Chapter 115: Chapter 115: Long Queue in the Wilderness! Outrageous Scene!
Today’s reward: [Shandong Cuisine—Stir-fried Kidney Flowers Recipe]
Stir-fried kidney flowers is a famous dish, with Shandong Cuisine and Sichuan Cuisine versions, both of which are signature dishes.
Jiang Feng mastered the Shandong Cuisine recipe.
Kidney flowers?
This dish could be doable.
It’d be nice to give the fishing guys a kidney boost, Jiang Feng thought to himself.
Since kidneys are pricey, the stir-fried kidney flower lunch box couldn’t be sold for 18; it had to be 25 a serving.
Jiang Feng decided to introduce the new dish, stir-fried kidney flowers, tomorrow.
So, he immediately contacted the butcher.
When the butcher heard his order, he paused briefly.
"How much? Twenty pig kidneys?"
"Boss Jiang, remember to pace yourself."
Jiang Feng didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. "I’m making lunch boxes."
"Alright, I’ll deliver them to you this evening."
"Good, it’s a deal."
With the ingredients settled and nothing else to do, Jiang Feng rested at home.
「The next day.」
Jiang Feng began bustling around the kitchen stove.
He sliced open the kidneys, removed the membranes, cleaned them, and then scored them.
He sliced them diagonally, allowing the kidneys to curl into a flower-like pattern when cooked.
Then came marinating them with various seasonings and oil, mixing the kidney flowers evenly by hand.
The accompanying ingredients were wood ear mushrooms, celtuce stems, and sliced red chili peppers.
He heated the wok, added the ingredients, started stir-frying, poured in the sauce, and plated the dish.
Jiang Feng continuously tossed the contents of the wok, the kidney flowers flying up and falling back in.
The flames from the stove flared continuously.
The woman packing the lunch boxes beside him was dumbstruck.
This is the work of a master!
The quick stir-frying ensured an even coating of sauce, balancing the flavors.
Jiang Feng poured the cooked kidney flowers into a large bowl.
The kidney flowers were a glossy, bright red, glistening with a soy-sauce-colored sheen. The wood ear mushrooms and celtuce stems were also thoroughly coated in the sauce, looking utterly tempting!
In a restaurant, it would be served on a white square plate with garnish on the side, the dish itself taking center stage.
But a mountain need not be tall to be famous, as long as it hosts immortals.
Even without fancy plating, the dish was exquisite enough.
Jiang Feng picked up a piece of kidney flower to taste.
The kidney had curled and fanned out, its scored crevices packed with sauce that instantly stimulated his taste buds.
With a gentle chew, the sauce from within the kidney flower oozed onto the tip of his tongue.
The kidney was incredibly tender yet slightly springy, with an especially delicious texture.
It was an incredibly comforting delight.
"Mm, not bad at all," Jiang Feng nodded.
It was no wonder this dish was one of Shandong Cuisine’s signature dishes.
The wood ear mushrooms added a refreshing touch to the kidney flowers, while the kidney flowers lent a savory depth to the wood ear mushrooms.
Tender kidney flowers, tender wood ear mushrooms, tender celtuce stems.
The highlight of this dish was its "tenderness."
Jiang Feng had a couple more bites, then called out to the woman, "Auntie, please put all the lunch boxes with kidney flowers in this insulated container."
"These have to be kept separate; they’re to be sold for a higher price."
Hearing this, the auntie immediately agreed, "Alright, no problem!"
The sudden English phrase took Jiang Feng by surprise.
This auntie is quite fashionable.
But when it came to work, the auntie was no slouch—quick and reliable.
Their cooperation was seamless.
Jiang Feng continued to keep busy. He had to cook a few more dishes.
Selling lunch boxes might look easy, but that was only because a lot of prep work was done ahead of time.
The food and beverage industry wasn’t that easy to manage.
After bustling about, the more than 360 lunch boxes were finally ready.
Jiang Feng, his vehicle full of food, once again set out on his journey.
He was like a mobile supply station.
The fishing folks at Moon River had long been eagerly awaiting his arrival.
They watched the highway, their eyes seeming to gleam with a hungry light.
That was the glow of hunger.
Many were now just waiting for Jiang Feng’s lunch boxes, especially those who had come to fish since midnight.
"Where’s Executive Chef Jiang? If he doesn’t show up soon, I’ll starve to death here!"
"Hurry up!"
"It’s almost 11 o’clock and he’s not here yet!"
"Whoa, so many people! Guys, let’s line up in advance!"
The scene appeared quite absurd.
On a patch of wilderness by Moon River, with nothing but some weeds, more than forty people had already formed a line.
A middle-aged man named Wang Ye, taking a day off, had rushed to Moon River to indulge in some fishing.
As he turned off the highway and saw the long queue in the wilderness, Wang Ye was completely dumbfounded.
What... What’s going on?
What’s everyone doing?
Am I seeing things?
All he could see in the wilderness was the long line, with nothing at its head.
He had no idea what had transpired at Moon River in just a few days.
The scene seemed utterly bizarre, no matter how he looked at it.
Wang Ye parked his car in the designated parking area.
He took his fishing tackle box, fishing rods, and a bucket out of the trunk and started walking.
That group of people was still queuing on the open ground.
Wang Ye kept looking back, wanting to figure out exactly what everyone was queuing for.
He walked a few paces, but his curiosity was too strong. He turned back, went to the end of the line, and asked the person in front, "Hey bro, what’s going on? Why is everyone standing in line?"
"Is it some kind of club activity?"
Hearing Wang Ye’s question, the person in front turned around. "We’re queuing up to buy lunch boxes."
"Executive Chef Jiang’s lunch boxes."
Lunch boxes? Wang Ye was thoroughly puzzled. A long queue in the wilderness for lunch boxes?
Do you even hear what you’re saying?
Wang Ye, already confused, became even more so after hearing the reply.
However, at that moment, Jiang Feng’s food truck drove over.
The crowd instantly stirred with excitement.
Following the principle of "if there’s a crowd, there’s something interesting," Wang Ye set his fishing tackle box aside, intending to see what was going on.
Soon, Jiang Feng set up the food truck, placed two tables and eight or nine small stools on the adjacent open ground, and began his day’s business.
The queue moved quickly.
In no time, Wang Ye reached the front.
He saw a sign in front of the food truck that read:
"Regular Lunch Box: 18 per serving"
"Deluxe Lunch Box: 25 per serving (Special Stir-fried Kidney Flowers)"
"Boss, give me a deluxe lunch box," Wang Ye said.
"Okay."
Wang Ye scanned the code to pay and received his lunch box.
He looked around at the scene, still finding it surprising.
How has Moon River gotten so lively in just a few days?
And there’s business like this?
Just then, someone finished their lunch box and left. Wang Ye took the empty stool, opened the lid of his lunch box, and began to eat.
His eyes immediately fell on the kidney flowers.
The kidney flowers in the lunch box were perfectly curled and fanned out, swaying slightly when he picked them up with his chopsticks.
The kidney flowers smelled fragrant too, without any hint of a gamey odor, instead exuding a strong, fresh aroma.
At the smell, his mouth watered instantly, and he couldn’t help but smack his lips a couple of times.
Wang Ye put a piece of kidney flower into his mouth and chewed gently.
Instantly, the rich sauce squeezed out from the crevices of the kidney flower.
The sauce was rich, fragrant, and refreshing.
Wang Ye felt the kidney flower, tender yet springy, in his mouth.
Damn, this flavor.
Delicious!
An expression of amazement appeared on his face.
No wonder so many people are in the queue.
He thought he finally understood why.
It’s indeed delicious.
Wang Ye then picked up a piece of wood ear mushroom and tasted it; it was crunchy and fresh.
Simply put, it was a true culinary delight.
To stir-fry kidney flowers to this level at a small stall is rare.
"This is definitely the standard of a restaurant chef!" Wang Ye exclaimed.
Now he also understood why people called Jiang Feng "Executive Chef."
His skills were simply exceptional.
Usually, vendors selling lunch boxes at simple stalls in the outskirts would only make the most basic dishes, often crudely prepared.
Delicate dishes like stir-fried kidney flowers weren’t something you could typically get at a small stall.
Now, for just 25 yuan, one could enjoy a restaurant-quality feast during a fishing break.
Just one word: awesome!
Wang Ye restrained his excitement and quickly finished his lunch box, eating every last bite.
After eating, he felt a warmth in his stomach and an inexplicable sense of comfort throughout his body.
It’s too delicious!
This is the tastiest lunch box I’ve ever had!
After finishing his meal, he got up, picked up his fishing tackle box, and headed back to the riverside to fish.
Looking back, the queue was still long.
Good thing I queued.
Otherwise, I really wouldn’t have gotten one.
Wang Ye felt secretly relieved.
In front of the food truck, a middle-aged man, after eating Jiang Feng’s lunch box, came over specifically to ask, "Boss, how do you remove the gamey taste from these kidney flowers?"
"I’m quite picky with my food, especially averse to gamey flavors."
"But your lunch box doesn’t have any gamey taste at all; instead, it’s exceptionally fresh and savory."
"It truly exceeded my expectations."
Jiang Feng turned his head and glanced at him.
The middle-aged man was dressed in a very clean white tracksuit with no logo. Someone next to him was carrying his fishing tackle box.
It was clear he was a man of means.
This perfect wild fishing spot was a place of hidden dragons and crouching tigers; there were ordinary people, but also magnates of unknown wealth.
"Just cut it cleanly," Jiang Feng replied unhurriedly.
Hearing this, the middle-aged man looked somewhat astonished, then smiled and left.
He had wanted to ask about the method for removing the gamey taste so he could have his own chef prepare it to nourish his kidneys.
But he hadn’t expected the method to be so simple and unadorned.
Today’s deluxe lunch box was very popular.
The deluxe lunch box was limited to two servings per person.
Jiang Feng was also afraid people would use the kidney flowers as groundbait again.
After all, those avid fishermen were capable of anything.