NCCnovel Chapter 99 Making roast duck for the family
Chapter 99 Making roast duck for the family
Afterwards, when Yuan Bao got home, he went straight to the phone.
She skillfully dialed the number of Mr. Feng, the owner of the White Horse Restaurant. As soon as the call was connected, Yuan Bao greeted him warmly: "Mr. Feng, it's been a long time!"
After exchanging a few pleasantries, Yuan Bao got down to business, smiling as he said, "Mr. Feng, it's like this, I recently returned from Beijing and learned some tricks of making Beijing roast duck. I was thinking of borrowing your restaurant's equipment to show off my skills to my family and let them taste the authentic Beijing flavor. Do you think this is feasible?"
Boss Feng's hearty laughter immediately came through the phone: "Hey! What's wrong with that! Yuan Bao, come and use it!"
"As usual, there will definitely be a red envelope, hahaha! Peking duck! I'm so looking forward to it. Tell me what materials you need to prepare, and I'll have everything ready for you in advance."
The thought of seeing you make authentic Beijing roast duck is making me so excited!
As Yuan Bao listened to Boss Feng's eager and enthusiastic words, he couldn't help but picture Boss Feng rubbing his hands together excitedly, looking just like an excited fly rubbing its hands.
She could almost picture the restaurant packed with diners, all drawn by the soon-to-be-released Beijing roast duck, a scene of bustling activity.
Yuan Bao couldn't help but laugh out loud, and then reported the required ingredients to Boss Feng one by one.
After hanging up the phone, Yuan Bao's gaze fell on Little 9, who was nestled on the sofa. Little 9 was still not fully awake and looked well-behaved and quiet.
Yuan Bao gently picked it up, affectionately rubbed its fluffy head, and imitated a cat's meow.
She called out softly, "Meow meow meow," while silently thinking to herself, "Little 9, Little 9, when will your system upgrade be finished? I'm looking forward to you getting back to your clever self."
The only response she received was Little 9's innocent and bewildered meows, as if it were having a special conversation with Yuan Bao, yet completely unaware of her inner anxiety.
Yuan Bao smiled helplessly and gently patted Xiao 9's back.
Afterwards, Yuan Bao carried Xiao 9 back to her room, turned around and gently closed the door, shutting out the noise from the outside world.
She carefully placed Little 9 on the bed, and Little 9 curled up into a fluffy ball.
Yuan Bao walked to her desk, reached out and flipped through the pile of high school study materials on the table. Looking at the dense text and formulas, she took a deep breath, her eyes gradually revealing determination and focus, officially starting a new round of learning. Little 9 quietly accompanied her beside her, and the only sound in the room was the occasional rustling of turning pages.
As the sun gradually set, the afterglow streamed through the window onto Yuan Bao's desk, casting a long shadow of her focused study. Only when she heard the familiar sounds of her parents opening the door and talking did Yuan Bao look up from the dense text and formulas. She gently rubbed her sore eyes, put down her book, and got up to leave the room.
"Mom and Dad, you're back!" Yuan Bao greeted them with a smile.
As Mr. and Mrs. Yuan changed their shoes, they responded to her with smiles.
Yuan Bao continued, "I called Mr. Feng of Baima Restaurant today and arranged to borrow the restaurant's equipment to make Peking duck for my family."
As she spoke, she looked at Yuan's mother and said, "Mom, could you please call my uncle, aunt, and other relatives and invite them to come and try it? It would be so much fun if everyone got together!"
Upon hearing this, Yuan Ma's eyes filled with joy, and she quickly nodded in agreement, "Alright, you're so thoughtful, I'll do it right away."
Mr. Yuan smiled and praised Yuan Bao's arrangements, making the family's warm atmosphere even stronger.
"Where's your brother? Where did he go? Why isn't he home?" Mr. Yuan asked casually.
Yuan Bao couldn't help but chuckle and teased, "He's probably off hanging out with his classmates. We just got back from Beijing, and he's definitely itching to get together with his friends. He might even be planning to show off a bit, telling them all about what happened in Beijing. He's probably talking about it with great enthusiasm right now!"
As he spoke, Yuan Bao pictured Bao Guo gesturing wildly as he described his sights and sounds in Beijing to his classmates, and his smile deepened.
As dawn breaks, the soft light spills across the earth, waking us to a new day.
As usual, Yuan Bao got up early for her morning exercise, jogging along the familiar streets. The fresh air filled her chest, making her feel invigorated.
After her morning exercise, Yuan Bao hurried home, quickly washed up, and then plunged into her studies. She was completely absorbed in the ocean of knowledge, and her paper gradually filled with dense notes.
As the clock on the wall slowly moved to the appointed time, Yuan Bao put down his pen and stretched.
Stepping out of his room, he peeked into Baoguo's room where he was studying and called out, "Brother, it's almost time. We should head to the White Horse Restaurant!"
Upon hearing this, Baoguo immediately put down the book he was holding, quickly tidied himself up, and the two of them left the house and headed towards the White Horse Restaurant.
Along the way, they chatted and laughed, talking about the Peking duck they were about to make, and looking forward to bringing a delicious feast to their families.
Upon arriving at the White Horse Restaurant, Yuan Bao let Bao Guo rest and wait in the private room, while he and the enthusiastic Boss Feng went to the restaurant's kitchen, familiar with the place.
Inside the kitchen, all kinds of ingredients and cooking utensils were already prepared, gleaming under the bright lights, as if waiting for a wonderful cooking show to begin.
Yuan Bao rubbed his hands together, his eyes gleaming with eager anticipation, ready to show off his skills.
Yuan Bao stood in the center of the steaming kitchen, took a deep breath, and began preparing the Peking duck.
She started by picking out the selected ducks, steadily lifting one with both hands, and explaining to the chefs around her who were paying close attention: "There is a trick to choosing ducks. You have to choose ducks that are plump and have firm meat, so that the roasted duck meat will have crispy skin and tender meat."
As she spoke, she deftly blew air into the duck, her skillful technique separating the skin from the meat. "This step of blowing air is to allow the duck skin to expand fully during roasting, so that the skin will be extra crispy later."
As Yuan Bao explained, he gestured for the chef to follow along. This time, they planned to make eight roast ducks together.
Next, Yuan Bao placed the prepared duck into the prepared secret braising liquid and gently turned it over to ensure that every part was evenly flavored. "I added more than a dozen spices to this braising liquid, such as cinnamon, bay leaves, and cloves, which are the key to making the roast duck have a unique flavor."
After soaking for a while, she hung the ducks up one by one to drain the water and began to coat them with maltose syrup. "This maltose syrup not only colors the roast duck, but also gives it a light sweet taste after roasting."
With everything ready, Yuan Bao carefully placed the ducks into the oven, set the temperature and time, and turned to the chefs, saying, "When roasting, controlling the heat and time is crucial. If the temperature is too high, the skin will easily burn; if the temperature is too low, it won't achieve a crispy effect."
During the roasting process, Yuan Bao frequently instructed the chef to open the oven to observe and adjust its position to ensure the duck was heated evenly.
As time went by, an enticing aroma gradually wafted from the oven. The chefs followed Yuan Bao's every move closely, nodding repeatedly with admiration and praise in their eyes.
When the oven timer went off, Yuan Bao instructed the chef to quickly put on oven mitts, open the oven, and a rich, mellow, and mouthwatering aroma instantly filled the entire kitchen.
The roast duck in the oven had a date-red skin that was glossy, crispy, and sparkling under the light, resembling a meticulously crafted work of art.
The chef carefully removed the roast duck from the oven and placed it on a cutting board to cool slightly.
Then, Yuan Bao picked up a sharp duck-slicing knife and began to slice the duck with skillful technique.
As she sliced the duck, she explained to the chefs, "The key to slicing duck is to make the slices evenly thin, and each slice must have both skin and meat on it, so that it has a rich texture."
As she spoke, she lightly turned her wrist, and with each stroke of the knife, slices of duck meat as thin as cicada wings landed neatly on the plate.
Starting with the duck breast, Yuan Bao cut a piece of duck meat that was just the right size, with crispy skin, tender meat, and clearly visible marbling.
Next, following the curves of the duck's body, she skillfully separated the duck meat from the skeleton with fluid and natural movements, as if she were performing an elegant show.
Before long, the plate was filled with neatly arranged duck pieces, each one cut just right, almost identical in size and shape.
After slicing the duck meat, Yuan Bao carefully prepared the side dishes.
She neatly arranged the tender green scallion strips and golden cucumber strips on one side of the plate, with a dish of fragrant sweet bean sauce next to them.
Then, she picked up a thin lotus leaf pancake, spread a layer of sweet bean sauce evenly on it, added a few slices of duck meat, shredded green onions and cucumber strips, and gently rolled it up, and a delicious roast duck roll was completed.
She handed the roast duck roll to Mr. Feng, who had been waiting nearby, and said with a smile, "Here, have a taste and see how it tastes."
Mr. Feng took it, took a bite, and a satisfied expression immediately appeared on his face. He gave a thumbs up and praised, "It's so delicious! The taste is absolutely authentic!"
Seeing everyone's reactions, Yuan Bao's face beamed with pride as he prepared to share this delicious treat with his family members who were waiting in the private room.
A restaurant waiter carried a carefully plated roast duck and followed Yuan Bao into the private room.
In an instant, a rich aroma filled the air, drawing expectant glances from the family members.
Bao Guo was the first to step forward, took a deep breath, and said with a look of utter delight, "Oh my, this smells so good! It's exactly the same as what I had in Beijing!"
Mr. Yuan couldn't help but nod, his eyes full of approval: "Daughter, this roast duck is really good. I can't wait to try it."
Bao Guo demonstrated for everyone, eagerly picking up a thin pancake, skillfully stuffing it with duck meat, scallions, and cucumber, rolling it up generously, and then taking a big bite.
The tenderness of the duck meat, the crispiness of the duck skin, the spiciness of the scallions, and the refreshing taste of the cucumber blended perfectly in his mouth. As he chewed, Baoguo mumbled his praise, "Mmm! It's so delicious! Yuan Bao, your cooking skills are amazing!"
Grandpa and Grandma smiled so hard their eyes narrowed into slits. Grandma gently took the roast duck roll Yuan Bao handed her, took a small bite, and savored it. A happy smile bloomed on her face: "Bao, this is the best roast duck I've ever eaten. You're so accomplished!"
Grandpa also gave a thumbs up and kept praising her.
Watching his family enjoy their meal, Yuan Bao felt a great sense of accomplishment, and a happy smile spread across his face.
The private room was filled with laughter and cheerful conversation. The warm atmosphere grew even stronger with the delicious roast duck, and the family was immersed in this wonderful time of reunion, fully enjoying this rare happiness and joy.