Gourmet: The Master Chef Just Wants to Leisurely Set Up a Stall - Chapter 42

Another new day began, and at five in the morning, Zhao Xiaojing arrived promptly at the back kitchen.

To wake up early, she had gone to bed early the previous night, but unsurprisingly, she lay awake until midnight.

She was accustomed to her unpredictable body clock and simply ignored it. As soon as the alarm rang, she got up, washed, and dressed, despite the dark circles under her eyes.

“Didn’t sleep well, Xiao Zhao? Your eyes look dark,” Geng Mingyan remarked upon seeing her.

“Wow, how did they get so dark? Why don’t you catch some more sleep in my dorm?” Hou Guihua suggested, turning around and noticing Zhao Xiaojing’s tired face.

“No need, Sister Hou. I’ll take a nap at noon anyway. I’ll adjust my schedule soon enough. Let’s start cooking,” Zhao Xiaojing responded, feeling touched by her warm colleagues, which made working a joy.

“Alright, do you want to watch me fry two rice cakes and then see Guihua steam buns?” Geng Mingyan asked.

“I’ll learn to fry rice cakes today,” Zhao Xiaojing replied casually.

“Today? You mean you’ll come tomorrow too?” Hou Guihua looked at Zhao Xiaojing incredulously.

“Yes, I’ll help out Sister Hou and Sister Geng. Do you think I can manage?”

“Of course! Why not!” Hou Guihua laughed heartily, welcoming the young woman’s enthusiasm.

The three of them donned white coats and got busy.

“The rice and soybeans have been soaked overnight. I used early-season rice; some use old rice or regular rice works too. The ratio is about 3:1 of rice to soybeans, then blended into a fine batter. When adding to the blender, cover the rice with a fingernail’s depth of water, and blend twice into a smooth batter.”

Geng Mingyan pulled out a large basin of soaked soybeans and rice, washed them twice, and poured them into the blender, explaining carefully to Zhao Xiaojing.

“Add minced scallions and ginger to the batter. For a strong onion flavor, add more scallions, finely chopped. Few like ginger, so I add just a little for aroma.”

Geng Mingyan handed over a bunch of scallions and some ginger. Zhao Xiaojing quickly took them, chopping as instructed.

Once chopped, she added the scallion and ginger to the rice batter, mixed in some salt and pepper powder, and stirred evenly.

Then she placed it in a container to let it rest for 30 minutes.

While waiting, Geng Mingyan took out dough that had been resting and started making youtiao (fried dough sticks) ⁵.

Rolling, cutting, then using chopsticks to make horizontal cuts; once stretched, they were ready for frying.

After preparing the youtiao, the rice cake batter was ready.

“To prevent the rice batter from sticking, oil the spoon beforehand. Otherwise, when it hits the oil, the batter will cling to the spoon and be hard to clean.”

Geng Mingyan poured oil, submerging the head of a special spoon in cold oil before heating both together.

“Sister Geng, your spoon is quite unique. Is it custom-made?” Zhao Xiaojing curiously observed the tool—a spoon handle with seven heads, allowing seven rice cakes to fry simultaneously.

“This? It’s specially bought. With so many people on site, frying one by one wouldn’t suffice.”

Submerging the spoon head in cold oil heated with the oil ensures no sticking when coating again with cold oil at medium-high heat.”

“Oh… it’s like Chef Sun preheating the pan before adding oil,” Zhao Xiaojing mused.

“Hehe, I wouldn’t know about that. I’ve always done it this way. At home, if you’re worried about wasting oil, pour it over the spoon and fry an egg—it works the same.”

Zhao Xiaojing nodded, taking mental notes.

“Once the oil’s hot, test with a bit of batter on chopsticks. If it floats right up, the temperature’s perfect.”

As she spoke, Geng Mingyan demonstrated—the batter floated up swiftly.

She filled each of the seven spoon heads with batter, scraping the center for hollow spaces and crispy edges.

Once all were filled, she lowered them into the oil.

The rice cakes turned golden quickly. A gentle shake of the spoon handle released them to float freely.

Flipping them over, she fried until crisp and golden on both sides before removing them.

“There, it’s done. Simple, right?”

“It seems simple, but mastering requires skill,” Zhao Xiaojing noted, recalling her own fried skewer experiences where simplicity masked complexity requiring precise control.

Geng Mingyan chuckled at her keen observation.

They moved on to frying youtiao, requiring a slightly higher temperature than rice cakes. The sequence was efficiently planned by Geng Mingyan.

“Sister Geng, your skills are breakfast-shop-worthy—quick and excellent work means great business!”

Having only sampled rice cakes yesterday, today’s fluffy, crispy youtiao caught Zhao Xiaojing’s admiration.

“Oh, I used to run a breakfast shop. Business was okay.”

“Why’d you stop?”

“My husband works at the construction site. Years ago, I ran the shop back home while he worked here. Being apart wasn’t ideal, so he found me work here, and I closed the shop.” Geng Mingyan explained with a smile.

“So that’s it—you and Brother-in-law have a great relationship.”

“It’s just life—nothing special,” Geng Mingyan replied lightly.

Steaming buns nearby, Hou Guihua shook her head regretfully at Geng Mingyan’s words.

“What’s wrong, Sister Hou? You seem heavy-hearted,” Zhao Xiaojing asked curiously.

“Sigh, I feel bad for Sister Geng,” Hou Guihua sighed, closing the steamer heavily.

“It’s nothing to pity. We’re older now; less fuss means less worry. It’s fine,” Geng Mingyan comforted Hou Guihua.

“Sister Geng, Sister Hou, did you know each other before?” Zhao Xiaojing shifted the topic as the atmosphere grew tense.

“We’re from the same place. I knew her long ago from breakfast visits—she didn’t know me then. After I started on site work, she joined later. It’s been seven or eight years now,” Hou Guihua explained to Zhao Xiaojing.

“If lazy Sister Hou had opened a bun shop back home, my breakfast business would’ve gone under!” joked Geng Mingyan without missing a beat in her tasks. After finishing the last youtiao batch, she retrieved tea eggs⁶ marinated overnight.

“Don’t listen to her nonsense! My skills are cafeteria-level at best—I can’t even pleat buns well. The workers eat them regardless of their looks,” Hou Guihua teased herself, laughing.

“Who says ugly doesn’t work? I love your ugly buns! Xiao Zhao, try some later. Sister Hou’s buns may be ugly, but they taste amazing!” urged Geng Mingyan enthusiastically, piquing Zhao Xiaojing’s curiosity.

****

⁵Youtiao (油条, yóu tiáo) : Youtiao, also known as Chinese fried dough stick or Chinese cruller, is a popular breakfast food in China. It consists of long strips of dough that are deep-fried until golden and crispy on the outside, yet soft and airy on the inside. Typically served with congee or soy milk, youtiao is enjoyed for its light, chewy texture and mild flavor, often eaten plain or dipped into sweet or savory sauces.

⁶Tea Egg (茶叶蛋, chá yè dàn) : A tea egg is a traditional Chinese snack made by boiling eggs and then simmering them in a mixture of tea, soy sauce, and spices. The eggs are first hard-boiled, then cracked slightly to allow the flavors to seep in. After marinating, they develop a marbled appearance and a rich, savory flavor infused with the herbal notes of the tea and the umami of the soy sauce. Tea eggs are commonly sold as street food or prepared at home for their unique taste and visual appeal.