Although horse lettuce is a very unique wild vegetable, it is definitely not a particularly delicious one. The most obvious proof of this is that it is not widely served on the dining table. The few delicious dishes involving horse lettuce, such as Li Qingxi's steamed buns, have not become popular for some reason.
It is not easy to make delicious dishes with this wild vegetable. When it comes to the texture of the dishes, there are countless similar vegetables that far surpass it. However, the purpose of eating this wild vegetable is its unique flavor. If you want to use this lettuce to make delicious dishes, you must cook with the flavor of this vegetable as the main factor.
Ye Chui had never cooked a dish with horse lettuce before, but that was because he had never paid attention to this kind of cuisine before and thought that this ingredient had no plasticity. But after eating the buns made with dried horse lettuce, he realized that this ingredient had potential far beyond his imagination.
Ye Chui wanted to compete with An Xiaoxiao, and a big part of the reason was, as Qin Yiyue guessed, that he was excited to see the prey. The potential of this little girl in the art of speaking shocked Ye Chui, and he wanted to teach her seriously. He accepted Tian Xiaodu as his apprentice because Tian Xiaodu's pursuit of cooking moved him, and accepted Han Yuyan as his apprentice because he wanted to do a favor for Han. As for An Xiaoxiao, Ye Chui was completely impressed by her talent.
As for the fact that An Xiaoxiao was a beggar... Ye Chui had never cared about it.
Of course, there is another important reason why Ye Chui and An Xiaoxiao want to compete. When Ye Chui just ate the horse lettuce, an idea flashed in his mind and he thought of some dishes that can fully bring out the characteristics of horse lettuce. He couldn't wait to experiment with the deliciousness of these dishes.
The Manhan Building was still being renovated, but the kitchen had been cleaned up early. Qin Yiyue and Han Yuyan were waiting outside the kitchen, listening to the sounds of cooking coming from the kitchen. Qin Yiyue had a thoughtful look on his face, wondering how Ye Chui would turn this ubiquitous weed into something delicious. Han Yuyan had always had some blind confidence in Ye Chui, so he was not in a hurry, but his face was a little dazed and no one knew what he was thinking.
"Are you worried about having a new junior sister competing for your favor?" Qin Yiyue finally couldn't help but teased Han Yuyan.
"No..." Han Yuyan glared at Qin Yiyue. What does it mean to compete for favor? She has always been the master's favorite disciple, okay? Han Yuyan then said with a headache, "I was thinking about how to dress up this An Xiaoxiao after she becomes my junior sister. I can't let her always look like a little beggar. Her body shape is similar to An Jing, but I think her temperament is not very similar to An Jing. She should go for a lively style. Gucci's summer clothes are pretty good..."
Qin Yiyue turned around and walked away. He said that he really couldn't understand the girl's way of thinking...
It was at this time that Ye Chui came out with a plate of food.
It is easy to identify the dish on the plate as purslane, but after being cooked with its leaves hanging down, the purslane takes on a black and green color, as if it was cooked raw, but it is definitely not just raw. The originally plump stems and leaves have absorbed water to the maximum extent, making it feel even more delicious.
Minced garlic and shredded green onions are dotted in the middle of the dish for seasoning, and there is a layer of shiny oiliness, which must be due to the addition of sesame oil.
But there is definitely more to this dish than just that.
Han Yuyan was already a little impatient. Raw lettuce tasted sour and bitter and did not seem delicious at all. When she saw Ye Chui's dish, she hurriedly took a pair of chopsticks, smiled at Ye Chui, picked up one and put it in her mouth to taste.
The sour and bitter taste has disappeared, replaced by another refreshing texture, with moderate saltiness and crispy texture. The seasoning of green onions and garlic brings a refreshing taste without being pungent. The faint fragrance should be attributed to the sesame oil, but it is indescribably in line with the unremarkable but distinctive taste of the lettuce.
This dish retains the characteristics of purslane and adds a bit of culinary beauty.
"Master, is this really purslane? I can't taste it at all." Han Yuyan said in surprise.
Qin Yiyue was able to remain calm at first, but after hearing Han Yuyan's words, he could no longer hold back. He found a pair of chopsticks, took a bite and put it into his mouth, tasting it carefully. A hint of surprise flashed across his face: "This is somewhat similar to dried horse lettuce, but also different. It has a crispy texture, fresh and refreshing... It seems to have been dry-fried, but it seems to be more than just dry-fried. How is this done?"
"I'll teach you how to do it later." Ye Chui said with a smile.
He didn't explain any further and walked out of the restaurant with the dish.
This dish of horse lettuce can be simply called cold-mixed horse lettuce. The cooking process is actually very simple, but Ye Chui's way of cooking is to see the big picture from the small, and to prepare perfect food in a simple way. This is the reason why big soups are not harmonious.
Outside the restaurant, the group of beggars were still sitting in a mess at the door. When they saw Ye Chui coming out, they all perked up and looked at the plates in Ye Chui's hands. An Xiaoxiao's eyes were naturally fixed on the dishes on Ye Chui's plate. Although the girl did not take Ye Chui's bet seriously on the surface, she still cared about it in her heart. She stretched her neck to look at him, and in her heart she had already begun to think about how to cook the dishes.
Ye Chui brought the plate to An Xiaoxiao and said, "Little girl, try it."
Han Yuyan hurriedly handed over a pair of chopsticks, but An Xiaoxiao directly picked up a piece of purslane with her hands and put it into her mouth - this made Han Yuyan curl her lips. It seems that she will have to seriously correct some of this little sister's habits in the future...
The other beggars all looked over and talked in low voices.
They were looking forward to An Xiaoxiao defeating Ye Chui. By then, Ye Chui would have to serve them delicious food and drinks and let them rest in the restaurant. Among them, Su Laosan was paying attention to other aspects. He stared at An Xiaoxiao eagerly.
"Girl, how are you?" Su Lao San asked.
An Xiaoxiao originally looked like she didn't care, but now she has become serious. The dish is indeed horse lettuce, but An Xiaoxiao feels that it is more than just horse lettuce. She is very talented in this aspect. She has eaten dishes made in those big restaurants before, and she can figure out the cooking methods of these dishes by taste. There may be some deviations at the beginning, but gradually, even if she has not undergone systematic cooking training, she has figured out most of the cooking methods. This is talent. No matter what the dish is in her mouth, she has the confidence to restore it. Ye Chui wanted to make a bet with her, but she didn't take it seriously in her heart. To her, cooking is a very simple thing. What are those five-star and six-star chefs
But at this moment, the first bite of Ye Chui's dish touched her little and childish heart.
Cooking may not be an easy thing...
"How does it feel?" Ye Chui asked with a smile. Although it was Ye Chui's first time to cook Ma Shengcai, he could still imagine countless cooking methods in a very short time based on his experience, but he chose the simplest one.
If An Xiaoxiao really had the talent he imagined, then she would definitely be able to understand what Ye Chu wanted to tell her: there is no end to food, and even this simple dish contains very profound things.
"Girl, what do you think? Can this dish be made?" Su Laosan asked hurriedly.
The other beggars were even more concerned about this.
"This dish looks simple, how difficult is it?"
"Xiaoxiao, show them your unique skills!"
"Show them your craft!"
An Xiaoxiao picked up another vegetable and put it into her mouth, savoring it carefully. After a moment, she finally raised her head and looked at Ye Chui: "Hey, can I use your kitchen?"
Ye Chui pointed to the restaurant and said, "Okay, everything in the kitchen is available to you."
Su Laosan had already handed a bunch of picked lettuce to An Xiaoxiao.
An Xiaoxiao walked towards the kitchen.
Other beggars followed behind, but when they reached the door of Manhan Building, they hesitated. They were beggars, and this was a big hotel. No big hotel would be willing to let beggars into their hotel. In the past, even if they passed by the door, they would attract a lot of cold stares...
"You can come in." Seeing these people hesitate, Ye Chui immediately greeted them with a smile.
Beggars are also human beings. He never cares about these things and does not think that allowing beggars into the restaurant will affect the restaurant.
After hearing Ye Chui's words, the beggars hesitated for a moment, and finally stepped in.
"This young boss seems to be different from ordinary people."
"It's different. He specially prepared buns for us for lunch and let us walk into his restaurant... Oh, are we doing something wrong by deliberately making things difficult for him?"
"At worst, we can just give up this deal. It's obvious that Fan Hong is not a good person."
The beggars talked among themselves.
Ye Chui led An Xiaoxiao to the huge kitchen, but An Xiaoxiao was already shocked by the kitchen. All kinds of kitchen utensils were available and all were brand new. Although Su Laosan and his gang of beggars usually wandered around, they still had a place to rest. There were also some cooking items there, but those items were far different from this kitchen.
Other beggars might just think that this kitchen is magnificent and amazing, but for An Xiaoxiao, it was like walking into heaven in an instant. Her breathing became a little rapid. Everything here exuded attraction, making her feel how perfect and happy she would be if she could stay here and use these things.
Even she, who was originally fearless, hesitated. She turned her head timidly and looked at Ye Chui: "Can I really use the things here?"
Ye Chui patted An Xiaoxiao's head encouragingly: "Of course, you can use everything in the kitchen as you like." (~^~)