In the canteen of the fishery company, the helpers have prepared the pots and stoves.
Wang Weidong, Zhang Mu and Niu Erpao were about to step forward to start the competition when a burst of noise came from outside.
"I heard that the three famous chefs in Ningzhou City are competing in their cooking skills in the cafeteria. Everyone, hurry up and join in the fun."
"What are the three famous chefs? Chef Zhang and Chef Niu are considered famous chefs. That Liu Hongchang is just a small cook in the state-owned canteen. He is not even a head chef. How can he be called a famous chef?"
"Chief Zhang, you can't say that. Liu Hongchang's vinegar-stewed sausages are the best in Ningzhou City, and his cooking skills should not be underestimated."
"Hahaha, it's a pity that this time he's going to be blinded by the southern cuisine he's trying."
....
Amidst the commotion, a large group of cadres from the aquatic products company walked into the cafeteria. The leader was Director Liu from the logistics department of the aquatic products company.
After he entered the door, he strode forward and shook hands with Wang Weidong and the other three warmly.
"Welcome all celebrity chefs to the Aquatic Products Company. We are the judges for this competition."
Hearing this, Zhang Mu and Niu Erpao looked much more relaxed. With so many fans, they would definitely win this time.
Even though they were talking big words just now, they still felt a little weak in their hearts.
Liu Hongchang was able to grow from a little-known little chef to a famous chef of vinegar-stewed sausages in Ningzhou City. Naturally, his talent in cooking should not be underestimated.
If he loses, it will be really embarrassing, not to mention that he still has to be a helper for the other party in this bet.
But now the situation is completely different.
Tasting food is inherently a very subjective matter. The same dish will be rated completely differently by different tasters.
Now that these people know their names, they will inevitably receive psychological hints when tasting the dishes, and thus give a score that is much higher than the normal score.
Considering that the chef must be selected as soon as possible, Director Liu did not say too much and directly announced the start of the competition.
Obviously, this time, the aquatic product company should have offered the other party a price that was almost irresistible. The two chefs Zhang Mu and Niu Erpao tried their best, showing mastery in everything from knife skills to stir-frying, which made the aquatic product company's judges It opened my eyes.
However, when Wang Weidong walked to the eucalyptus board, everyone's eyes moved to him.
I saw Wang Weidong pick up a carrot and throw it into the air. After a few bright knife flashes, the carrot was chopped into pieces in the air and fell on the plate, neatly stacked.
Director Liu's eyes widened when he saw it: "Good guy, Chef Liu's skills are comparable to the legendary flying knives from outside the sky."
The judges of the aquatic products company who were watching were also talking a lot.
"Hey, don't worry about how the food tastes. I've never seen this kind of skill in Ningzhou City!"
"I came here to taste the food, but I didn't expect to see the vaudeville show first. Liu Hongchang is really good at being the leader of the No. 2 State-owned Canteen."
....
Zhang Mu and Niu Erpao naturally noticed what was going on here, and their faces suddenly darkened visibly to the naked eye.
Zhang Mu was shocked, and the kitchen knife he was holding almost missed the cut. Fortunately, he calmed down in time and nothing happened.
"Humph, it's so fancy!"
"Yes, the cooking competition is about whether the dishes are delicious, not about juggling!"
Niu Erpao nodded quickly and agreed.
The two of them knew in their hearts that winning might be more difficult than they imagined, so they unanimously worked hard to win.
Wang Weidong, on the other hand, entered a state of focusing on others, and all his attention was on the big black iron pot.
Hold a large spoon and stir-fry back and forth in the iron pot.
Accompanied by a blazing fire, the dishes were cooked.
At the same time, the dishes cooked by Zhang Mu and Niu Erpao were also placed on the long table.
In an instant, the canteen of the aquatic products company was filled with the fragrant and attractive smell.
More than a dozen judges lined up and took turns tasting the dishes of three people.
"Tsk tsk, this taste is simply amazing. Chef Zhang is indeed a famous chef!"
"Yes, yes, these three cups of chicken taste authentic."
"Hiss, this smell..."
Zhang Mu and Niu Erpao's faces gradually became much better, because the judges who were tasting Wang Weidong's plate of plain chicken all looked a little surprised.
When Director Yao next to him saw this situation, his heart suddenly jumped, and he hurriedly went up and asked, "What's wrong?"
"Absolutely amazing! The skin is crispy and the meat is tender, not fishy or fishy!" Director Liu put down the kuaizi and gave a thumbs up, and said with an intoxicated expression: "I once tasted this dish on the 13th floor of Yangcheng. I talked to Mr. Liu The taste is almost exactly the same when cooked in the kitchen.”
"Like it, definitely like it!"
These days, people rarely go out of the province. Ningzhou City is located in the northwest, and people have almost never tasted southern cuisine.
Now that such a well-informed person was praising him, all the judges nodded in agreement.
The voting results were naturally meaningless. Wang Weidong won the championship with an overwhelming majority of votes.
At this time, both Zhang Mu and Niu Erpao looked a little embarrassed. It didn't matter that they lost the game. After all, they were not good at southern cuisine.
However, it is really embarrassing to work as a helper for Liu Hongchang.
As chefs, they are all masters in the restaurant. They don't have to do any chores on weekdays, and their apprentices do it for them.
It's really embarrassing to have to work as a helper for others now.
However, both of them are upright people, and they will naturally accept their words. When they saw Wang Weidong coming over, they gritted their teeth and said, "We are willing to admit defeat. Wait a moment, and you can just tell us about the chores."
Unexpectedly, Wang Weidong just smiled: "I can't afford to let two famous chefs from Ningzhou City work for me Liu Hongchang. The bet just now was just a joke. You two don't have to take it to heart. A competition It’s nothing, we will have more exchanges in the future.”
Zhang Mu and Niu Erpao were shocked when they heard this. They never expected that Wang Weidong would take the initiative to step down for them.
"Okay, okay, Liu Hongchang, you are a person. I will remember this kindness. If you need anything in the future, just ask."
"Niu Erpao is convinced. We have another great chef in Ningzhou City's chef world."
....
The two sighed a few times, supported each other and left the canteen.
Director Liu stepped forward and said to Wang Weidong: "Comrade Hongchang, I'm sorry for the extension of the banquet at noon today."
As he spoke, he took out a piece of paper from his pocket and said, "This is today's lunch menu. The ingredients are in the cold storage. I'm going to get them now."
Wang Weidong lowered his head and took a closer look. Braised pigeon, smooth fish balls, sweet and sour sweet and sour pork, roast suckling pig, white-cut chicken, crispy roast goose, boiled shrimp...
Wang Weidong clicked his tongue twice. These dishes may not mean anything in future generations. Guests can eat them in some ordinary restaurants.
But in this era when supplies are relatively scarce, it is not easy at all to get these ingredients.
Like pigeons and pork, roast goose is available in Ningzhou City. You can use local ingredients and it is relatively simple.
But the shrimp needed for boiled shrimp must be fresh, and no one breeds shrimp in Ningzhou City. The shrimp in the river ditch are too small, so they can only be transported from the south.
In this era, transporting a batch of fresh aquatic products from the south will inevitably cost a lot of money, even if the aquatic products company has special channels.
"Good guy, what kind of background do these southern customers have that allows the aquatic products company to treat them so warmly?" Director Yao, who came over to watch, was also amazed.
....
At this time, in the guest house of the aquatic products company.
Manager Liu Hong is negotiating with several southern customers wearing woolen tunic suits.
"Manager Zhou, we are all old friends. I won't hide it from you. Our sales of crucian carp and eel in Ningzhou this year are not optimistic. We have three months to go and we have only completed less than half of the task. This time No matter what, you have to help your brother."
The southern customer known as Manager Zhou took a deep drag on his cigarette and looked at the middle-aged man next to him with a fat Mediterranean head and big ears. Seeing the middle-aged man's expressionless face, he smiled awkwardly: " Liu Hong, just like you said, we are old friends, and I will give you the bottom line. This time we come, the company will only give us a quota of 2 tons for crucian carp and 3,000 catties of eel."
"Two tons? Three thousand kilograms? This is not as good as 2 tons last year..."
Manager Liu Hong became anxious when he heard this. This amount was far from what he expected. In previous years, he wouldn't have been so anxious.
If you fail to complete the task, at worst, you will be scolded by the superiors, and your salary will not be reduced at all.
But that won't work this year. He has already received news that Deputy Manager Zhang from the provincial company will arrive next year. By then, he and three or four managers from sister cities will be popular candidates.
Manager Liu Hong has been in this position for a full ten years, and he has long wanted to take a step forward. However, an organization like the aquatic products company has always been a carrot and a pit, with no place for him. Even if he waits until his hair turns gray, he will not There will be opportunities.
If I fail this time, I may have no hope of progress in my life.
"Hey, Lao Zhou, you may also know the situation in our company. This time it concerns brothers..."
Manager Zhou waved his hand and interrupted him: "Old Liu, it's not that my brother won't help you, this is the amount set by the above, and I am also powerless."
As he spoke, he winked at Liu Hong.
Liu Hong naturally understood what he meant. The Mediterranean man next to Lao Zhou was the key figure in this matter.
His name is Du Shengyuan, a vice president of the Southern Aquatic Products Sales Company, and he has the authority to determine the acquisition amount.
At this time, Director Liu knocked on the door and came in. He whispered something into Liu Hong's ear.
Liu Hong nodded and signaled Director Liu to go out first. Then he stood up and walked to the head of the Mediterranean Sea.
"Is this Mr. Du? I heard that Mr. Du likes food the most, so in order to show the sincerity of our aquatic products company, we specially hired one of the most famous chefs in Ningzhou City to prepare a sumptuous banquet. You can appreciate it."
Du Shengyuan frowned when he heard this and said with a smile: "Manager Liu, I understand your thoughts, but there is something wrong with me. I only like to eat southern food in my life, and other dishes are not to my taste. I think it's better to forget it." "
"Mr. Du, judging from what you said, since I, Liu Hong, want to treat you to a meal, I must be prepared. To tell you the truth, this time I hired a chef who is proficient in southern cuisine for you!"
"Oh, a chef from Ningzhou who is proficient in southern cuisine? I've heard this a lot, but they're all just fake. You're not messing with me in the lake, too, are you?"
"Don't worry, I have to guarantee this, otherwise, you can punish us no matter what you want." Liu Hong wiped the sweat from his forehead.
He also did not expect that his comrades in the brother units had already adopted the same strategy.
In his original plan, he only needed to find a chef to cook some exquisite southern dishes. As for whether the place was authentic or not, it didn't matter. After all, it was rare to be able to eat southern dishes in the Northwest. You also wanted to typical?
The situation is completely different now. I just hope that the chef can make southern cuisine a little bit like it, so that he won't be embarrassed.
Of course Du Shengyuan didn't believe what he said. Until the moment he entered the restaurant, he still had a sneer on his face.
But when the waiter put the dishes on the table, Du Shengyuan's expression suddenly became solemn.
One of the characteristics of southern cuisine is that it is beautifully prepared and looks great.
The plate of roasted suckling pig illustrates this point perfectly. The pig skin is filled with perfect golden bubbles, which looks particularly beautiful against the background of green vegetables.
Without waiting for Liu Hong's greeting, he took the initiative to pick up a piece of kuaizi and put it into his mouth.
The skin is thin and crispy, the meat is tender, and the bones are crispy, just like it was made by a southern chef.
Du Shengyuan couldn't help but narrowed his eyes and nodded.
Seeing his expression of enjoyment, Manager Liu Hong finally felt relieved and asked in a low voice: "Mr. Du, how are you doing?"
"Yes, yes. Even in big hotels in the south, only a few chefs can produce this taste."
Manager Liu Hong was happy and pointed at the roasted pigeon and said, "Here, you can try this again."
....
Half an hour later, Du Shengyuan, who was rubbing his belly, smiled and said: "Manager Liu, you may not know that the thing I feel most wronged about is my mouth. If it's a meal that doesn't suit my taste, I'd rather eat the biscuits that I brought. Those guys are so clean these days." The lake has tricked me, I have lost several pounds due to hunger these days, so you have had enough today."
"It is my duty to share the worries of my leaders. You see, the ordering matter..." Manager Liu Hong was determined.
"Don't worry, I do what I say. In fact, the head office still has a batch of mobile rations this time. Let me give you half of it."
"Thank you so much! Just how much is half..."
"How about the quantity of twenty tons of crucian carp and ten tons of eel? Can it meet the workload of your aquatic products company?"
Manager Liu Hong was overjoyed when he heard this: "It's so satisfying."
As long as this batch of goods is sent out, he will have exceeded this year's task, and the position of vice president will be just around the corner.
"But, I still have a small request." Du Shengyuan stared at Manager Liu Hong and smiled.
"You say."
"I like that you can meet the chef who prepared this table. I have some questions for him."
Du Shengyuan is a gourmet, and he can taste the ingredients in the dishes when he puts them in his mouth.
Forget about the other dishes, although they taste authentic, they can only be considered average.
It was the sweet and sour pork that caught his attention. There seemed to be an ingredient he didn't know was added to it.
Due to the presence of this ingredient, sweet and sour pork tastes more attractive.
