Food Stall: Customers Chase Me across the Country-Chapter 310 - 311: Lard Is the Soul of Stir-Frying

Chapter 310: Chapter 311: Lard Is the Soul of Stir-Frying

Zhu Yuxiao felt that watching Wang Fan cook was truly a pleasure.

It was like watching an excavator at work.

Who in the world uses a shovel to cook?!

Xue Feng had long noticed this ’weapon,’ but at first, he didn’t associate it with cooking.

In his understanding, that thing was for digging holes, never connected with cooking, but Wang Fan used it specifically to cook, leaving his mouth gaping like a hippo.

"You must be kidding me! A pot that big and a spatula that huge, can the food cooked in that even be delicious?!"

Wang Fan didn’t care what they thought; everything was under control anyway.

Pork fat went into the pot, followed by the stalks of the greens, then salt, sugar, a splash of hot water, and covered to stew for 30 seconds.

In another pot, oil was added, along with pork belly, pork fat bits, and chopped garlic, quickly spreading an aromatic scent.

Lifting the lid off the lettuce pot, Wang Fan used a super large skimmer to swiftly scoop out the greens, shaking off most of the remaining water, and then poured them into the pot with the pork belly, drenching them in sauce. With a quick stir using the large spatula and the final addition of shrimp powder and sole fish powder, he gave it another stir and switched off the heat.

"Time to eat. Stir-fried lettuce hearts with crispy pork bits, 12 yuan per serving, 800 servings left; seaweed lettuce egg drop soup, 3 yuan a bowl, 800 bowls left."

"Ah? Oh... oh..."

Zhao Liang snapped out of it and quickly took a stack of plates to the side, then began dishing out the food with a spoon.

He didn’t have the same flick-of-the-wrist skill as a cafeteria auntie, every plate was piled abundantly full.

Chen Qing was busy scooping soup and rice into bowls.

Xue Feng didn’t slack off either and became the counter server.

So, Wang Fan cooked, Zhao Liang plated the dishes, Cheng Qing served soup and rice, and Xue Feng sold them, greatly increasing efficiency.

This dish was indeed quick, so fast that Wang Fan had to wait for the others to catch up, making it his easiest time yet.

Easy, yet the taste was impeccable.

The plates showed off vivid green, tender lettuce hearts contrasting with the golden pork crispy bits and pork belly, an enticing sight.

Jiang Chenchen picked up a piece of stem, holding it close to her face. The vibrant green, tender, oily leaf emitted a fresh vegetable aroma combined with the rich scent of pork, irresistibly inviting a bite.

Chewing on it, the crisply cooked lettuce heart retained a crunchy texture, with a slight sweetness making her want to chew faster.

"Wow, I’ve never had such delicious lettuce hearts before; this cooking is unbeatable. Just eating the lettuce hearts alone, I could finish three bowls of rice!"

Zhuo Qianqian waved her chopsticks holding a lettuce heart and a slightly charred piece of pork belly, "These two are best eaten together."

She popped them into her mouth and began chewing with a blissful expression.

The freshness and sweetness of the lettuce heart intertwined with the rich aroma of the pork belly, the crispy-soft pork belly and the fresh, crisp lettuce heart formed a stark contrast, producing a unique texture when chewed.

The combination was perfectly executed, appearing greasy yet neither oily nor plain when eaten, wonderfully satisfying the taste buds.

This called for at least three bowls of rice, to start!

Li Jing praised, "If moms cooked like this, which kid would be picky and skip meals? Try this pork crispy bit; the kid’s already moved to tears by the aroma!"

Zhuo Qianqian’s face was already buried in her bowl.

She piled several chopsticks’ worth of food into her bowl, then held it up and shoveled it into her mouth, almost completely obscuring her face, a testament to the dish’s incredible flavor.

Zhang Ya watching Zhuo Qianqian couldn’t help but praise, "You’re quite the appreciator, with you eating like this, what chef wouldn’t be delighted?"

"Hurry and try this soup; it’s also seaweed egg drop soup but feels like a whole different dish from what we’ve had before - it’s too savory!"

Jiang Chenchen downed three big gulps, "gurgle, gurgle, gurgle."

The silky smooth seaweed and its thread-like texture gently slid around in the mouth, giving Jiang Chenchen a particularly delicate mouthfeel. 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝙬𝙚𝓫𝒏𝓸𝓿𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝙤𝓶

The soft, fresh, and smooth eggs followed suit, seamlessly blending with the seaweed, creating a richer layering of texture.

The soup, smooth yet rich, held a slight saltiness with a hint of seafood essence, allowing the natural flavors of the seaweed and egg to shine through unsuppressed by overpowering flavors. A sip sends the broth sliding down the throat, leaving a lingering sense of satisfaction.

Zhang Ya and Li Jing also took a sip, with the rich aroma proving to be very captivating.

"If I got to have a bowl of this soup every day, wouldn’t that be amazing!"

"Even with the same seaweed egg drop soup, why is there such a big difference in taste?"

Xue Feng was thoroughly impressed.

Taking advantage of his position, he kept a portion of the dish for himself, and a single bite almost made his jaw drop.

The "crunch crunch" sound and the crisp texture told him that the chef’s control over the cooking was top-notch.

This texture was within reach, yet he couldn’t quite match Wang Fan’s massive pot and spatula!

What kind of mastery does it take to use something so large to achieve such texture?!

However, his eyes heatedly shifted towards Wang Fan... and the massive spatula in his hand.

If I can cook with this and replicate the same flavor, does it mean my control over the dishes will reach a new level?

This big spatula is a must-have!

...

A busy week finally ended, and Wang Fan could take a two-day break, though he didn’t want to stay idle.

As a child raised in Beijing, he always had a special yearning for the sea.

Beijing technically has a sea, but it’s more of a place for drinks than for seas.

He had seen the sea before in Lu Dong, but seeing it alone versus with someone was entirely different, and he had even prepared his digging tools.

Luckily, Saturday morning at 7 AM presented a big tide, so the two of them got up early to prepare for the outing.

The mood of a leisurely trip was certainly more enjoyable than going to work, and Wang Fan found himself particularly in high spirits today.

He and Zhuo Qianqian both wore red T-shirts, clearly a couple’s outfit, paired with shorts, convenient for exploring the sea.

Wang Fan usually stuck to black, white, or blue clothes; he rarely donned red, and now, clad in bright red, he felt a tad awkward.

"This... couple’s outfit I get, but do we really need to wear bright red?"

Zhuo Qianqian shook her high ponytail and replied, "You don’t understand, do you? Red is the best color for a sea outing."

She then counted on her slender fingers, "First, it’s bright and catches attention if there’s danger. Second, red in the spectrum of sunlight is the shortest ray after ultraviolet, which means it’s the most effective at absorbing ultraviolet light, thus wearing red clothes while exploring can prevent sunburn."