Chapter 365: Chapter 277: Osmanthus Honey Vinaigrette, Shrimp and Cheese Mushroom Tower

The ingredients they brought were a colorful mishmash, with vibrant color and freshness as the highest criteria. At a glance, nothing appeared unappetizing, and not even a single blemished ingredient could be seen.

They also prepared a separate bag of various flowers and plants, specifically for him to use as decoration, which was clearly planned ahead.

Lin Chen closed his eyes and quickly sorted through the ingredients in the bag, like a carousel in his mind.

"For meat, there are beef tenderloin, chicken thighs, lamb chops, shrimp. In mushrooms, there are enoki mushrooms, white mushrooms, small brown mushrooms, Portobello mushrooms, oyster mushrooms. In vegetables, there are..."

With each name that flashed by, the silhouette of the ingredient quietly hovered in his mental space, rapidly interconnecting and forming combinations as if by sparks.

"Got it!"

In just ten seconds, he swiftly made up his mind.

No need to follow the Western dining process, make whatever comes to mind, aiming to make it look good and taste good.

He took two palm-sized Portobello mushrooms, also called large brown mushrooms or steak mushrooms, and completely removed the thick stem, leaving the cap which he gently wiped clean with a damp paper towel.

In Western cuisine, mushrooms are probably not washed, because the internal structure of mushrooms is spongy and absorbs a large amount of liquid silently, affecting both the cooking process and the presentation of the final dish.

But as a Great Xia person, washing ingredients before cooking has become a bone-deep habit. There’s nothing wrong with being hygienic.

After wiping it clean, he turned the mushroom cap upside down and placed it on a baking tray lined with parchment paper, drizzled a few drops of extra virgin olive oil, sprinkled a pinch of salt and crushed black pepper for basic seasoning, and sent it into the oven at 180 degrees for 5 minutes.

The chopped mushroom stem shouldn’t be wasted either, so he chopped it into small pieces and put it in a bowl for later, then sliced some yellow and red bell peppers, roughly finger-sized river shrimp were shelled and also diced, and added a pinch of crushed black pepper, sea salt, fennel leaves, dill, and olive oil, mixing all the ingredients well.

Fennel leaves look very much like pine needles but are much softer, with a subtle unique aroma. They’re more commonly eaten in the north of China, less so in the south.

In Western cuisine, it’s also one of the more common herbs.

Dill looks almost identical to fennel leaves but has a completely different root. When looking at just the leaves, they can be very easily confused, but dill’s unique aroma is much stronger than fennel leaves.

He tossed a small piece of butter into a skillet over high heat to melt, then quickly stir-fried the mix until it changed color. 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝓮𝒘𝙚𝙗𝒏𝙤𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝒐𝙢

It doesn’t need to be fully cooked, just barely cooked and colored.

The buttery aroma fully permeated the ingredients in just a dozen seconds, filling the restaurant air with a rich scent.

"Ding——"

Exactly five minutes.

He took out the baking tray and carefully arranged spoonfuls of stir-fried vegetables and shrimp inside the mushroom cap, sprinkled a layer of mozzarella cheese over the top, and put it back in the oven for another five minutes.

The fennel root, cut earlier, also shouldn’t go to waste, as it’s one of the most common ingredients in Western cuisine, suitable for grilling, roasting, stewing, or even eating raw.

He planned to make a refreshing salad combining Western-style vegetables and a Chinese-style vinaigrette.

Although he was making it for the first time himself, after mentally running through the proportions, he was convinced the dressing would definitely win over the two guests.

He took out a bottle of osmanthus honey that had been gathering dust for a long time from the spice rack in the back kitchen, which was made by marinating fresh osmanthus flowers with sugar or honey.

Three full tablespoons of osmanthus honey were added to a bowl, just as he was about to close the lid, he thought for a moment, dripped some on the back of his hand and tasted it, then added another spoon.

Two tablespoons of white wine vinegar, half a tablespoon of sea salt, a pinch of crushed black pepper, initially mixed together so that the osmanthus honey, white wine vinegar, and sea salt were fully integrated.

Maintaining the stirring, he held the bottle of olive oil in his left hand, gently inclined it, letting a fine stream of extra virgin olive oil slowly drip into the vinaigrette.

Oil and vinegar, in the state of rapid stirring, produce a wonderful reaction, lightly blending together to form a slight paste-like texture.

As more olive oil was added, the surface of the vinaigrette began to show a clear separation of oil and water, which was a sign to stop stirring.

After tasting the seasoning, he nodded in satisfaction; it was the refreshing style he had imagined, with a distinct summery seaside aura.

The inclusion of osmanthus brought a unique fragrance, further elevating the dressing to a higher level.

He washed the fennel root clean, cut it in half, removed the green stalk, leaving only the white root below.

The sharp edge of the knife passed through with a crisp ’da-da-da’ sound on the cutting board.

Thin slices of fennel, as translucent as cicada wings, rapidly accumulated at a speed visible to the naked eye.

The structure of fennel is somewhat similar to onions, but not as complex, with just three or four layers, making it very suitable for slicing.

Prepare some tender arugula, baby spinach, and butterhead lettuce, tear them with your hands, and toss them together with the fennel slices into a large bowl. Drizzle with the freshly mixed osmanthus honey vinaigrette and toss lightly before plating.

"Ding——"

He was quick, finishing the entire salad from scratch before the timer on the oven reminded him.

However, he didn’t go to retrieve the mushrooms from the oven. Instead, he took a beef tenderloin, sliced it thinly at an angle like sashimi, and casually inserted the slices into the fennel salad. Finally, he garnished it with fresh flowers for plating.

"Here, my own creation: a fennel and beef salad tossed with osmanthus honey vinaigrette. Not sure if other restaurants have this vinaigrette; if they do, it’s purely coincidental~"

The couple eagerly held up their phones and snapped photos, secretly glad they made the right choice coming here.

In just ten minutes, the head chef not only made two dishes on the spot, but they also looked and tasted spectacular, with sauces combining both Chinese and Western flavors. Such creativity and execution are indeed unseen in the Great Xia’s Western restaurants.

Although the other dish, the mushrooms, hadn’t come out yet, the couple heard the oven timer ring clearly earlier, indicating it could be served any time.

The partly translucent, slightly yellow fennel slices scattered among the vibrant green vegetables, glistening on the surface. One could even see obvious osmanthus petals, and the entire salad emitted a special refreshing aroma.

Neither of them had eaten fennel root as a vegetable before, but after taking photos, they immediately picked up their forks and stuffed a large handful into their mouths.

They recognized the arugula, but baby spinach was also uncommon in the Great Xia. They assumed it would taste similar to regular spinach.

However, when they tasted it, the mild sweetness of spinach mingled with a crunch reminiscent of onions subtly spread between their lips and teeth with a few chews.

There was none of the bitterness typically associated with spinach, just a mild sweetness, plenty of juice, and a faint taste of arugula’s unique bitterness.

No doubt, the crunchy onion-like texture must be the taste of fennel root, right?

Not only did the texture resemble it, but the taste was also similar, with a slight sweetness.

As they chewed, the mildly sour white wine vinegar paired with the sweet fragrance of osmanthus honey slowly spread, with the aroma intensifying with each chew.

The beef slices hardly made their presence known, identifiable only by a faint raw texture.

Given the strict requirements abroad concerning farming conditions and hygiene, most freshly slaughtered beef is safe to eat raw. With the addition of white wine vinegar for sterilization, unless one’s mind dwells on it, there’s no psychological burden when eating it — just its sweetness.

"Delicious! Who knew osmanthus honey could be used in a salad? Babe, did you learn how to make this? You can make it for me at home~"

The man confidently patted his chest: "I learned it! It doesn’t look difficult at all. Just four spoons of osmanthus honey, two spoons of white wine vinegar, a pinch of sea salt and Crushed Black Pepper, mix while adding olive oil — no problem!"

Before they had swallowed the salad in their mouths, Lin Chen approached with a plate of still-steaming baked mushrooms.

The palm-sized mushroom cap was piled high with colorful ingredients, topped with a thin layer of cheese, which was flowing down the slope.

Through the cheese waterfall, one could vaguely see the finely chopped vegetables and red-and-white shrimp pieces hidden underneath, with a sprinkle of vibrant green parsley on top, creating an eye-catching color combination.

"How do we eat this...are we supposed to shove the whole thing in?"

"Just cut it open; the cheese should hold it together. If not, just stack the ingredients back on and eat them. Come on, let’s take a photo first!"

This dish is also simple to make with no difficulty at all. The key lies in the mysterious sauce Lin Chen drizzled on its surface right after taking it out of the oven.

The sauce looked somewhat like teriyaki, but a bit thicker, with a faint sweet and sour aroma.

Having just eaten a sweet and sour salad, they couldn’t discern anything from the scent.

Something fresh out of the oven with cheese should be eaten hot, while the salad, being cold, can wait in the background!

The couple quickly snapped over a dozen photos of the mushroom tower. The girl glanced at them and, satisfied with how they turned out, promptly picked up her knife and fork to cut into the mushroom tower, as if afraid the cheese would soon stop stretching.

The dining knife was very sharp, encountering no resistance, like cutting through ice cream, easily slicing through to the bottom.

As soon as she withdrew the knife, a visible stream of brown sauce flowed slowly from the mushroom’s crack.

Her eyes lit up, and she discarded any concerns about appearances, directly leaning in to fork half the mushroom tower into her mouth.

The thick, meaty king oyster mushroom had a full, firm texture, its juices overflowing. Every bite unleashed a burst of delicious juices in the mouth, as if consuming several white mushrooms that had been roasted to juicy perfection on a baking sheet.