Free Web NovelChapter 1148: Chapter 465: Gourd Means Fortune—A Legit Homophonic Dish: Eight Treasure Gourd Duck!
"Hey, junior brother, the bone removal for the whole duck shouldn’t be a problem for you, right?"
Xie Baomin took a sip of the Biluochun Tea brewed by Xiaowei. Today, combining the efforts of three households to shoot this Eight Treasure Gourd Duck was partly to enliven the new program, but mainly to make a statement.
Therefore, there can’t be any issues in the preparation; the dish must be perfected to let everyone see the charm of traditional Chinese cuisine.
"No problem."
Upon hearing this, Xie Baomin relaxed and turned to Xiaowei:
"Your tea leaves are a bit average; next time we’re filming a show, I’ll bring some. The guest chefs will be the head chefs from various major hotels, so the tea standards can’t be too low."
Hmm, winter is here, so the tea leaves in Building 10 have likely been replaced with new ones suitable for the season?
Qi Zhentao had previously filmed a program at the TV station. While not as laid-back as Xie Baomin, he diligently helped Lin Xu organize the ingredients they would use, neatly arranging the stove and various seasoning bottles.
A good chef will definitely keep the kitchen orderly and the items arranged tidily.
This is not just a habit cultivated during apprenticeship but also a chef’s inherent love for the kitchen.
Those who love cooking will definitely not tolerate a kitchen being messy or filthy.
"Are all the labels attached?"
Lin Xu checked all the seasonings, like Light Soy Sauce or Dark Soy Sauce, as online videos require careful review, and trademarks should not be visible. Therefore, the brand names on the seasonings need to be covered with labels.
Originally, he planned to use squeeze bottles, but as videos aren’t shot every day here, and sometimes aren’t shot for a week, the seasonings in squeeze bottles easily spoil.
It’s still better to use the original bottles.
Once everything was set, the three of them changed into custom chef uniforms, clothes printed with the logo of "Human Taste." All chefs invited in the future will wear the same style uniforms, aiming to quickly boost the new program’s popularity.
"Are we ready?"
Chen Yan walked in, carrying some Glass Noodles Meatballs from the store:
"Xiaoqi, Aunt Chen made these, specially packed a few for you, as well as some made by Yueyue with the air fryer. Give them a taste."
Zeng Xiaoqi took them, opened the lid, and a waft of meat fragrance immediately drifted out, smelling very enticing.
She didn’t eat immediately but handed them to Geng Lishan, who was organizing the Eight Treasure Gourd Duck:
"Mr. Lishan, give it a try."
Without hesitation, Geng Lishan picked up one and took a bite:
"Not bad. We used to have these meatballs as well; they’re crispy when freshly fried and soft when steamed... quite delicious."
Zeng Xiaoqi tried the ones made with the air fryer and found the taste to be quite good. Compared to deep-fried ones, these were relatively drier, but still crispy and tasty. Eating them was a delight.
Looks like the landlady has discovered new ways to use the air fryer, gotta learn some tips from her next time. Then if she gets hungry at night, she could whip up something delicious.
Can’t always be poisoned, gotta take the initiative and strike!
Lin Xu changed clothes, washed his hands, and stood in the kitchen for the photographer and lighting technician to make some adjustments.
Although adjustments were made before, having a person in front of the camera is different from just the kitchen. Adjustments should be made now to best showcase the chef’s flair and skills.
Adjustment complete, shooting commenced.
Previously, at the TV station, Zeng Xiaoqi would usually do the opening, but now with a focus on online platforms, this filming process doesn’t suit. The chef directly explaining is enough.
Meanwhile, Zeng Xiaoqi would appear with Geng Lishan after the dish was finished, doing the tasting and commentary, and explaining the specifics of eating and key points.
"Hello everyone, I am Lin Xu, and welcome to our new program ’Human Taste.’ Today, I’ll be making for you a traditional famous dish found in the cuisines of Shandong, Sichuan, Huaiyang, and others—Eight Treasure Gourd Duck!"
After speaking, he gestured beside him:
"Joining me today to make this video is my senior brother, whom viewers of travel eatery shows might be familiar with."
Xie Baomin waved at the camera:
"Hello everyone, I’m Old Xie who often gets ambushed by colleagues, welcome to ’Human Taste.’ I’m not visiting restaurants today, watch my junior brother prepare the duck."
Once "preparing the duck" was mentioned, everyone sitting at the production desk burst into laughter.
With someone like Xie Baomin, who has an outgoing personality participating in the show, it absolutely won’t fall flat.
After introducing his senior brother, Lin Xu solemnly introduced Qi Zhentao:
"This is Qi Zhentao, the Executive Chef of Yanjing Hotel, Qi is also a leader in the industry, having hosted more foreign guests than my senior brother has duped colleagues."
Qi Zhentao greeted the camera similarly.
Following that, the three of them introduced the ingredients to be used today, after which Lin Xu took up a pristine duckling to prepare for deboning.
He used a kitchen knife to cut off the duck wings, leaving the wing roots, then chopped off the duck paws, leaving only the duck legs.
After this processing, deboning became easier, and the Gourd Duck looked better after preparation. With the wings and paws left on, achieving the gourd shape wouldn’t be possible.
Xie Baomin commented:
"For making Gourd Duck, it’s best to use a young drake, within four months, with plump meat and superior texture."
Qi Zhentao added:
"Young ducklings have milder duck odor, tenderer meat, and their skin has certain flexibility, making shaping easier."
As the two spoke, Lin Xu had already placed the duck, minus wings and paws, on the cutting board, chef’s knife in hand, beginning the deboning process.
