CHAPTER 507: CHAPTER 256: MASTER CRYSTAL DISHES IN ONE GO! THE SPECIAL GIFT FROM PARENTS!

「9 a.m.」

Lin Xu had finished making the Seven-colored Water Chestnut Cake he promised his customers. Together with the Black Sugar Shaqima he made last night, all the snacks were now completed.

The Shaqima was already cut into small pieces, wrapped in special food-grade wax paper, and then each piece was placed in specially crafted boxes.

Last night, when Dou Wenjing heard Shaqima was being made, she had her company’s videographer come over immediately to shoot the process. This morning, they edited it into a one-minute video and posted it on Lin Ji’s Food’s official account. This allowed customers to see the handcrafted snack-making process firsthand.

As soon as it was posted, netizens started commenting that they were tempted.

"Is it really good to post this early in the morning?"

"I’m not someone who likes Shaqima, but I still found myself drooling."

"I could have stayed in bed until eleven, but this Shaqima made me order takeout—I hold Lin Boss responsible for making me gain weight!"

"I’m not interested in Shaqima, but that black sugar looks too tempting. Can I buy it in the store at noon?"

"I heard there’s also Seven-colored Water Chestnut Cake today. Has Lin Boss finally realized he’s a businessman?"

"..."

In the kitchen, seeing these comments, Lin Xu said to the company’s photographer, "Strike while the iron’s hot. Let’s get the video of making the Seven-colored Water Chestnut Cake out as well. Try to post a video of the kitchen cooking every day. It doesn’t always have to be me; it can be other chefs as well."

As she sipped on her Pumpkin Soup, Dou Wenjing nodded in agreement, "Okay, okay, we got it... This Pumpkin Soup is so delicious. I regret moving the company away. If we were still across the street, I could have popped in for some tasty bites on a walk."

Shu Yun laughed, "It’s better to be a bit further away. I’ve already gained a pound these last few days. Having a boss who excels at cooking is a sweet burden to bear."

At this moment, the kitchen was already bustling. Lin Xu, seeing Shen Baobao and Chen Yan in chef’s outfits taking selfies nearby, said, "Shall we start?"

"Okay, okay, coming! Master Chen, is my hat on right?"

"It’s on right. Master Shen, can you check mine too? My hat isn’t crooked, is it?"

These two clowns were only learning how to make Crystal Skin Jelly but had asked Shu Yun for new chef’s outfits and even specially donned the tall hats of a head chef. After changing, they instantly exuded the aura of beautiful chefs.

The method for making Crystal Skin Jelly was truly simple. The Pork Skin they bought this time was mechanically scraped, so all the bristles and subcutaneous fat had already been removed. Therefore, Lin Xu didn’t have to get involved himself and simply directed the two to start the process.

"Take out the Pork Skin, blanch it briefly, and keep boiling until you can pierce it easily with a chopstick."

Crystal dishes utilize the gelatinous nature of Pork Skin to create their texture. Aside from Shandong cuisine’s Crystal Pork Hock, there’s also Huaiyang’s Crystal Pork and Sichuan’s Crystal Trotter, among others. Although regional methods vary, they are all quite similar.

After the Pork Skin was blanched and cooked through, it was removed from the pot and placed in cold water to cool. Then, using a knife, they scraped off any residual fat from underneath the Pork Skin and removed any remaining bristles.

For those with obsessive-compulsive disorder, this was a very satisfying experience.

Chen Yan, holding a pair of tweezers from the kitchen, even reminisced about tweezing her eyebrows at the beauty salon while removing the bristles.

After scraping and cleaning, the Pork Skin was put back into hot water to rinse off any surface impurities, then the water was drained off, and the Pork Skin was cut into strips.

"This Pork Skin is like a rubber band. How should I cut it, Xu Bao?"

Lin Xu had decided to teach them Crystal Skin Jelly, considering their poor cooking fundamentals. However, he hadn’t expected them to struggle even with chopping; they were clueless about how to exert force with a kitchen knife.

He said, "Laying it flat like this does make it hard to start cutting. You can roll the Pork Skin up and cut, which makes it easier to cut it finely."

Lin Xu demonstrated for the two and taught them the correct way to hold a knife, finally helping the clumsy apprentices master the use of a kitchen knife.

"Wow, rolling it up makes it so much easier to cut—amazing!"

"Exactly, cooking is truly vast and profound. I, Head Chef Chen, still have so much to learn."

"As do I, Head Chef Shen. I must learn humbly to further develop and glorify the art of cooking."

Lin Xu himself hadn’t known this cutting technique for long. He learned it while studying how to make Steamed Sea Bass under the guidance of his master, Grandpa Gao. It was then he understood the technique of splitting scallions to extract the Scallion Core, then rolling them up to cut into fine strips.

This method not only worked for slicing scallions and Pork Skin, but also for cutting kelp, dried tofu, and tofu skin, among other thin ingredients.

After the Pork Skin was cut, it needed to be placed in a basin with cooking salt, baking soda, and hot water for repeated scrubbing to enhance the crystal effect.

This step entirely cleaned the surface impurities off the Pork Skin, making the final skin jelly as clear as crystal while also making the Pork Skin tender and white.

After scrubbing for two minutes, the water in the basin turned muddy.

Pouring in fresh water and washing repeatedly, they continued until the water in the basin was clear and no longer murky.

Then, they drained the water and put the Pork Skin strips into a porcelain basin. They poured in half a basin of spring water, added Scallion and Ginger and salt, covered the basin, and placed it in a steamer to steam.

"Why use spring water?"

"This helps achieve a higher degree of transparency in the jelly."

After explaining, Lin Xu checked the messages his mother had sent on his phone.