened.
"Turtle meat is highly nutritious; it’s not good for a kid like you to eat too much of it." Wang Lei picked up a piece and put it in his mouth. Not yet satisfied, he picked up another piece before contentedly leaving.
"Just eat it, may you be ’nourished’ to death!" Wang Miao muttered irritably.
Wang Lei ate several pieces of turtle meat, and his mouth felt filled with a delicious lingering fragrance. Jiang Feng’s culinary skills were truly excellent; everything he made was so tasty.
Several more dishes were brought to the table. Wang Lei ate some but felt they weren’t as tasty. It wasn’t until the steamed bass was served that his interest was piqued again.
The best feature of steamed fish is its freshness, and the fish meat was already fully flavored. No matter where one took a piece of fish from, it was infused with rich flavor. I wonder how it was steamed, Wang Lei thought.
The biggest fear when eating fish is encountering a fishy taste or blandness. The texture of fish meat is very good, but seasoning it correctly is the key.
Wang Lei picked up a piece of fish meat and ate it. The delicate and tender meat was incredibly fresh, infused with the flavors of the sauce. A single bite sent a wave of satisfaction through him.
"Grandpa, try this bass," Wang Lei introduced with a cheerful smile. "It’s also made by the executive chef I invited."
Old Master Wang tried a piece of the fish, and the other elders at the table began to eat as well. After a few bites, everyone was full of praise.
"The chef you’ve brought in is really on a different level! The flavors are done so well. Lei Lei, you’ve got a good eye."
"Which chef is this? Do you have his number? I’ll save it. If I need catering for anything in the future, I’ll call him!"
"It really tastes good; I also want to recommend him to people I know."
Upon hearing this, Wang Lei explained, "He owns a restaurant and is also its head chef. Right now, they’re free to take catering jobs because the restaurant is being renovated. Once the renovation is completed, they won’t be doing large banquets like this anymore. I was just lucky; I happened to hear about this and quickly invited him over."
Hearing Wang Lei’s explanation, the elders finally understood the situation.
"So it turns out he’s a restaurant’s head chef; no wonder."
"Is it that young man? He’s actually the owner?"
Wang Lei smiled and said, "He’s quite famous online. When he used to run a stall, there would be long lines of people waiting, one queue after another. It wasn’t easy to get him."
When the relatives heard him say this, their perception of the meal changed. This was especially true for the bass. Once they heard it was made by a master’s hands, everyone ate a bit faster.
Old Master Wang was even happier. Usually, he ate very little, feeling full after just a small amount. But today, he couldn’t stop picking at the dishes and eating, his mood excellent.
At the same table, there were two nonagenarians who were also eating joyfully. Bass is light and more suitable for the elderly, beneficial for their health.
A few chopsticks later, the bass was quickly finished. The atmosphere today was even better, with a festive feel both inside and out. The old people laughed happily.
Jiang Feng glanced towards the courtyard. He could occasionally hear the guests’ praises, which felt nice. Not long after, Wang Lei specifically came out to thank him.
"Executive Chef Jiang, thank you so much! The elderly were happy eating today, and our whole family is happy!"
Hearing this, Jiang Feng said with a smile, "As long as the elderly are happy, that’s what matters. It’s what I should do."
Today’s order was complete, and the reward had already been credited. Jiang Feng comfortably stretched, ate some food, and then planned to leave.