CHAPTER 508: CHAPTER 256: MASTER CRYSTAL DISHES IN ONE GO! THE SPECIAL GIFT FROM PARENTS!_2

She and her dad had set off from their hometown at five in the morning. Having already covered half the journey, they expected to arrive in Beijing around three in the afternoon.

After reading the message, he said to Wei Qian, "My parents will arrive around three. Leave some food in the kitchen; make sure there’s something to eat when they get here."

"Don’t worry, I definitely won’t let your uncle and aunt go hungry."

「An hour later.」

The Pork Skin had been thoroughly steamed.

He carefully took out the porcelain bowl containing the Pork Skin from the steamer. After lifting the lid, a distinct pork fragrance wafted out from the bowl. He carefully removed the Scallion and Ginger; the water in the bowl was still clear, and the Pork Skin had swelled slightly and turned white.

"Can this really set? Should we add some Agar?" As a self-proclaimed fruit curd expert, Shen Jiayue was somewhat skeptical that this pork skin jelly would set, as it looked too clear, just like a bowl of cold water.

Lin Xu laughed and said, "Don’t worry, it will definitely set, but it won’t look good if it sets like this. Let me teach you a way to improve its appearance."

He brought over several white porcelain bowls, wiped them dry, then placed two blanched broccoli florets at the bottom of each. Then, using chopsticks, he carefully removed some of the Pork Skin from the bowl, placed it loosely around the broccoli, and ladled the clear water from the bowl over it until it was about eight-tenths full.

Apart from broccoli, ingredients like red pepper strips or radish slices could also be placed in the jelly, which would look much more inviting once set.

Lin Xu guided them on how to arrange the Pork Skin mixture in bowls, similar to Crystal Pork Hock, and then put it in the cold storage to cool and set.

"The knack for crystal-like dishes is all in this. You two should practice more. When setting it in the bowls, you could vary it up, like using marinated Chicken Feet to make crystal chicken feet, or blanched Okra to make crystal okra; all are possible."

Shen Baobao’s eyes lit up. "Can you make crystal bitter melon?"

Lin Xu was rendered speechless.

She made bitter melon curd the last time she learned about fruit desserts, and now that she’s just learned how to make Crystal Skin Jelly, she wants to make crystal bitter melon? Baobao, your filial piety is really... something else.

He then said, "Theoretically, yes, but I don’t recommend doing that. Otherwise, if Mom and Dad get on your case, I’m not getting involved."

"HAHAHA, don’t worry, don’t worry. I was just asking casually."

It’s fine if Mom and Dad don’t like bitter melon, Shen Baobao mused. However, Grandpa often mentions that bitter melon is good for health. He would really love the crystal bitter melon I make, right? I need to find some time to make it secretly at home and give Grandpa a surprise!

Mr. Han, who was reading patient reports at the Jishuitan Specialist Clinic, had no idea that he was already being targeted by his granddaughter.

Before lunch, Lin Xu taught the two chefs how to make Steamed Egg.

Compared to the time-consuming Crystal Skin Jelly, the quick and showy Steamed Egg was well-received by Chef Shen (Shen Baobao) and Chef Chen (Chen Yan). Frequently enjoying the dishes made by Lin Xu, they even creatively innovated on the hot oil finishing step.

For instance, when Chen Yan made Steamed Egg with Okra, she thought the taste of Okra and Egg was too bland, so she chose the more aromatic lard for the hot oil finish, which earned her praise from several chefs in the kitchen. And when Shen Baobao made Steamed Egg with Chicken Breast, she also chose to enhance the flavor with chicken oil. When the two were making Steamed Egg with Shrimp, they even had Lin Xu bring over the shrimp oil before the dish was fully ready.

Clearly, they had grasped the key to seasoning Steamed Egg.

"It turns out cooking isn’t that hard!" Chen Yan, enjoying her own steamed egg custard, planned to head home in the afternoon to show off her skills to her parents and also make some Crystal Skin Jelly to put in the fridge.

Meanwhile, Shen Baobao kept sending messages to Chen Meijuan, "Mom, when will you arrive? I can’t wait to cook something delicious for you and Dad."

Indeed, after learning to cook, the first thing she thought of was showing off her skills in front of her parents-in-law. Luckily, Shen Guofu and his wife weren’t around; otherwise, they would have once again regretted not having a second child.

「At three in the afternoon.」

A Toyota Land Cruiser Prado with Yinzhou license plates pulled up in front of the store.

When taking over the scenic area, because there were no proper roads in the mountains at that time, the family’s Honda couldn’t be driven there, so Lin Hongqi had switched his car to this second-hand Prado. This SUV, commonly called ’Overbearing’ in China, had strong power and performance, making it most suitable for mountain terrains and various rough roads.

Stepping out of the car and looking at the imposing facade of Lin Ji’s Food, Lin Hongqi’s fatigue vanished instantly.

"This store looks really impressive!"

"Indeed, our son is achieving more and more."

After getting out of the car, the couple opened the trunk. They didn’t take the apple cider vinegar that had been jostled throughout the journey; instead, they retrieved a plastic box from inside the car, near one of the doors.

The box emitted a strong, pungent smell.

"Are they still alive?"

"Still alive! Second Brother is really incredible; he caught so many wild softshell turtles without anyone noticing."

Learning that Lin Hongqi and Chen Meijuan were coming to Beijing to attend Lin Ji’s opening ceremony, Chen Meiliang, Chen Meijuan’s second brother, had given them a bag of recently caught wild softshell turtles the previous night. For Chen Meiliang and the people at the scenic area, these weren’t anything rare. Living by the reservoir, they could simply set a few traps whenever they felt like eating them and easily catch some.

But for city dwellers, it was a rare ingredient. Lin Hongqi could even imagine the expressions on Shen Baobao’s parents’ faces when they saw these turtles.

He carried the box towards the store entrance.