Feng Yifan was preparing ingredients very carefully in the kitchen, not only because his old childhood friends would stay for dinner tonight, but also because he had promised to make a river fish feast for everyone.
Also because it is an attitude, an attitude that shows that one is serious enough about kitchen work.
No matter what kind of ingredients, whether they need to be pre-processed, just need to be washed, or need to be cut.
Feng Yifan handles everything carefully and meticulously, which are good habits he has developed over the years.
First of all, the material selection must be careful enough, and secondly, every step of the processing needs to be very careful and meticulous.
Just like the hair on pig skin, he would use a flamethrower to burn it very carefully, and then wash it clean over and over again with clean water.
It ensures that no pig hair will remain on the pig skin, and it also ensures that no burnt black residue will remain on the pig skin.
For example, when slaughtering a bighead carp, Feng Yifan does the entire process himself.
After slaughtering the fish, the head should be cut off immediately.
Cut open the fish head and clean the inside carefully. Finally, chop the fish head into large pieces for later use.
As for the remaining fish body, it naturally cannot be discarded. The two pieces of fish meat must be removed completely from the fish body, and then the fish bones must be chopped into large pieces for making soup.
The remaining fish meat should be sliced into fillets with even thickness, neither too thick nor too thin.
How you fillet the fish depends on the portion of the fish.
For the tail part, try to slice it a little thinner, and for the belly part, slice it a little thicker because there is more fish meat here.
The process of filleting fish is also a very particular process, and you have to find the right position to cut.
The most important thing is to ensure the efficiency of filleting fish. You can't spend one or two hours filleting a single fish, otherwise you probably won't be able to cook many dishes in one night.
The thickness of the fish slices should be even, because this is a dish with fish head and rice that Feng Yifan’s grandmother often made when he was a child.
After the braised fish is served, a small stove will be placed underneath to heat it up. The thin fish slices will be boiled in the soup after the fish head is eaten, just like eating hot pot.
Paired with rice soaked in the rich braised fish head soup, it is truly a perfect dish.
Of course, such a dish is usually served only when it is ready, so when rushing to make it, filleting the fish is a very technical job that tests speed and efficiency.
The fish slices must be sliced within the specified time to ensure their fresh taste, and also to ensure that the fish slices are thick enough to be cooked by the fish soup.
So in the kitchen, many times the actual cooking is not the most difficult time.
On the contrary, the most complicated preparations are before starting to cook.
Each ingredient has its own unique way of processing, in order to ensure that the ingredients are fresh and that they can bring out their due flavor.
All of this requires taking every process step into consideration starting from the time of material preparation.
Lin Ruifeng has been calculating the days in the kitchen, and has been learning from Feng Yifan for more than half a month, but most of the time he has not been able to master all the steps.
Feng Yifan often needs to arrange the steps, and he follows the steps arranged by his master.
Lin Ruifeng had no objection to this. He felt that he should do as his master instructed.
But Feng Yifan was still somewhat dissatisfied with Lin Ruifeng like this.
"Ruifeng, you have to understand that there are some things that you can't always wait for me to tell you to do. To truly become a cook, you have to have your own ideas."
When Lin Ruifeng heard this, he stood there in a daze, not knowing how to respond.
Feng Yifan continued, "You need to understand what your main ingredient is when making a dish? And what other ingredients are there? Finally, you also need to know what seasonings to use? Finally, arrange the steps and time according to your cooking process."
This time, Lin Ruifeng understood what his master meant.
"Well, Master, I know that every dish is not made in one go. It takes a very complicated process."
Feng Yifan nodded: "Yes, I asked you to practice knife skills, that is the basic skills, and I asked you to follow me to prepare the ingredients so that you can learn how to prepare the ingredients.
A normal hotel kitchen is roughly divided into: stove, chopping board, steamer, stir-fry, roast meat, dim sum, and water station. "
Lin Ruifeng still listened very carefully.
Feng Yifan also explained to him the tasks that each job required.
“The hotel kitchen is not like our small restaurant where you have to do a lot of the work yourself, because there will be a whole professional team working together.
So in your current situation, if you go to a hotel, you can easily find your position and integrate into the team.
But I don’t want you to be like that, I want you to be familiar with every step and every process of cooking.”
Lin Ruifeng probably understood his master's intention.
The master doesn't want him to stop at just a few small achievements, but hopes that he can truly become a chef who can take on the responsibility on his own.
Feng Yifan said seriously: "Many people think that only those who cook in the kitchen can be considered a chef, or they think that as long as you work in the kitchen, you are a chef.
I think these are not enough to become a real chef. A chef should be familiar with every detail step of cooking.
You need to be able to adjust the cooking rhythm according to the actual situation, and have your own style, be able to present traditional dishes, and also be able to innovate some eye-catching dishes. "
At this point, Feng Yifan looked at his apprentice seriously and said, "So Ruifeng, if you really want to become a chef, you not only need to work hard to master the basic skills, but also need to continue to delve into it."
Lin Ruifeng had a serious expression. He understood his master's intention and his master's expectations of him.
So he nodded seriously and agreed: "Master, I will definitely work hard."
Feng Yifan nodded with satisfaction: "Okay, let's continue."
As soon as he finished speaking, Feng Ruoruo led her two good friends and pushed the door open to the kitchen. The three girls each held a list in their hands.
"Dad, there are three tables of guests coming today. Xixi, Feifei, and I can each give you one."
Seeing his daughter and two little girls come in, Feng Yifan smiled again.
"Really? Then Ruoruo, Xixi, and Feifei are really awesome today. They brought me menus together. Which menu in your hands is in front?"
This question stumped the three little girls.
Because Su Ruoxi had recorded all three menus outside and then tore them off together for the three little girls.
When Su Ruoxi tore it off, she didn't say which one was in front.
Feng Ruoruo took the menu from her mother's hand and immediately gave one to each of her two good friends.
So now Feng Ruoruo doesn’t know which menu among the three of them should be put in front.
After standing there for a while, the little girl pouted and said, "Dad, Ruoruo doesn't know which one is in front, what should we do now? Dad, will this be messed up?"
Seeing that his daughter was a little anxious, Feng Yifan smiled and comforted her: "Okay, it's okay, just give them to me."
The three little girls also obediently handed the menu to Father Feng.
After Chen Yaofei handed over the menu, she asked curiously, "Dad Feng, can you tell which one is in the front?"
Before Father Feng could answer, Yang Xiaoxi was the first to help out and said, "Father Feng must know."
Feng Ruoruo was also very confident in her father: "Yes, Dad must know."
Feng Yifan smiled and said, "Actually, Father Feng doesn't know either, but the guests from the three tables came together, so it should be okay to serve anyone first, right?"
Yang Xiaoxi was a little surprised: "Is this okay?"
Chen Yaofei thought for a moment and said, "Okay, since the guests are all here together, there's no need to prioritize them."
Feng Ruoruo also agreed with Chen Yaofei's statement: "Yes, they came together, so there is no order of priority, and the dishes can be served together."
After hearing what his two good friends said, Yang Xiaoxi nodded in agreement: "Okay then."
Feng Yifan took a look at the menu, then directly told Lin Ruifeng to get busy and asked Lin Ruifeng to prepare the ingredients for the dishes on the menu.
He immediately lit the fire and started cooking.
When the three little girls saw Mr. Feng start to get busy, they tiptoed out of the kitchen together.
The little girls were very well-behaved and didn't want to disturb their busy father Feng and Uncle Xiaolin.
After returning to the front, the three little girls quickly ran to the two grandmothers together.
Feng Ruoruo hugged her grandmother and said, "Dad has started cooking."
Chen Yaofei also said to her grandmother and Lu Cuiling's grandmother: "Yeah, Father Feng has already started cooking, and he has even started using the fire."
Yang Xiaoxi added: "Uncle Xiaolin is also busy. Uncle Xiaolin is not so slow anymore."
Feng Ruoruo continued, "Yes, Uncle Xiaolin has also become much faster. He is no longer as slow as before and needed dad to tell him where to get things."
When Lu Cuiling heard her granddaughter's words, she smiled and said, "Really? It looks like Uncle Xiaolin has made a lot of progress."
Yang Xiaoxi suddenly turned around and ran to her father, pouting and asking, "Dad, why hasn't Mom come yet? We agreed to have lunch together and it's time for dinner, why hasn't Mom come yet?"
Yang Xiaoxi's mother didn't come at noon, which made the little girl very unhappy.
However, because Feng Ruoruo and Chen Yaofei were with her, the little girl asked a few questions during lunch but didn't take it too seriously.
But now, it was almost time for dinner, and the little girl remembered that her mother still hadn't come. Naturally, she felt a little unhappy, thinking that her mother was not trustworthy.
Yang Zhiyi hugged his daughter and whispered, "Mom called. She is very busy today, so she can't come over. How about we wait until we have dinner tonight and pick up Mom, okay?"
Yang Xiaoxi pouted after hearing this: "Really, mom is always busy."
Yang Zhiyi then comforted his daughter: "Because mom has to work, just like your father Feng, he has to be busy in the kitchen every day, right? And dad also has to write a lot of manuscripts every day."
After hearing what his father said, Yang Xiaoxi nodded very sensibly.
After nodding, the little girl suddenly asked, "Dad, didn't Mom eat lunch either?"
Yang Zhiyi smiled and comforted his daughter: "No, Mom works in the company, and the company will definitely arrange lunch for Mom."
Yang Xiaoxi looked relieved after hearing this: "Oh, that's good."
At this time, Feng Ruoruo and Chen Yaofei also came over. The two little girls knew from their grandmother's instructions that Yang Xiaoxi must be missing her mother, so they comforted Yang Xiaoxi together.
"Don't worry, Xixi. Aunt Li didn't come, but Feifei and I will accompany Xixi."
"Yes, Feifei and Ruoruo are accompanying Xixi together, and Feifei's parents are not here either. But Feifei feels that with you and Ruoruo together, Feifei will be very happy too."
Hearing what the two friends said, Yang Xiaoxi also laughed: "Well, Ruoruo, Feifei and I are together and we are very happy too."
Just at this moment, another guest came in, and the three little girls came forward together to welcome the diners.
This did surprise the guests who came in, especially the women who couldn't help but praise the three little girls.
"Oh, these three little girls are so cute."
"I've heard that the restaurant owner's daughters are very cute, but I didn't expect he has three."
"What beautiful three little girls."
…
After receiving the compliments, the three little girls smiled happily and then generously invited the guests in.
"Please come in, sit down first, and then mom will give you the menu and take your order. Xixi, Feifei, and I will take your menu to dad."
“Yes, Ruoruo and I will pass the menu to Father Feng for you.”
"Then Father Feng will cook for you."
Hearing what the three little girls said, the guests who came in were so happy that they couldn't stop smiling and quickly found a table to sit down.
"They are really cute. With three little cuties like these, I am willing to sit there without eating."
"Hahaha, you want to sit down without eating, but the boss will definitely not be happy about that."
"So what are we waiting for? Start ordering."
At this time, Su Ruoxi walked up with the menu, handed it to the customer, and introduced some of today's special dishes so that the diners could have a choice.
The three little girls did not gather here, but quickly ran back to their parents so as not to disturb the customers from ordering food.
The little girl in the front was busy greeting the guests, and in the kitchen Feng Yifan and his apprentices were quickly preparing the dishes on the menu for the first table.
The first thing to do is to put the cold dishes on the plate. During the process of cutting and plating, Feng Yifan also taught his apprentice very seriously.
"Remember, don't rush to cut and serve the cold dishes. You should prepare the hot dishes first, and cook those that need to be stewed for a long time first.
Then we take out the cold dishes, cut them, and put them on plates to serve the cold dishes. We need to coordinate the timing of each step.”
Lin Ruifeng listened carefully and nodded continuously: "I understand, Master."
In Lin Ruifeng's opinion, the chef really coordinated the time very well, which neither delayed the cooking of some hot dishes nor slowed down the serving of the dishes.
By coordinating the time well, we can ensure that each dish is served at a balanced speed.
This way, diners won’t have to wait too long between dishes.