Gourmet: From a Stall in Northern Europe-Chapter 56: Customers Waiting Even Before the Stall Opens
Besides these materials, Lin Chen also has some of his own little tricks.
Preserved plums!
He saw this in a video once, tried it on a whim, and it turned out so delicious that even the plate was licked clean.
Compared to traditional sweet and sour ribs, the version with preserved plums has a richer aroma, and the sweet and sour taste is not as sharp, becoming much more mellow with a light fruity fragrance, making it quite addictive.
The preserved plums should be of good quality, with a strong flavor when eaten, otherwise, adding them would be pointless.
The sweet and sour ribs don’t need to be stewed for too long as they’re already tender; you just need to reduce the sauce until the aroma and thickness of the preserved plums and sweet-sour sauce come through.
Next up is red bean soup.
After soaking the red beans for a whole day, throw them directly into a pressure cooker, add about four times the water, and pressure cook for 15 minutes.
Since the beans have been soaked long enough and are slightly swollen, the cooking time is reduced. If only soaked for an hour or two, extend the cooking time, and if not soaked at all, it might need over half an hour.
When cooking beans with a pressure cooker, it’s crucial to pay attention, as improper operation may cause detached bean skins to block the vent, leading to excessive pressure and an explosion. The amount of water is key.
After pressuring, open the lid and continue to cook for 5-10 minutes, adding a bit of rock sugar for flavor.
Since it’s a cold dessert, too many beans would affect the texture.
Lin Chen scoops out at least half of the beans, adds them back to the red bean soup, and blends until smooth, turning it into a silky red bean paste.
The small glutinous rice balls are simpler; throw them into boiling water until they float, simmer on low heat covering for two to three minutes, then take them out and cool in cold water to prevent sticking. Finally, drench with syrup to infuse flavor and prevent them from hardening.
He uses osmanthus honey, a type of honey with a rich floral fragrance, perfectly matching this kind of sweet cold dessert.
With the remaining time, prepare the vegetables—cut what needs cutting—and start cooking the rice, then set off for the stall location.
After completing all this preparation, the time matches the original, but the amount of dishes prepared is at least twice as much, with a much richer variety, finally looking like a proper food truck.
In front of the cinema.
Having just gotten off work, Meng Qi rubbed his grumbling stomach. He glanced between the Brasil Food Truck and the nearby flower beds, hesitating for a few minutes before deciding to walk over.
"Excuse me, is the Great Xia Food Truck setting up today?"
"Hmm?"
Lunard was startled, nodding subconsciously, "They should be setting up, right? He said they’d usually arrive around ten. If they’re driving slowly, they might be late, so why don’t you wait a bit?"
Meng Qi looked at the time, 9:55. Well, guess he’ll wait.
Ever since tasting the delicious food from the Great Xia Food Truck last time, he’d always come by to solve his late-night snack cravings whenever working the night shift. However, whether due to bad luck or something else, he missed it twice in a row recently.
At this time, Jade and Amber, along with their friend Lina, also came out of the cinema, heading straight for the food trucks with clear intent.
"Eh, not here yet?"
"No worries, let’s wait. Lucas said he’s almost here."
Meng Qi found the group a bit familiar and approached them, "Sorry to bother, are you also waiting for the Great Xia Food Truck?"
"Yeah, how about you?"
"Yeah, the food here is quite tasty, got tired of other places. Since I’m off late, I thought I’d try my luck."
"A few days absent, and there’s already regulars?"
Lina looked around in surprise, noticing quite a few people obviously waiting nearby, either playing on their phones or chatting quietly.
This area was considered the busiest part of town at night, relatively safe due to the presence of a cinema, a subway, and a mall, unlike other areas prone to theft.
Scattered along the street were a few homeless people lying around, with cardboard and little bowls in front of them, looking lethargic.
"Yeah, didn’t I tell you, even that slightly famous lingerie model, Dreya, came to buy food yesterday. Their business only gets better by day."
During the conversation, a familiar big red food truck slowly drove down the distant street.
"It’s here!"
"Quick, grab a spot!"
"I wonder what they’re selling today. So excited, I hope they’ve got that iced jelly again; it’s so addictive!"
"You said it. After work yesterday, I passed by and bought a bowl. On the way home, I was so thirsty I opened it for a few sips and almost turned back to get more. Had trouble sleeping all night."
"I’ve never had a mint-flavored drink this refreshing in my life. Why don’t the restaurants around here sell it? Great Xia people really know how to make delicious food."
While Lunard directed his subordinates to complete orders, he frequently glanced at the already forming queue beside him, a hint of envy in his eyes.
This guy just set up a week ago, and people are already coming early to wait for him. I’ve been selling here for a good two years; why don’t I have such treatment?
As Lin Chen’s food truck parked, Lucas rushed out from the subway station, clutching a small whiteboard in his hands.
"Hey, you guys came early!"
Before even standing still, he noticed several familiar faces, quickly waving a greeting.
"Check out what I brought today! A whiteboard! From now on, we have a menu!"
"Oh wow, sounds good,"
Amber responded half-heartedly, "Shouldn’t you have bought one earlier?"
"Ahem... not important~ let’s see what we have today, bet you can’t guess!"
While Lin Chen was preparing inside the food truck, Lucas hung the whiteboard next to the window and used a special oil-based pen to write several big characters.
Chinese.
"Hey! You did this on purpose, can’t understand it. Translate, hurry!"
Jade knocked him on the back of the head in displeasure.
"Alright, alright, I’m on it. But isn’t it about time you guys started learning some Chinese? Didn’t we agree to go to Great Xia for a tour when we have time?"
"Hmm... let’s talk about that after eating. I’m too hungry to think right now~"
Lin Chen opened the window, "Hey mate, add mashed potatoes, not the Western kind, it’s the sauce-drenched mashed potatoes popular in our country. You translate it."
"Huh? You’re giving me a hard time here, mate!"
Lucas frowned, biting his nail in thought for a while before finally writing a line on the whiteboard.
[Great Xia Specialty Sauce Mashed Potatoes]
"Mashed potatoes? What the heck is that?"
"Uh, not important. Translations aren’t always accurate. It’s definitely delicious, trust me. Look, isn’t Lin making it right now!"
Ten pairs of eyes simultaneously turned towards the adjacent window, where the stove in front of Lin Chen was already on high flame, the orange-red fire flickering intensely with ample heat.
On the chopping board beside him was a peeled potato.
His hand moved swiftly with the knife, first slicing down, then flipping the potato over to stabilize it. His left hand curled with five fingers resting on the potato’s surface while his right hand, wielding a Chinese chef’s knife, tapped on the board, making rhythmic clattering sounds.
