Chapter 43: Like a Blooming Snow Lotus
After eating, the two of them paid the bill and left.
It was getting late, and Li You figured he could start on dinner.
He had originally planned to eat termite mushrooms.
But since he had already launched the Boiled Cabbage in Supreme Broth, he decided he should make one for himself first to test it out.
He would use a medium-quality cabbage.
Only ten heads of the top-quality cabbage had dropped, making them quite precious. He needed to use them sparingly.
Li You took out some of the supreme broth for the dish and one medium-quality cabbage from the Storage Pavilion.
Since the step of simmering the supreme broth was skipped, the process of making the Boiled Cabbage was relatively quick.
First, he prepared the cabbage.
He peeled off the outer leaves, keeping only the tender, yellow heart.
This was the most tender part.
Of course, the peeled-off leaves couldn’t be thrown away. They were ingredients too. They could be stir-fried or used in a soup.
There are two ways to plate Boiled Cabbage in Supreme Broth.
The first is to break the cabbage heart into individual leaves and place them directly on the plate.
This method is very ordinary.
The second is to use a knife to carve the cabbage heart into the shape of a flower.
This way, when the scalding supreme broth is poured over it at the end, the cabbage heart will slowly blossom like a flower.
It creates a powerful visual impact.
The final product resembles a blooming Snow Lotus, utterly beautiful.
Li You decided to use the second plating method.
Even though he was just eating it himself, he might as well enjoy the visual feast, right?
He began the process.
He peeled off the outer leaves of the cabbage and stored them back in the Storage Pavilion for later use.
Then, he used a knife to carve the cabbage heart.
He shaped it into a flower.
Because he had perfectly mastered every detail of preparing the dish, his carving was both precise and swift.
After carving it, he blanched the cabbage heart in boiling water.
He added a pinch of salt.
Once blanched, he removed the cabbage heart and shocked it in cold, clear water to cool it down.
After it cooled, he placed the cabbage heart in a deep dish and added a suitable amount of supreme broth.
He placed it in a steamer.
Five minutes later, he took the cabbage heart out and placed it in another deep dish.
He set it down with the root facing the bottom.
The supreme broth in this first deep dish was to be discarded.
This was because cabbage has a unique raw flavor.
During the steaming process, this raw flavor was removed from the cabbage and infused into the broth.
Therefore, this portion of the broth had to be thrown out.
Then, fresh supreme broth had to be poured over the cabbage heart again.
This was the final step, and also the most magical and incredible one.
Now, it was time for Li You to perform this final step.
He heated a portion of fresh supreme broth to a rolling boil.
Then, aiming at the cabbage heart in the deep dish, he slowly poured the broth from high above.
The cabbage heart slowly blossomed, just like a flower opening its petals.
So beautiful!
’Is this even cooking? It’s clearly a work of art.’
It was a joy to behold.
Once the cabbage heart fully blossomed, it was like a blooming Snow Lotus, admiring its own lonely beauty in the dish.
Noble, elegant, and beautiful!
Li You admired the Boiled Cabbage he had just completed.
It was simply a perfect masterpiece.
It was so beautiful he was almost reluctant to eat it. Where would one even start?
This was its only "flaw."
Of course, in the end, it had to be eaten.
Li You picked up his chopsticks, plucked off a "petal" of the "Snow Lotus," and placed it in his mouth.
The flavor was rich and mellow, yet clean and refreshing. It truly surpassed a myriad of other delicacies.
As expected of a legendary classic from Sichuan cuisine.
He scooped up a bowl of rice.
Time to dig in.
...
「The next day.」
「11:00 AM.」
A small car pulled into the parking lot. It was Ye Shengge’s car.
Sure enough, the beautiful woman had arrived.
The car door opened, and a beautiful, tall figure stepped out.
Who else could it be but Ye Shengge?
Today, the beauty wore a pair of jeans that perfectly showcased her excellent figure.
Arriving at the front of the restaurant, Ye Shengge smiled faintly. "Boss, long time no see."
Li You smiled back and said, "It hasn’t been that long, actually. Just a few days."
"That’s true," Ye Shengge said.
Then, noticing that many more fruit trees had appeared in the area by the loquat tree, she said with surprise, "Boss, I haven’t been here for just a few days, and you already have so many new fruit trees!"
"That’s right," Li You said. "I’m planning to create an orchard. I’ll continue to add more varieties of fruit trees in the future."
Ye Shengge said, "That’s a great idea, you should definitely have an orchard. It would be a huge waste not to with conditions like these. Your place is so relaxing, Boss. You have as much space as you could ever want. I have an orchard at my home too, but the space is ultimately too small."
’This beautiful woman has an orchard at home?’
Li You was a little surprised but didn’t ask any more questions.
It had nothing to do with him.
Afterward, Ye Shengge looked at the "Today’s Specials" board and said, "Boiled Cabbage in Supreme Broth for 568. That price isn’t expensive. I’d like one Boiled Cabbage, a serving of stir-fried shredded potatoes, and a bowl of rice."
Li You nodded. "Alright. Please have a seat for a little while."
Ye Shengge nodded and added, "Boss, which plating method do you use for the Boiled Cabbage?"
Li You replied, "I can do either. Which one would you like?"
Ye Shengge said, "The Snow Lotus. Boss, could you pour the broth at the table? I want to watch the Snow Lotus bloom."
Li You smiled. "Of course. That’s the final step. I’ll complete it at your table then."
"That’s wonderful! Thank you, Boss." Ye Shengge was filled with anticipation.
"It’s my pleasure," Li You said.
A small request like this from a customer could certainly be accommodated.
Li You walked into the kitchen.
He started with the Boiled Cabbage.
He still used a medium-quality cabbage.
After a series of preparations, he reached the final step.
Li You carried the deep dish with the carved cabbage heart in one hand and a large ladle in the other.
The ladle was filled with freshly boiled supreme broth.
He walked over to Ye Shengge’s table.
Ye Shengge was full of excitement and took out her phone. She wanted to record the magical moment of the "Snow Lotus" blooming.
Seeing that Ye Shengge was ready, Li You slowly poured the supreme broth.
The cabbage heart once again blossomed slowly.
A beautiful Snow Lotus appeared once more.
Ye Shengge couldn’t help but exclaim in praise, "It’s so beautiful!"
After a moment, she continued, "Boss, I’ve seen the ’Snow Lotus’ bloom many times. But this time, it’s the most beautiful and perfect."
"And," Ye Shengge went on, "not only was the process just now incredibly beautiful, but this supreme broth... it’s as clear as water. Of all the supreme broths for this dish I’ve ever seen, this is the clearest. And the aroma is also the richest. It’s simply divine. Boss, it turns out your skill is top-tier even when making such a famous state banquet dish."
Li You said, "I wouldn’t dare say that, not at all. Why don’t you try it and see how it tastes?"
Ye Shengge nodded.
Then she picked up her chopsticks and began to eat.
First, she took a sip of the soup. The fragrance was unbelievably rich.
Ye Shengge was once again filled with delighted surprise.
This soup was far, far better than the soup of the best Boiled Cabbage she had ever had before.
Next, she ate a piece of the cabbage.
It was indescribably clean and refreshing. It too was much more delicious than the best Boiled Cabbage she had ever tasted.
Boiled Cabbage in Supreme Broth was already an incredibly delicious dish to begin with.
But this particular serving seemed like food not of this world.
’Could it be that this young boss’s skill is at the absolute top tier in the country, even for a famous state banquet dish like Boiled Cabbage in Supreme Broth?’
Ye Shengge couldn’t be entirely certain.
However, she believed it was possible.
And the possibility was not small.
This thought sent a jolt of shock through Ye Shengge’s heart.
...