National Tide 1980

It’s really thanks to “Zhang Dashao”!

Under his guidance, Ning Weimin got the soup noodles and old noodles one after another, and they were all amazing.

For the catering industry, it is a guaranteed tool to make money.

This undoubtedly further strengthened Ning Weimin's expectations for the other two promises of "Zhang Dashao".

He believes that the menu compiled by "Zhang Dashao" must also be outstanding, and the person who introduces him must also be extraordinary.

It has to be said that Ning Weimin's intuition is quite correct.

What is an expert? That means there are never any mistakes.

A few days later, the weekend came again. The menu handed over by "Zhang Dashao" really lived up to expectations.

Ning Weimin gained some knowledge and got a big surprise.

When it comes to the highlights of this menu, or its unique advantages, there are three main points.

First of all, the menu of "Zhang Dashao" is not like Beihai Fangshan or Tingli Restaurant.

The restaurant has a nice name and specializes in luxurious dishes. It is a feast for the eyes with delicacies from the mountains and sea.

I am afraid that the banquet and the names of the dishes are not impressive and unlucky.

The old man’s menu is almost based on the ingredients’ real names.

Therefore, the taste and ingredients are basically discernible, and it looks quite plain.

However, there are many dishes that should be fresh.

This was all something Ning Weimin had never known before, and it looked quite fresh.

Secondly, the menu ordered by the old man is not static, but changes according to the four seasons of spring, summer, autumn and winter.

At what time of the year, what should you eat, a combination of meat and vegetables, and a complementary diet.

This is not only beneficial to people's appetite, but also beneficial to people's health. It is quite scientific.

As for the production cost, the old man also made a distinction between high and low according to today's prices.

This gives customers one more choice, and it’s up to them to be rich and frugal.

There is one last thing, and that is the word "whole".

This "complete" does not reflect the complete range of delicacies from mountains and seas, nor does it reflect the comprehensive range of various cooking techniques.

But it is reflected in the complete program and category of dishes.

The menu given by the old man includes dried fruits, fresh fruits, candied fruits, cold dishes, hot stir-fried dishes, large dishes, and pasta that are usually found in banquets.

Additional content related to tea drinks, tea food, hanging stove barbecue, fried goods, pastries, porridge, snacks, desserts, side dishes, and even special specialty foods has been added.

It can be said that the menu listed by the old man is the most comprehensive menu that Ning Weimin has ever seen in his life.

Although it is not a full Manchu-Han banquet, in terms of the pomp that highlights the palace flavor and official seats, it is obviously better than the Manchu-Han full banquet in ordinary people's concept.

For example, the summer banquet is in season.

The specific contents are as follows:

The first official seat (ten people)

Tea: Go to Fengxiang Tea

Four fresh fruits: peach, mare's milk grape, lychee, honeydew melon

Four candied fruits: candied white pear, candied ginkgo, dried melon strips, and dried apples

Four dried fruits: walnut stick, pine nut stick, honey hazelnut, cream almond

There are four kinds of cakes on the table: Jade Dew Frost, Rose Cake, Pea Yellow, and Aiwowo.

Four cold meats: roasted mutton, mixed shrimp loin, minced garlic white meat, mustard duck feet

Four side dishes: eight-treasure vegetables, dried orchid beans, hundred-flower chicken jelly, and vegetarian eggs

Four stir-fried dishes: It's like honey, soft fried sweet and sour pork, stir-fried squid, jade bamboo shoots and bracken

Four Seas: braised shark's fin, (braised bowl with the main course: braised fish maw, braised fish bones) clear jasmine soup (bowl with the main course: braised duck tongue, braised chestnuts), rock sugar bird's nest (braised bowl with the main dish: steamed lotus seeds, Peach soup), crab roe (braised bowl with main course: fish fillet, sea cucumber)

Two snacks: fried banana, sour soup

(Note: The Four Seas plus two dim sum dishes can be replaced with the same-style Desheng Bao plus Su plate, or a set of roast duck in a hanging oven and a boiled suckling pig)

Four meals: fried camel hump shreds, boiled three slices, sweet and sour cherry meat, mussels and shrimp soup

There are also porridge and rice served with the meal: lotus leaf porridge, glutinous rice porridge, soy milk porridge, mung bean porridge, and ten kinds of porridge and fruit, you can choose from

Dessert: almond tofu, dried fruits, optional

Say goodbye to fragrant tea

The second official seat (ten people)

Tea: Go to Fengxiang Tea

Four fresh fruits: banana, grape, longan, watermelon

Four candied fruits: candied green plums, candied dates, preserved peaches, and dried apples

Four dried fruits: peanut sticky, pine nut candy, strange-flavored beans, fried almonds

There are four kinds of cakes on the table: Jade Dew Cream, Mung Bean Cake, Poria Cake, and Su Ye Pastry.

Four cold meats: white chopped chicken, fried jade spring sticks, cold red clams, and fish jelly

Four side dishes: eight-treasure vegetables, cucumber with shrimp oil, cherry blossoms, and kimchi

Four stir-fried dishes: Sautéed diced duck, golden meat, braised fish fillets, fried fresh mushrooms

Four Seas: fish maw with milk, (served in a bowl with the main course: braised water chestnuts, braised kudzu rice), tuberose soup (served in a bowl with the main course: braised lily, braised loofah), crabmeat and sea cucumber (served in a bowl with the main course: Braised diced shrimps, braised dried razor clams), peach blossom pan (braised bowl with main course: candied plums, candied yam)

Two snacks: fried spring rolls and mixed noodles.

(Note: The Four Seas plus two dim sum dishes can be replaced with the same-style De Sheng Bao plus Su Pan, or a set of hanging oven roast duck, one pine needle roast chicken, and two roast pigeons)

Four meals: Su Zao pork elbow, tile fish, Bazhen tofu, winter melon Sirzan

There are also porridge and rice served with the meal: lotus leaf porridge, mung bean porridge, and six kinds of porridge and fruit, you can choose from

Dessert after meal: Ninaizhi cheese, dried fruits, optional

Say goodbye to fragrant tea

The third table (for ten people)

Four cold meats: glutinous rice and lotus root, ginger sauce steak, five-spice quail egg, shredded chicken mixed with cucumber

Four side dishes: shredded spicy cabbage, mustard sticks, milk melon, golden cake

Four stir-fried dishes: smooth pork tenderloin, fried fish fillet, fried eight pieces, stir-fried three delicacies

Four Seas: Vinegar Braised Pork, Grilled Prawns, Peach Blossom Pan, Jade Soup

Four kinds of pastries: Donkey Roll, Kidney Bean Roll, Ruyi Roll, and Milk Cake

(Note: The Four Seas plus two dim sum dishes can be replaced with the same-grade Desheng Bao plus sou plate, or a hanging oven roast duck set plus a pine needle roast chicken)

There are also porridge and rice served with the meal: lotus leaf porridge, mung bean porridge, and four kinds of porridge and fruit, you can choose from

Dessert: Assorted watermelon cups

It must be admitted that even if you only look at this summer menu, you can already appreciate the advantages analyzed earlier.

Let me start by saying that this is a distinct level.

From the names of the dishes, you can clearly see the changes and differences in the quality of the dishes at each level.

Moreover, among the three levels of banquets, only the lowest level of casual banquets can rival Fangshan Restaurant and Tingli Restaurant in terms of number of dishes and program.

The advantages of this are that, first, it makes it easier for customers to make choices based on their own needs.

Second, it also means that if you really want to sell the official seat, the price will at least double as the casual seat.

Even if Ning Weimin orders the dishes at a lower unit price, the price of an official table can easily exceed that of Fangshan Restaurant and Tingli Restaurant.

What's more, there is an important difference between official seats and casual seats that needs no explanation.

The portions of the dishes served at the official banquet are small, so one person can only taste one bite. Otherwise, there will definitely be too many dishes to finish.

This means that, excluding rare ingredients, the cost of an official banquet is actually not much higher than that of a casual banquet.

This is very convenient for making huge profits, which is exactly what Ning Weimin wants.

In addition, judging from the content of the dishes, such a menu is also quite attractive.

There are no auspicious dish names such as "Phoenix wearing golden clothes", "Phoenix lying on the nest", "Songhe Yannian" and so on. Instead, you can intuitively see the ingredients and combinations of the dishes.

Originally, because of the hot weather in summer, people have little appetite.

But because of this, the menu has both a seasonal feel and a fresh and elegant taste.

Falling in Ning Weimin's eyes made him salivate and made him hungry.

I really wish that the restaurant would open as soon as possible so that I could take advantage of it.

What's more, there are some things that he has never heard of or seen before, and his curiosity is also greatly increased.

For example, the jade dew frost in the pastry is a rather abrupt example.

Think about it, among the many simple and original dish names, such an elegant name suddenly appeared.

Of course it’s confusing.

So Ning Weimin couldn't help but ask.

"Master Zhang, what is the 'Jade Dew Frost' in the pastry at the first official seat of the summer? Why have I never heard of this thing?"

"Zhang Dashao" knows everything he knows and talks about it endlessly.

"Yulushuang is a pastry that originated in Jiangsu. It is made from the roots of Trichosanthes trichosanthes, ground into fine powder and steamed with mint sugar frosting. Eating this in summer can reduce fire and promote body fluids. It is sweet and does not hurt the stomach. No matter how good it is but."

"This kind of pastry has a very delicate texture, with a refreshing mint flavor. It was tasted by Qianlong when he went to Jiangnan. Because it was so delicious that the emperor was full of praise, so it was immediately listed as a tribute to the Qing Dynasty, and then Later, the practice was spread to the palace, and the inner pastry room of the Qing Palace learned it."

"Nowadays, I'm afraid it doesn't even exist in Jiangsu. This is the most authentic palace detail. You have never heard of it. But I can teach you how to make it. If you have money and the means, you want to restore it. If so, it shouldn’t be difficult to find the raw materials and make it again.”

"Ouch! That would be great!"

After learning the details, Ning Weimin was overjoyed.

He never thought that he could get such a big advantage inadvertently.

This jade dew frost sounds delicious and fragrant. If he could make it, he would be able to beat others.

"Master Zhang, of course I do. Originally, I was thinking that the details of the palace are the strength of Beihai Fangshan. I just can't do it if I don't follow their lead. I didn't expect that you, the old man, could kill me with just one move. problem."

"Hey, with this Jade Dew Frost, I will have a unique and unique signature brand in the future. It may not be impossible to be the best!" What's so new about Pea Yellow, Aiwowo and the like? Nowadays, Niujie is everywhere. Isn’t it easy to buy? I have to say you are awesome! You are the real expert on what to eat in the palace! "

After a few compliments, he picked up the menu and continued to read, but Ning Weimin couldn't help but become more curious.

"Hey, Master Zhang, what kind of clear jasmine soup is this in the first official banquet in summer? Is this jasmine a big dish? I know it can be made into tea, but... how do you eat it?"

"Hi, these are seasonal fruits and vegetables..."

From "Zhang Dashao"'s mouth, another elegant word that Ning Weimin had never heard came out.

"The palace must have an unconventional side. Every summer and autumn, seasonal flowers, fruits and vegetables are indispensable. What you eat is fresh and elegant."

"That's not the only one. Take a closer look. Among the three summer banquets, I listed for you tuberose soup, peach soup, sweet and sour cherry meat, fried jade spring sticks, fried bananas, glutinous rice lotus root, and peach blossom pan. They are all fruits and vegetables eaten in summer.”

"As for clear jasmine soup, this dish, like Yulu Shuang, also comes from the south of the Yangtze River. In essence, it is to use clear chicken soup to stew chicken breast, shredded bamboo shoots, and shredded mushrooms. The ingredients are as follows: The taste is quite similar to boiled cabbage."

"The really surprising thing is that when serving it, you have to sprinkle one or two fresh jasmine flowers into the soup in front of the guests. Immediately, the soup will be fragrant, and the flavor of jasmine is extremely rich, like magic. And the raw materials can be changed appropriately. It’s not a bad idea, just swap chicken breast for duck tongue and it will be jasmine duck tongue.”

Learn a lot! So much knowledge!

Ning Weimin is a man who always wants to save money when eating skewers. He is really the kind of person who doesn't know where to spend his money or how to spend it extravagantly.

On his own, he would never have been able to come up with such a delicious and interesting dish.

How about our cooking skills, which are worthy of lifelong study?

Otherwise, good chefs are called cooking masters!

That’s really different!

In Ning Weimin's eyes, "Zhang Dashao" was undoubtedly like "Qi Baishi" at the auction.

"Swish", the value skyrocketed.

But it wasn't over yet. Ning Weimin wasn't allowed to praise him even more this time.

"Zhang Dashao" took the initiative to explain to Ning Weimin his intentions in other aspects, which was a magnificent article.

"Okay, don't ask me one by one. It's too troublesome. I'll probably explain it to you to save you more confusion later."

"The menu I have given you, in addition to considering the cost and transportation of some raw materials, is mainly modeled on the real Han banquet regulations in the palace. The real full banquet is actually a pure dumpling banquet. Only the Han banquet is from all over the world. Cooking dishes. The palace has the rules and characteristics of palace food. Once you understand it, the closer you can make it, the more authentic it will be."

"First of all, during the period when the Qing Palace's diet was important, the emperor would adjust his diet with the changes of the seasons. For example, at the end of winter and the beginning of spring, two hot pots would be set up. At the beginning of April of the lunar calendar, the hot pots would be removed and replaced with cold dishes. Venison and mutton were eaten in the three months of winter, and mutton in summer. Drink glutinous rice porridge and mung bean porridge during the third lunar month."

"In terms of raw materials, the palace royal cuisine includes good things from all over the world. In terms of taste, it also includes Shandong cuisine, Suzhou and Hangzhou cuisine, Manchu flavor, and even some specialty foods from Mongolia, Tibet, Hui, and Korea. So why? Of course I have to try my best to reflect these characteristics in the menu you compiled."

"I won't talk about the Shandong cuisine in this summer menu. You have eaten and seen many of them. I just briefly talked about the Yulu Shuang and flower and fruit dishes, so there is nothing more. The key is the Manchurian dishes. , it is almost impossible to see it in the capital now. It is not only the weakness of Fangshan and Tingli Hall. I guess you are also very unfamiliar with many things."

"Let's talk about the pastries in the banquet first. What I write about behind this is the Suye pastry, which is made with paste cake. This is the pastry commonly used by the Manchu people for sacrifices. There are many sticky foods flowing during the Qing palace sacrifices, and there are also Seasonal. In winter, we use beaten cakes and sticky cakes, in May and June we use linden leaf cakes, tangerine leaf cakes, and in July and August we use su leaf cakes and slurry cakes. In September and October, we use bean flour cakes, steamed cakes, and water cakes. Dumplings. These sticky noodles that were used to worship gods in the past are all called sacrificial cakes.”

"And these things are not difficult to make, such as linden leaf dumplings, tussah leaf dumplings, and su leaf dumplings. They are all made of yellow rice flour, filled with bean fillings, and steamed in a drawer. To put it bluntly, they are the most common in the Northeast. The only difference between sticky bean buns is the leaves. But even if you just change the leaves, the flavor will naturally be different due to the leaf fragrance. As long as you can find these leaves, it is easier to achieve the original flavor."

"As for the sour soup and steamed rice noodles in the dim sum below, these are also ancient Manchu noodles. They are both good for refreshing the heart and moisturizing the stomach in summer, and they are not difficult to make. The sour soup is made by grinding corn and fermenting it. A kind of thick noodles with a smooth texture and refreshing taste. The noodles are made from buckwheat noodles or Northeastern sticky sorghum rice flour, hydrated and kneaded into thin strips, cooked in a pan or fried in a pan. Mixed with braised sauce, the texture is chewy and very chewy. tasty."

"In short, although these things are ordinary, with these things, your palace royal meals can truly have a Manchu flavor. Because this kind of thing is the hometown meal of the Manchu people, which came to the capital from the Northeast with Shunzhi. Absolutely It’s not the kind of minced meat sesame cakes made by Fangshan, it’s something of unknown provenance and origin.”