Chapter 723: Chapter 629: Potato and Eggplant Stew—So Good It’ll Stuff the Old Man
"Boss Wang, we are your loyal fans and we really want to taste the delicious food you make, but we played too hard on the first day and couldn’t get up early. By the time we got up, the line was already stretching from Central Street to People’s Avenue."
"Yes, exactly, every day we return to the hotel and pass out in sleep, can’t wake up before 10."
"We’ll be heading back to the South the day after tomorrow. Are you going to let us leave disappointed?"
The tourism bureau doesn’t care, but Wang Fan couldn’t ignore the plea. Both sides are like your own flesh and blood, especially when people come to you begging like this, it’s hard to pretend you didn’t see it.
You have to admit these Southern little princesses don’t mind spending money. Last year’s three days made 6 billion, and this year’s estimation won’t be any less. Just look at those tigers in the zoo; they’ve fed them so much they’ve become lazy cats, no longer interested in fresh meat.
They enjoy good treatment, but truthfully, their money stays here, especially since they are your fans.
However, it’s true that I’m not always home. It’s only fair if the local buddies want to taste my cooking too. Both sides are like blood and flesh, so you can’t favor one over the other.
You need to take care of both sides, so the solution lies within. As long as I make food fast enough and in large enough quantities, then naturally more diners can be accommodated.
Having established this premise, finding dishes that meet these criteria becomes much easier.
Wang Fan didn’t think much and had already decided what to cook.
Northeastern cuisine is mostly stews, and many dishes are quite convenient. With some simplification, the ingredients are easy to handle, and thus potato and eggplant stew stood out.
"Potatoes and eggplants, enough to fill you up."
The word "enough" means stewing in Northern dialect. The reason this phrase has been passed down is because the power of this dish is truly significant.
The ingredients are just potatoes and eggplants. If possible, you can add some pork belly. It’s as convenient as can be.
Thinking of potatoes, the image of everyone peeling potatoes at the beginning of the year for the marinated dishes is still vivid.
But now, he doesn’t have to bother with that. With rapidly developing technology, peeling potatoes can be handled by the power of tech.
Second Uncle also makes some vegetarian dishes. To make it easier, he bought a potato peeler machine long ago. Just pour in 100 pounds of potatoes, and they come out squeaky clean in two minutes.
Wang Fan did not hesitate either, calling for 3000 pounds of potatoes, 3000 pounds of eggplants, and 1000 pounds of pork belly. The plastic baskets for the vegetables were piled high outside Second Uncle’s little shop.
Second Uncle was happily watching the scene, while the fried chicken boss next to him curiously said to Second Uncle, "Holy cow, are these all the vegetables you need for the whole winter? I see only potatoes and eggplants?"
Second Uncle chuckled, "What winter’s worth of vegetables? This is just today’s requirement."
"Whoa? You say this amount is for one day? Second Uncle, you must be kidding me!"
The fried chicken boss’s face was now full of shock and deep suspicion, "Who can sell that many dishes in one day?"
The milk tea shop owner was already full of envy, "Impossible for others, but Second Uncle’s nephew definitely can, don’t you remember how long the line was yesterday?"
The fried chicken boss thought of yesterday’s huge crowd, couldn’t help but sigh, "Indeed, if my shop had such a queue even for one day, I could wake up laughing in my dreams."
The milk tea shop owner was a bit regretful, "Tsk tsk, I wanted to buy a serving to try yesterday, but couldn’t even get in line. Second Uncle, tell me honestly, is your nephew’s cooking really that good?"
Second Uncle snorted lightly, "It must be! The diners’ reactions are the best answer. If it’s not delicious, how can there be so many returning customers? Just look at my marinated meat shop, isn’t it all because my nephew mixed the right spices that it’s selling so well?"
The fried chicken boss burst into laughter, "True, ever since Second Uncle’s marinated meat shop opened, business at my shop has improved quite a lot. Many buy marinated meat and then conveniently buy fried chicken frames from me too. Without Second Uncle, I might have shut down by the middle of the year."
While Second Uncle and the others chatted, Wang Fan was arranging labor.
This dish doesn’t require any technical skill in preparing the ingredients, so he didn’t look for anyone else. Liu Zhaofeng and Liu Hehe were more than enough.
The two didn’t want any money, insisting that just one more portion for the New Year’s Eve dinner wasn’t too much to ask?
Wang Fan figured with just the three of them, any dish coming out of the pot divided in half would be enough for all three, so of course, this request was no problem.
"Cut the potatoes with a knife like this, then chop it to get irregular shapes like this. As for the eggplants, just tear them by hand, not too big or small, just enough."
Wang Fan demonstrated as he spoke.
He pressed the knife on the peeled potato, then tilted the blade with a slight "crack" sound, cutting out a piece of potato: "The size doesn’t matter, just care not to cut yourself; if it doesn’t work, you can use a spoon."
Then he picked up an eggplant, casually tore it into chunks, finishing it off, as simple as that.
Liu Hehe confidently patted his chest, "No problem at all with this task, it’s too easy, Wang Bro, leave it to me. Little Brother, you handle the potatoes, I’ll do the eggplants."
Liu Zhaofeng nodded, "Sis, with your strength, tearing eggplants is really beneath you."
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