After everything was added, he simred it on low heat.
This step couldn’t be rushed. It needed to be simred slowly, ensuring that the Red Oil from the Doubanjiang and the aroma of the two types of fernted beans were fully extracted before proceeding to the next step.
This process was slow, taking about twenty minutes, until the Doubanjiang in the pot was thoroughly cooked, even achieving a dry, fragrant scent.
Once it reached this stage, he added the prepared Sticky Rice Cake chili and continued to simr.
The Sticky Rice Cake chili was already saturated with water. As soon as it hit the pot, steam billowed up. The sowhat clashing aromas of the Doubanjiang and chili would then diffuse with the steam, making the sauce’s fragrance even richer and more llow.
Originally, the Dry Pot Sauce was designed based on the intense aroma that results from the long simring tis required by dry pot dishes, so it shouldn’t have any overwhelmingly pungent sll.
He needed to draw out these flavors slowly, leaving only a rich and gentle fragrance.
When the Sticky Rice Cake chili was nearly done, he added the Ginger and Garlic Mince, followed by the ground spice powder.
After adding all these ingredients, Lin Xu poured in two whole bottles of oyster sauce, two large scoops of White Sugar, and one bottle of Stead Fish Sauce.
He continued to stir and simr it into a sauce, then turned off the heat and scooped it out.
By this point, it was already eight in the evening, and the dinner rush at the restaurant was almost over.
"Boss, can we eat this sauce now?"
Ma Zhiqiang, the chef from North China who was relatively unfamiliar with dry pot dishes, had been tantalized by the aroma, so he was eager to try it as soon as it was ready.
As Lin Xu scooped it into a bowl, he said, "Normally, it needs to sit for a day and a night before use to let the flavors ld. But since it’s just for us, we don’t need to be that particular. Let’s eat it tomorrow at noon and try it out in the restaurant tonight."
"Alright! Oh, boss, the Doubanjiang and those seasonings are quite salty, isn’t the sauce too salty?"
Ma Zhiqiang’s question amused Lin Xu. "Not at all. A small spoonful is enough when cooking, and it also saves the hassle of seasoning, which is more efficient for restaurants."
Lin Xu placed the sauce in the cold storage to cool naturally, then washed the pot, preparing to leave work early.
He had been juggling cooking custor orders with the task of simring the Dry Pot Sauce, leaving him utterly exhausted and wanting to rest early.
After informing Wei Qian, Lin Xu removed his apron and went downstairs.
First, he greeted the custors dining downstairs before returning to the service counter.
At that mont, Shen Baobao was clumsily performing the "Three Immortals Return to the Cave" trick for Dundun based on an online tutorial, using several disposable cups and a piece of dried fish.
Dundun had never seen such a performance and found it quite amusing.
He focused intently on Shen Baobao’s hands, his little tail wagging gently, looking very pleased.
The mother-son relationship was fully nded.
Finally, after many mistakes, the "Three Immortals Return to the Cave" trick was completed.
"Alright, it’s your turn to guess. If you guess right, you get to eat it."
Shen Baobao sighed as if a heavy burden had been lifted. In her relaxation, she raised her hand a bit too high, bumping the middle inverted cup and revealing the dried fish inside.
Dundun, pretending not to see, thoughtfully reached his paw towards the leftmost cup.
After hesitating, he then reached towards the right cup.
All the while, he glanced at Shu Yun nearby as if contemplating seeking help from the audience.
But in the end, he placed his paw on the center cup, gently pushed it, and the dried fish was revealed.
"Wow, my son is so smart! Co on, Mommy will give you two more pieces of dried fish."
Lin Xu: "..."
Let’s not make it so hard for the kid to cooperate with you next ti; it’s heart-wrenching to watch.
Moreover, a cat’s sense of sll is no less superior to that of a dog and many tis more developed than a human’s. Even with their eyes closed, they can accurately discern the location of dried fish. Playing the ’Three Immortals Return to the Cave’ trick with a cat is futile, no matter how fancy your maneuvers.
As Dundun began eating the dried fish, Lin Xu ca over and said, "Let’s head back. I’m a bit tired today and plan to rest early."
"Okay, wait... I’ll go upstairs and grab so chestnuts."
Once Shen Baobao left, Lin Xu rubbed Dundun’s big head. "Thanks for working so hard to cheer up your mom... Tomorrow, I’ll see what kind of at you haven’t tried before and get so for you to taste."
Upon hearing this, Dundun stretched out his fuzzy paw and slapped it into Lin Xu’s hand.
A consensus was reached!
「The next morning」
After Lin Xu had marinated all the roasted chickens at the deli, he called Lao Huang. "Got any rare ats recently?"
"Yes, the pigeons are particularly plump right now. Want to try so?"
Pigeons?
Recalling that Dundun had never tried pigeon at before, Lin Xu responded, "Then send so over. My senior brother and his family are coming for lunch. I need to figure out what’s best to cook."
As soon as Lao Huang heard that Xie Baomin was coming to eat at the restaurant and that pigeon was on the nu, he said over the phone, "Then I might as well join you guys for lunch. The pigeon will cover my al. Oh, and invite Professor Cui too. I had a great chat with him yesterday."
Hit it off?
Lin Xu didn’t expect the delivery guy and the AI research mogul to get along so well.
He laughed and said, "Sure, I’ll call Professor Cui in the morning to invite him over for pigeon and have my senior brother brainstorm a pigeon dish. If it works out, we can add it to the nu."
Lao Huang, who was enjoying a breakfast of dough rings and soybean juice at a street stall, imdiately chuckled.
See, business is coming!
After hanging up, the restaurant’s breakfast was also ready.
Zhuang Yizhou arrived early today and made Yangchun noodles, a trio of potstickers, and spring rolls.
As Lin Xu tasted a spring roll, Zhuang Yizhou said, "Boss, the video of Dundun’s selfie has already hit over five hundred thousand likes and made it into the top three on the short video platform’s trending list. When are you going to release the next episode?"
Over half a million likes so quickly?
Chewing on the spring roll in his mouth, Lin Xu said, "Today, I’ll update after we’re not so busy... This spring roll is well-made. Is it tough to do? If it’s not too tough, I’d like to learn how to make it."
"Not tough at all. We can start right now if you’d like."
Lin Xu stuffed the remaining spring roll into his mouth. "Then let’s start!"
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