Gourmet: Midnight Vending-Chapter 321 - 298: Mirror Box Tofu Preparation

After stepping out, a few people were taking deep sniffs.

The aroma of the meat was not only rich but also quite addictive, making their mouths water just by inhaling.

It was as if...

"I haven’t smelled such authentic pork aroma in years," Fang Zhizhong said excitedly. "Nowadays, the pork from the supermarket has no taste."

Hou Yao kept nodding while inhaling like crazy.

For modern people, it seems they’ve almost forgotten what pork truly smells like. There’s no particular taste when eating it, nor a special aroma when cooking it.

But kids from rural areas know that pork emits an extremely rich aroma when cooked.

This aroma is entirely different from that of beef or mutton; it is a scent that immediately triggers a craving for meat!

And this aroma only comes from non-feed farm-raised pigs, but even so, it cannot compare to the rich aroma at Chen Mo’s level right now.

That’s why a few people stood there, inhaling deeply, totally captivated, and deeply shocked.

Clearly, it was just ordinary pork belly bought from the supermarket, so why did it emit such an aroma?

But the meatballs were still far from being done. Chen Mo could also smell this aroma, but as the maker, he didn’t find it surprising.

According to the recipe, controlling the water temperature at the verge of boiling without letting it boil allows the heat to slowly penetrate the meatballs, releasing the internal aroma once all meat particles reach the same temperature.

Of course, there’s a crucial factor: not overmixing.

In other words, the meatball structure at this moment was loose, unlike the tightly formed ones that Zhou Yu made.

Without spending time pondering over these details, Chen Mo knew that at least this dish, the meatballs, was a success.

The meat stuffing was mixed well, and shrimps were prepared; the next step was to form the Mirror Box Tofu!

Chen Mo continued using the Black Blade, holding the oil-soaked tofu block with his left hand, slicing the top without cutting through, lifting the tofu lid, and then using a spoon to scoop out the still-unfried inside.

This created a hollow box.

The mixed meat stuffing was spooned into the box, packed and filled, then a shrimp was placed with its back on top of the stuffed meat, resembling the handle of a mirror box.

"Phew... hope this dish succeeds on the first try!"

Chen Mo attentively watched the progress bar above, as the flames rapidly heated the black wok. With a hot wok and cold oil, he added ginger pieces to stir-fry until the fragrance emitted.

Next was seasoning.

Chen Mo selected seasonings similar to those Zhou Yu used, focusing on simplicity!

At the right moment, he added a small amount of tomato paste to the wok for red color, then soy sauce and white sugar, mixing them well, before adding water and refined salt.

The making of Mirror Box Tofu didn’t involve fancy techniques.

Previously when Chen Mo mentioned making this dish, Zhou Yu and the others found it odd, but now it wasn’t so strange anymore.

This dish also existed in Lu Cuisine, though by a different name.

The tofu box in Lu Cuisine is prepared similarly to the Huaiyang method, with the only difference being that the Lu Cuisine’s tofu box is first steamed, cooking the meat stuffing inside through steaming before pouring over prepared sauce — a common method in Lu Cuisine.

The Huaiyang style differs in that there’s a bit more water in the pot, and the tofu blocks are placed open-side-down so the stuffing inside the boxes can fully contact the broth.

Again, it was slow-cooked, keeping the pot’s broth slightly boiling.

Covering the pot lid, Chen Mo washed his hands and dried them with a paper towel, "Alright everyone, let’s wait now."

After all, as a helper, Chen Mo’s mindset was much better than Zhou Yu’s.

Getting off the food cart, Zhou Yu quickly got up and asked tensely, "Bro, did you specifically buy black pigs for the pork?"

Because truly delicious meatballs must use that kind of pork, tender!

Chen Mo shook his head in denial, "This was just premium pork belly bought from a supermarket for 15 yuan a pound, what’s up?"

"Oh, nothing."

Zhou Yu wasn’t suspecting anything, just puzzled; since it was just ordinary pork belly, why did it have such a rich pork aroma?

This puzzled him greatly.

While waiting, Fang Zhizhong invited the two inside the canteen to sit.

"Master Zhou, I’ve reviewed your resume. Although I haven’t tasted your dishes yet, I can tell you’re adept at Huaiyang cuisine."

Zhou Yu smiled and nodded, "You’re too kind."

"Regarding your salary," Fang Zhizhong cut straight to the point, not beating around the bush, "Honestly, there isn’t this level of salary in Jingzhou yet, even some senior executives in big companies wouldn’t receive such a pay structure without involving commissions, so my idea is..."

Zhou Yu was prepared for this, "Boss Fang, being frank, it’s due to unique situations that I left home; perhaps it’s hard for me to find a job in the Huaiyang area now, but in Jingzhou, with my skills, I can surely turn our restaurant into a flagship at a resort. I think the salary is reasonable. If it’s any lower..."

Fang Zhizhong just smiled and then turned to Chen Mo, "What about you, brother?"

Chen Mo: ...

Old Fang, you shouldn’t be in business, you should go to Beijing Film Academy to teach.

"Me?" Chen Mo was acting proficient, showing no clues, "I’m running a stall myself, earning a profit of twenty to thirty thousand a month, but it’s exhausting. With my skills, shouldn’t I find a job that pays over ten thousand?"

Eighteen thousand, that was Fang Zhizhong’s limit.

"Specifically, how much over ten thousand?" Fang Zhizhong pressed.

Chen Mo pretended to ponder hard, and after a moment said, "At least fifteen thousand!"

Zhou Yu: ...

Not cool, bro, I’m asking for twenty-eight thousand, and you’re asking for fifteen thousand?

The current market is indeed tough, but we all work in the kitchen; can we not be so competitive?

Fang Zhizhong gave Zhou Yu a meaningful look, then turned back, "I see."

Mu Xin and Hou Yao were suppressing their laughter, feeling their stomachs starting to ache; helping with such matters in the future should be less frequent — setting aside success, hurting themselves would be troublesome.

As applicants, Chen Mo and Zhou Yu sat quietly, listening to Fang Zhizhong and the others discussing the future construction of the resort.

More than half an hour flew by, Zhou Yu stood up, "Folks, the meatballs are ready."

"Oh?" Fang Zhizhong’s eyes lit up, having not eaten properly today, the meatballs were ready just in time.

"The meatball dish should be eaten hot and must be served to waiting people, not the other way around. You all sit tight, I’ll bring the dish."

Zhou Yu took a deep breath and entered the kitchen, arm wrapped in cloth, carefully lifting the clay pot’s lid, removing the cabbage leaf on top.

The clear broth in the pot had four giant meatballs immersed in it, emitting a rich aroma of meat.

Just like this.

Placing the lid back, Zhou Yu carried the pot while the canteen chef helped with four small bowls and utensils.

Whether he can earn that twenty-eight thousand.

It all depends on this moment!