Gourmet: From a Stall in Northern Europe-Chapter 237: Even Cucumber Thrown Together Tastes Amazing—Great Xia Chefs Work Magic!
It didn't take him a few minutes to make up his mind.
Since he was going to cook, he decided to make something that the Great Xia people love to eat. Anyway, this wasn't a food stall, there was no review mechanism, so he could do whatever he wanted without worrying too much.
Considering that the person is a regional agent of a major brand, they probably travel a lot for work, so it's impossible that they haven't tasted dishes from various countries. Their tolerance for different flavors should be higher than he expected.
Besides, at worst there'd just be leftovers, so what's the big deal?
After all, Jonathan didn't even get a chance to finish cooking yesterday~
"In that case, let's make the steak with braised flavors, add a little chili to cover some of the greasiness, and for the filet mignon..."
"Why not turn it into cumin beef cubes?"
Originally, he planned to make it black pepper flavored, but then he thought black pepper was too ordinary and didn't meet the guest's expectations for novelty.
Somehow, the image of cumin lamb chops inexplicably popped into his head, and he instantly decided to use that method.
He was from the Jiangsu and Zhejiang area, which doesn't produce much lamb, but he loved eating it. Every time he went to a restaurant, he would order cumin lamb chops.
The method was slightly different from the north. They would cut the lamb ribs into small pieces, coat them with starch, deep-fry them, and then stir-fry with garlic, dry chili, peanuts, and other condiments, emphasizing a dry and aromatic flavor.
If using filet mignon, the doneness should be controlled to medium-rare, without frying for too long, just over a minute or so, plus the subsequent stir-frying process, it could be controlled to medium-rare.
In terms of such high-grade steak, the fat distribution is more even, and the taste is richer and more moist. From a Western culinary perspective, it's unsuitable to cook it too well done, as it would become tough and lose its juiciness.
But in Chinese cuisine, there's no need to worry about these things because in Western cuisine, there's no concept of replenishing water to the meat. Chinese marination can forcibly tenderize the meat.
After going through the whole process in his mind, he decided to braise the beef ribs first, pressure cook them for 20 minutes, and then simmer them with low heat so that when guests arrive, it can be taken off the heat right away and served.
It was around 3 p.m. now; braising until five or six or so would probably be enough by then, right?
As for the filet mignon, it could be freshly made when the guests arrive, just a few minutes of work.
As the pressure cooker started steaming and hissing, the rich aroma of the braising sauce began to fill the back kitchen.
Jonathan's nose twitched, and he curiously approached him.
"Lin, what kind of magical tool is this? This smell is quite unique, I haven't smelled this spice before, seems like there's star anise and cinnamon, what else?"
"This is a pressure cooker. It works by increasing the pressure through vacuum extraction to raise the boiling point inside, speeding up the cooking process."
"As for the spices, many of them are common in Great Xia, like Grass Fruit, Angelica, cardamom... and so on."
He explained briefly, knowing that Jonathan couldn't understand much, just to convey some meaning.
The continuous variety of Great Xia cooking methods and materials thoroughly piqued Jonathan's curiosity.
Would incorporating elements of Chinese cuisine into Western dishes make them tastier than traditional Western cuisine?
Under Jonathan's repeated inquiries, Lin Chen, unable to resist, suggested he watch "A Bite of China" series first, and also check out food, drink, and travel videos from major travel bloggers in Great Xia, to establish a basic concept before proceeding.
Without any concept, it's impossible to understand the philosophy and principles behind Great Xia cuisine.
Driven by strong curiosity, Jonathan gradually became engrossed, clutching his phone.
The simplistic yet culturally-rich folk dishes, ancient historical elements in buildings and landscapes, and unique regional ethnic styles—each far exceeded his imagination.
"Jingle~"
A crisp wind chime sound came from outside the hall.
Lin Chen's ears perked up, instantly waking up from his state of resting with his eyes closed.
"Good evening, you two, may I have the room number and name?"
Dais and Helena were still greeting at the door, their form-fitting uniforms accentuating their curvaceous figures without a doubt.
Edward's eyes brightened, glancing over the two without leaving a trace, subconsciously tightening his grip around Lamia's right hand.
Having not seen these two last night, he didn't expect such high-quality waitstaff in this restaurant.
"Edward, 1101, I'm the one with the steak among the ingredients."
The two women were used to seeing guests like this during work, just somewhat more successful guests than ordinary ones, so their status never affected their work attitude.
"Alright, Mr. Edward and your lady friend, please come in."
"This way, please. Follow me."
Helena led the way in high heels, clearly sensing a pair of heated eyes on her ample backside.
She wasn't annoyed, but rather her lips subtly curved upward, feeling quite pleased with herself.
I am indeed so charming, even Chanel's agent is captivated by me!
Lamia, of course, knew what her boss was like. She didn't have the ability or position to control him, so she diverted her attention from the front and looked around at the greenery wall, examining the surroundings.
Having arrived late yesterday when the lighting was poor, she hadn't looked closely. Now with daylight, the indoor decor appeared particularly fresh.
"Chef Jonathan! Chef Lin! The guests who ordered the steak have arrived!"
The serving area in the center of the restaurant was emptied again, and the table was filled with various ingredients. Two men in black chef uniforms with golden edges sat nearby, resting.
