When the first round of early diners had all finished eating, it was already around 6:30 in the evening, which was the gap between the two groups of people before and after dinner.
Feng Yifan took advantage of this free time to prepare dinner for his relatives and friends outside.
First, several cold dishes were served, all of which were related to fish and river seafood. One of them was smoked fish, and another was three small dishes from the lotus pond: "lotus root slices, lotus stems, and lotus seeds."
These three lotus pond samples are sweet in taste, so they are very much in line with the taste of the three little girls.
Next, it is the more formal river fish dishes.
It includes stir-fried shrimps, stir-fried lotus pond, steamed sea bass, squirrel mandarin fish, lotus fish fillet, braised snails in sauce, and emerald shrimp balls.
Of course, there is also the yellow croaker stewed with tofu that Yue Qingsong kept mentioning during our previous chat.
There are really endless varieties of fish, shrimp and river seafood, and just looking at them is enough to make people feel dazzled.
The diners at the next tables were all filled with curiosity when they saw so many fresh river fish being served.
"Wow, there are so many fish, all kinds of fish, all kinds of cooking methods."
"There are also lots of fresh shrimps, yes, and snails, there are so many."
"This should be considered a river fish banquet, right? It's all river fish."
Especially when the yellow croaker stewed with tofu was served, the dish was served in a casserole. The moment the lid was opened, the salty and fragrant aroma wafted out, making everyone drool.
"It's yellow croaker stewed with tofu. This dish is really beautiful."
"Yes, this is the first time I see yellow croaker stewed with tofu cooked so beautifully."
In the casserole, the yellow croakers were buried under the soup and tofu, with only the heads and tails exposed.
It looks like fish playing in the river and then poking their heads out of the water.
The tofu on the back of the fish is also very fresh and tender. Each square piece of tofu is very regular. If you look closely, you will find that each piece of tofu is of equal size.
Finally, there is a layer of chopped green onions on top of the tofu, which is very fragrant under the steaming hot soup.
When Yue Qingsong saw the dish coming up, he couldn't wait to eat it.
"It's beautiful. Yifan, what you made is more beautiful than grandma's. Grandma would not have arranged the dish like you did. Your arrangement is really a bit artificial."
Feng Yifan smiled and responded, "Since we are entertaining a distinguished guest like you, of course we have to be a little bit pretentious."
After hearing what her father said, Feng Ruoruo immediately raised her hand and said, "Dad, Ruoruo thinks what you did is very beautiful. Ruoruo likes it."
Hearing his daughter's words, Feng Yifan responded with a smile: "Okay, thank you my good daughter."
Yang Xiaoxi also said: "Xixi likes it too."
Not to be outdone, Chen Yaofei also said, "Feifei also likes Father Feng's dishes, they are all so beautiful."
Feng Yifan responded with a smile: "Okay, thank you my three good daughters."
Feng Jiandong picked up the public spoon on the side and scooped a large spoonful from the casserole for Yue Qingsong. There was a yellow croaker, tofu and rich soup in it. He put it in a bowl and handed it to Yue Qingsong.
Seeing this, Yue Qingsong quickly stood up and said, "Oh, Uncle Dong, please don't be like this. I don't deserve this. I am the younger generation here today, so I should give the title to Yifan's uncle first."
Zhuang Daozhong smiled and waved his hand: "It doesn't matter, you are guests coming from afar, and I am half a member of the Su family anyway."
Hearing this, Yue Qingsong also said: "Uncle Master, what you said is wrong. If we talk about family, then Yifan and I are closer than brothers, so I am also a family member."
Feng Jiandong put the bowl down, quickly filled another one, and handed it to Zhuang Daozhong: "Okay, that's it."
Zhuang Daozhong was also a little embarrassed: "I'm really sorry, Jiandong, you should serve it to me."
Feng Jiandong smiled and said, "It's okay. Considering seniority, I should call you Uncle Master."
Everyone at the table burst into laughter after hearing this. Zhuang Daozhong took the bowl, sat down and said to Su Jinrong, "Jinrong, I really envy you. Your family is really the most harmonious family I have ever seen."
Shi Jinbin also said, "That's right. I never thought that I could get along with my in-laws like you and Yifan's parents. I really envy your family."
Su Jinrong, Feng Jiandong and the old couple Lu Cuiling looked at each other, and smiles appeared on the faces of the three old people.
In fact, the three elderly people knew very well that their harmony was based on their dedication to their sons and daughters.
What's more important is that they have a very lovely granddaughter, Feng Ruoruo, such a little happy pill. Naturally, the three old people all hope that the family will be harmonious, which will be conducive to the growth of the child.
Everyone got a small bowl, which contained a yellow croaker with soup and tofu.
When Master Zhuang Daozhong was halfway through his meal, he suddenly smiled and asked, "Jin Bin, Master Uncle is going to test you today. What kind of dish is this stewed tofu?"
Shi Jinbin smiled and said, "Uncle Master, isn't this a free point question?"
Zhuang Daozhong smiled and asked, "Tell me about it."
Shi Jinbin said directly: "This is just a stew."
At the same time, in the kitchen, Feng Yifan was also explaining to his young apprentice Lin Ruifeng.
"The yellow croaker stewed with tofu just now, on the surface, seems to be a stew, but in fact, it should be considered a braised dish, and I used yellow braised instead of red braised."
Almost at the same time Feng Yifan was telling his apprentice, Zhuang Daozhong smiled and said to Shi Jinbin, "Wrong, wrong, Jinbin, you are wrong."
Shi Jinbin was also a little surprised: "Am I wrong?"
Zhuang Daozhong smiled and said, "Of course you are wrong. This is actually a braised dish, and Yifan used the yellow braised one."
In the kitchen, Feng Yifan said to his apprentice: "The biggest difference between yellow braised and red braised is that yellow braised usually does not use sugar and soy sauce, but is more seasoned with salt, and the main dish of yellow braised is fried or pan-fried first, and then, like I did just now, simmer the yellow croaker over low heat, and finally add tofu and stir-fry together."
Zhuang Daozhong explained the cooking method of this dish in the front, and said to Shi Jinbin with a smile: "Jinbin, I didn't expect you to fail here."
Shi Jinbin smiled and said, "Hahaha, uncle master, I am here to show my support for you."
Zhuang Daozhong was stunned at first, then he laughed: "Shi Jinbin, you did it on purpose, didn't you?"
Shi Jinbin went on to say: "Look at you, you are going to give lectures to everyone, and I, as your nephew, can also support you."
Shi Jinbin's words made everyone laugh immediately.
The atmosphere among this group of people eating was instantly livened up.
The three little girls, Feng Ruoruo, Yang Xiaoxi and Chen Yaofei, had no idea what the adults were talking about. They just thought that the tofu made by their father was delicious.
The three little girls didn't want to eat fish at all because fish has bones. Tofu is soft and melts in the mouth. It is so delicious.
In the kitchen, Feng Yifan continued to explain to his apprentice: "This dish needs to retain the freshness of the yellow croaker, so it must be braised in this way to stew the fish and then add tofu and stir-fry.
Later, when it is served, it is still being cooked, and the flavor gradually seeps into the tofu.”
Lin Ruifeng carefully wrote down some of the key points that his master had told him, and then asked curiously, "Master, besides red-braised and yellow-braised, are there any other ways to cook it?"
Feng Yifan went on to say: "There is also a type called white roast, which is to blanch the ingredients and then cook them. It also does not add sugar or soy sauce, and it highlights the original flavor of the food."
Lin Ruifeng nodded seriously: "Well, red-braised food is sweet and salty, yellow-braised food is salty and fresh, and white-braised food is to highlight the original flavor of the food."
Feng Yifan nodded: "Yes, that's it."
Then, Feng Yifan cut the meat himself and asked Lin Ruifeng to come forward and cook.
"You've been in the kitchen for so long, why don't you try a dish today, a stir-fried lotus pond."
Lin Ruifeng was really a little nervous at this moment.
Although he had made sweet and sour shrimp balls before, it was not that difficult that time because the seasonings were all prepared in advance and there were basically not too many technical difficulties.
But today’s stir-fried lotus pond is different. It is a light dish that really tests the chef’s skills.
If they are not careful, many chefs will fail in such stir-fry dishes.
Seeing his apprentice's nervous look, Feng Yifan said seriously: "Have you forgotten what your master told you before? If you don't even have the courage to try, how are you going to gain a foothold in the kitchen in the future?"
Master's words made Lin Ruifeng calm down a little. He took a deep breath and started to try.
The dish of stir-fried lotus pond may seem simple, but the cooking process is actually not simple at all.
The first thing is to control the amount of oil. If there is too much oil, it will look too greasy, but if there is too little oil, it will look very dry.
Another thing is seasoning. Since it is a stir-fry, the original color of the food must be maintained. Heavy flavors cannot be used to season it, but people must still taste the proper flavor.
This dish is mainly salty in taste, so don't add too much salt during the frying process.
You should be able to taste the salt, but the saltiness should not cover up the freshness of the dish itself.
The most critical point is to add a little bit of starch before serving, which collects the fried soup. It should be sprinkled thinly on the dish so that people cannot taste too much starch when eating.
So a stir-fry like this really tests a cook's basic skills.
Lin Ruifeng looked very serious. He also looked very serious while frying the food in the pan, not daring to be negligent in the slightest.
I was afraid that something might be wrong or that I might overcook it because I didn't control the heat well.
Feng Yifan didn't say a word the whole time, just watched quietly from the side. He was afraid that if he spoke casually, it would disrupt his apprentice's rhythm, and he also hoped that his apprentice could do well.
Fortunately, the final dish was quite satisfactory, and Feng Yifan nodded secretly.
Lin Ruifeng put the dishes on the plate and turned to look at his master.
Feng Yifan nodded: "Well, it's passed. This dish is considered to be qualified, but don't be too happy too soon. It can only be considered barely passing."
He asked Lin Ruifeng to bring the dishes to the front first, and after Lin Ruifeng came back, Feng Yifan explained some of the key points.
"You still put a little too much oil. You have to remember that if you find that there is too much oil when you put the food in, don't hesitate, lift it up and pour out the excess oil immediately, understand?"
Hearing Master say this, Lin Ruifeng nodded: "Yes, I understand Master."
Feng Yifan then added: "When thickening the sauce, it is okay to use glass-thin sauce, but it must be shiny. Your sauce is not shiny."
Lin Ruifeng nodded again and carefully wrote down the issues pointed out by his master.
After correcting his apprentice, Feng Yifan asked, "How is the meal at the table of family members in front?"
Lin Ruifeng was stunned when he heard this, and then said strangely: "Master, I didn't pay attention."
Feng Yifan taught his apprentice one more thing: "You should also pay attention to this. When serving the dishes, pay attention to the degree of eating of the table that has not yet been served. This will make it easier for you to adjust the serving time."
Lin Ruifeng was still a little surprised: "Master, what does Weisman want to observe?"
Feng Yifan continued to explain: "Think about it, if one table of guests eats faster and another table of guests eats slower, if you don't adjust the serving time, the table that eats faster may be left without food, while the other table may be left with cold food."
Lin Ruifeng understood after hearing this: "I understand, Master. You need to pay attention to the speed at which the guests eat so that you can adjust the speed of serving the dishes."
Feng Yifan nodded: "Yes, that's right. This is the only way to ensure that every table of guests can eat comfortably."
Lin Ruifeng increasingly felt that what he learned from his master Feng Yifan was not only the cooking skills, but more importantly, an attitude towards the profession of chef.
A chef cannot improve himself at any time and cannot make adjustments according to the needs of diners.
If a cook just sticks to what he has, he will be eliminated sooner or later. In other words, such a cook is just a cook and cannot be called a "chef".
It doesn’t mean that their level is not good enough, nor that their craftsmanship is bad.
Just because of their attitude towards cooking and guests, they cannot be called "chefs".
What Lin Ruifeng could feel in Feng Yifan was a kind of great demeanor. In Lin Ruifeng's eyes, Feng Yifan was not only a chef, but also an artist, an artist in the kitchen.
For example, now Feng Yifan took out a very beautiful set of tableware, which came with a ceramic fan on the base.
Then, Feng Yifan cut off the head of the killed bighead carp and put it into the pot to cook, and then deboned the fish meat and sliced it.
Feng Yifan placed the sliced fish neatly on the fan-shaped surface of the tableware.
When neatly arranged, it instantly transforms into a gorgeous fan of fish fillets.
The fish head is braised in a pot with as much soup as possible. It is placed in a casserole with a small stove underneath for cooking.
In this way, a very delicious fish head rice porridge is ready.
This is also what Feng Yifan’s grandmother often made for Feng Yifan, Yue Qingsong and other children when he was a child.
After recreating his grandmother's dish, Feng Yifan asked his apprentice to fill another small casserole with rice. He then walked out of the kitchen, carrying this gorgeously decorated dish, to serve everyone this final dish.