Wen Xueru returned to the noodle restaurant and added a lot of ingredients on the way.

Lu Yunshu was sweeping the floor, and when he saw her coming back, he hurriedly stepped forward to take the things she was carrying.

Mother Wen guarded against landing Yunshu like a thief, and when she saw him going to be courteous, she immediately coughed twice and asked, "Xueru, didn't you say that you would rest for a few days?" How do you buy so many things and come back? ”

Wen Xueru said half-truthfully: "I went out and received an opportunity to make extra money to be the chef of someone's birthday banquet, so I bought more ingredients and came back to study the menu." ”

Without waiting for Mother Wen to speak, Wen Xueru set her eyes on Lu Yunshu again, and said, "By the way, Lu Yunshu, you have participated in a lot of banquets, I have not been in Kyoto for a long time, I don't know the rules of your Kyoto, you explain to me what dishes are there, I will write them down." ”

Lu Yunshu was naturally very willing to help, and hurriedly moved all the ingredients to the kitchen.

When he put the ingredients, Wen Xueru had already prepared pen, ink, paper and inkstone, and looked like she was listening carefully.

"Birthday banquet, if you are an old person, is very exquisite, this dish, must be nine, of which there are generally two cold dishes, two dim sum, five hot dishes. These five hot dishes are the highlight of them, and they need to be pompous and well-matched. The birthday banquets I've been to usually have-" Lu Yunshu revealed what he heard in an orderly manner.

Wen Xueru wrote down the main points while brushing, and suddenly asked, "Have you been in contact with Chengenbo Mansion?" Do you know what the old lady tastes like? ”

Lu Yunshu quickly went through all the characters in Chengenbo's mansion in his mind, and then said: "Although Chengenbo's mansion is not the highest, it is the most respectful, after all, it is the queen's foreign family, although His Majesty taboos his relatives to interfere in politics and does not have real power, but there are several people in the mansion who work in the Hanlin Academy." That's why I think this dish must be elegant. But there is one point, Chengenbo Mansion is from Xiangzhou, and Xiangzhou people have spicy tastes, since it is the old lady's birthday banquet, it must take care of the old lady's preferences. ”

Wen Xueru listened to his analysis, immediately snapped her fingers, and said, "Great! Lu Yunshu! With your information, I'm sure I'll be able to take down this chef's buddy tomorrow! ”

Lu Yunshu was a little embarrassed by her praise, and said in a low voice: "I should have sheltered you from the wind and rain-"

However, before the love words could be spoken, Wen's mother's raised voice came from outside: "The surname is Lu!" The flour hasn't been ground yet! Hurry up! ”

Lu Yunshu: "......."

Here, in the back kitchen of Yijia Restaurant, a girl wearing an apron and coiling her hair is skillfully stir-frying, and there are countless helpers standing beside her.

This woman is the chef of the well-known Yijia Restaurant in Kyoto, Yi Ling'er. That's right, this famous chef of the Yi family is a girl who is less than twenty years old.

"Miss Ling'er, there is a person in charge outside, who says it is Princess Zhaoyun. Want to meet? A little second-looking man ran over and asked very respectfully.

"Did you say what it was?" Yi Ling'er asked casually while putting it on the plate.

"I said, it was Princess Zhaoyun who made a bet with a village woman to compete in cooking, and wanted you to win the village woman in the past." Xiao Er said in a low voice.

"A village woman? Need me to do it too? Yi Ling'er raised her eyebrows impatiently, "Let Yi Yi go, let's go, don't block me from cooking, there are more than a dozen dishes today." ”

Yi Yi is her eldest apprentice, and sending him over can be regarded as giving Princess Zhaoyun face.

***

The next day, at noon. Wen Xueru appeared at the door of Chengenbo's Mansion on time.

Princess Zhaoyun had been waiting there for a long time, and sneered: "Let this princess wait, this princess still thinks that you are afraid of death and will not come." Don't worry, this princess, this time, but she brought the imperial doctor over, and promised to cut off your palm and spare your dog's life. ”

Wen Xueru's face looked calm, and said lightly: "Her Royal Highness the princess has this tricky kung fu, it is better to drink two more sips of tea to moisten your throat, so as not to wait for the apology to be too small and I can't hear it." ”

"You!" Princess Zhaoyun couldn't imagine that she was still so hard-mouthed when she was dying, a cold color appeared in her eyes, and she gritted her teeth and said, "I see how long you can jump." ”

Since it was the chef who chose the old lady's birthday banquet, the old lady naturally also appeared, and several old men in the house were present.

"This competition, the limited time is two pillars of incense, each person makes a dish, each person has a kitchen, after the dish is done, I personally serve it, do not report to the cook, only press a note under the plate, and then announce the winner of the dish to show justice."

Wen Xueru raised her eyes and glanced at the person opposite, it was a man in his thirties, but according to her observation, the traces of the calluses on his hands should have been a cook for a long time, and the main task was chopping vegetables and other chores, and the time he was really in charge would not exceed three years.

Cheng Enbo's work was fairly fair, she had no objections, and followed the guidance of her subordinates to the kitchen and began to cook dishes.

There is a saying, called what she likes, she just observed the old lady's face, and saw that her face was ruddy and shiny, but there were some traces of fire in her eyes, her body was plump and strong, and she liked to eat meat, and Lu Yunshu said yesterday that Xiangzhou likes to eat spicy, and today's judges are all members of Chengenbo Mansion, so thinking about it, she had an idea of what she wanted to cook today, so she smiled on her face.

I saw Wen Xueru fished out a grass carp from the bucket she prepared, cut off the head and tail of the fish, and then cut the fish body into thin slices, add pepper and salt, and marinate the egg white.

Take out the pickled sauerkraut, clean it and chop it, and prepare all kinds of ingredients.

After the oil is boiled, she puts in dogwood, pickled ginger, garlic, peppercorns and other ingredients to burst the fragrance, and then puts in the fish head, tail and fish bones to fry until fragrant.

She then poured in the broth and boiled, then the fish fillet and sauerkraut.

In another pot, add the dogwood peppercorns and other ingredients, and stir-fry with oil until fragrant.

After the fish is cooked, it is served in a large pot and the oil is poured over the other pot.

As the crackling oil splashed, a sour and spicy smell spread in the house! A few of the judges sitting outside sniffed vigorously, all a little nervous.

Fragrant, so fragrant!

When the time came, the steward brought two prepared dishes.

A spicy and fragrant boiled fish fillet, a dish of abalone and bird's nest milk custard.

The judges didn't even look at the abalone, they took chopsticks one after another, and they all went to eat the fish, including the old lady, who greeted while eating: "Come to two bowls of rice, just this dish, I can eat enough!" ”

"It smells so good! Spicy and enjoyable! It's sour and spicy, it's really refreshing! Bring me two bowls of rice too—"