Food Stall: Customers Chase Me across the Country-Chapter 307 - 308: Soul-Stirring Silky Egg Char Siu Rice!
Zhao Liang took the opportunity to come up and said somewhat embarrassedly, "Boss, can the two of us learn this recipe and the process from you? I think once we master your recipe, the two of us can completely open a store and make this."
Chen Qing nodded frantically on the side. The two of them now knew the street reputation of their boss. Those two cheap apprentices who followed him before are now making money hand over fist, and there’s even one who reportedly just asked Boss Wang a question, and now their fried chicken can’t be supplied fast enough.
Following a capable person like this, it would be ungrateful not to learn a trick or two!
Wang Fan never hides skills from those eager to learn: "No problem, I’ll write down the proportions for you later, and as for the process, you can watch, and ask me if you don’t understand something."
Zhao Liang and Chen Qing exchanged glances, seeing surprise in each other’s eyes.
Both of them started learning to cook at a restaurant together, but unfortunately, with a monthly salary of 1000 yuan, they only learned to chop ingredients without acquiring any real skills. Later, when the head chef was poached elsewhere, they switched to the current company, where they’ve stayed for over two years, yet they still only do basic ingredient chopping and preparation tasks. 𝘧𝓇ℯ𝑒𝓌𝑒𝑏𝓃𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭.𝒸ℴ𝓂
No matter how skilled, they could only be considered at an entry-level, with no hope of making a name for themselves in this lifetime.
Until they encountered this most renowned wild boss in front of them, the brothers’ inner desires were directly ignited.
Some who enter this industry aim to become head chefs, some just aim for a basic livelihood. The brothers entered for the latter but gradually grew to love the industry; they just didn’t have a place to learn real skills.
Wang Fan, while keeping his eyes on the pot, gave the two of them a gentle reminder: "This dish is called char siu rice, a more whimsical name would be Pro Max Soulful Silken Egg Rice. It’s part of Cantonese Cuisine, known for its complex preparation steps, each with its purpose. If you really want to learn, you must stay humble and not cut corners, completing each step seriously."
When he was in Guangfu, he noticed that many vendors made char siu rice that tasted the same.
Authentic Cantonese Cuisine is basically unique to each chef, and making them all taste the same is simply impossible.
The answer is only one: they use the same marinade, or they use the same pre-prepared dishes.
Food made this way only carries a reputation but fails to showcase even one percent of the dish’s true flavor.
Upon hearing Wang Fan’s words, Zhao Liang and Chen Qing immediately promised, "Rest assured, Boss, we definitely won’t cut corners. We’ll reproduce it exactly as we learned, sticking rigidly to the standards!"
Wang Fan chuckled: "That would be best. Tianjin is also a city known for good food, so mastering just this one dish should make standing out here quite feasible."
Wang Fan spoke softly, but his words brimmed with confidence.
At this moment, the six minutes were just right, and the aroma from the pot floated through the little vent on the lid, even making the bosses of several adjacent shops drool with envy once again.
When will this damn life ever get better?!
I’m in the food business, too; I really can’t keep buying food from next door every day!
Customers would start thinking my food isn’t edible!
Wang Fan lifted the lid, and the pork belly strips inside had turned a completely oily, glistening red-brown.
Looking at the meat in the pot, Zhao Liang and Chen Qing couldn’t help but swallow, almost transforming into wolves and taking a bite right there.
"Remember the state it’s in now. Adding sugar at this time will coat the meat with gelatin; doing it too early or too late will affect the taste."
"Dissolve all the sugar, turn off the heat, ladle out the excess sauce for later use, and the next step is crucial — reignite the fire and add some lard back to the pot."
As Wang Fan spoke and acted, Chen Qing and Zhao Liang attentively observed, mobilizing all their brain cells to etch every move and word — down to the punctuation — into their minds.
The two concentrated so hard they didn’t even notice when a line of people had formed by the window.
Cantonese Cuisine emphasizes freshness, and freshly cooked food is part of that. Wang Fan had timed this well.
He took the char siu out of the pot and onto the chopping board, slicing it into pieces about the thickness of an index finger.
"Classic cuts are thinner than mine, even the thickest slices aren’t as thick as mine."
"Pro Max Soulful Silken Egg Char Siu Rice, 28 yuan per serving. Remaining servings: 600."
Yet, Wang Fan had still not started selling because the silken eggs weren’t ready yet.
In each small bowl are ten beaten eggs prepared by the brothers, with added salt, pepper, and the soul essence — lard. The main reason the eggs can be so silky lies in the lard.
When the pot heats, it still uses lard, which inherently carries a rich aroma, unmatched by vegetable oil.
Before adding the mixture to the pot, Wang Fan stirred the egg mixture again, and once poured in, a golden layer of silken egg instantly formed in the pot. With the wok’s gentle tilt, the unset egg mixture flows along.
Using the spatula to push the eggs at the bottom, more egg mixture turned golden as it cooked, and when some of it was barely set, with a few swift motions, Wang Fan divided the eggs into five portions using the spatula.
In front of Wang Fan are five bowls of rice, and the brothers have already slanted the char siu over the rice. Wang Fan then skillfully placed the divided silken eggs into the bowls: one half shining with golden light, the other gleaming with an alluring red-brown glaze, enough to trigger anyone’s appetite.
And that wasn’t the end of it. Picking up a small spoon, he ladled out some sauce from the pot and drizzled it over the char siu meat...
"He must know some kind of magic, leaving me entranced, unable to pull back, making me feel such a big difference this sauce makes..."
A melody suddenly played in Yang Wei’s mind, as the scene before him remained endlessly mesmerizing, even if seen millions of times, it would never grow dull!
Even a goddess viewed too often may become tedious, but he swears this scene would never, ever, ever lose its charm in his lifetime!
The way that tiny drizzle of sauce falls acts like the finishing touch, elevating the rice dish from impressive to extraordinary.
"Oh gracious! I could hold back my drool at first, but that one spoonful was like a tsunami!"
"That’s it, I’ve been brainwashed. A drizzle of sauce guarantees salivation, accompanied by a thunderous rumble from my belly."
"Whoa... Today’s just incredible, it’s char siu rice!"
"This color, this aroma, I can only describe it as perfect."
"Take a picture, share it with those Guangfu compatriots, ask them how long it’s been since they’ve tasted such a fragrant char siu rice."
