Chapter 66

The group of children had not returned yet, but the stove was already set up.

Li Qi didn’t idle either; he first had someone boil a large pot of water.

Bai Qianruo, seeing this, was very curious. She had never seen anyone cook a dish that required so much water.

Not to mention her, even Li Qi had never seen such a thing. He boiled the water, of course, not for cooking, but for disinfection.

As a chef from the 21st century, he naturally knew the importance of hygiene.

Li Qi first had everyone wash all the cooking utensils with boiling water. Since he originally planned to have these women clean the Drunken Immortal Inn, he stayed by their side, guiding them and instilling the concept and importance of hygiene.

Although the women didn’t fully understand, they didn’t dare to be careless in front of Li Qi and followed his instructions.

Bai Qianruo stood to the side. Although she didn’t help, she was very shocked by Li Qi’s ideas and learned a lot from them.

Xing'er, on the other hand, seemed to think that Li Qi was making too much of a fuss over washing the dishes and stood to the side with a dismissive look.

After all the cooking utensils were disinfected, the group of children returned, each carrying the materials Li Qi had asked them to buy, their faces beaming with excitement.

Li Qi checked everything and found that only a few children had not bought the exact amounts specified on the scraps of cloth, while the rest had done very well. This was already quite good, proving that these children were not unintelligent and had a lot of potential for improvement.

Li Qi was very pleased and praised them heartily, then let them rest and learn a few more characters.

After arranging everything, Li Qi picked up the newly sharpened cleaver and prepared to start cooking.

Once Li Qi held the cleaver, he was at his most serious. Everyone seemed to be infected by his meticulous expression and stood to the side, not even daring to breathe heavily.

It must be said that a serious man is the most charming.

Even Bai Qianruo felt that Li Qi at this moment was completely different from his usual self.

In no time, Li Qi had cut all the ingredients and placed them in separate bowls.

Whether it was pork, tofu, or vegetables, everything was cut into thin slices of roughly the same size.

Zheng Huofu, who was originally a chef, knew from Li Qi’s knife skills alone that his own culinary skills were far inferior. He secretly admired Li Qi.

Everyone saw that Li Qi had bought a lot of ingredients, and although there wasn’t much meat, it was enough to make several dishes. However, when they saw Li Qi take a portion from each ingredient and put them all in one pot, they were stunned.

Even Bai Qianruo, who had seen a lot, had never seen such a method.

In fact, what Li Qi was making was a large pot dish.

A very cheap dish in the eyes of people in the future.

But in Li Qi’s mind, this large pot dish was a dish worth studying.

Making a large pot dish doesn’t require too many fancy techniques, but it has very strict requirements for basic skills. First, it tests a chef’s understanding of food. Although a large pot dish combines many ingredients, they can’t be mixed randomly; careful research is needed. Second, it tests knife skills. The ingredients in a large pot dish shouldn’t be cut too thick or large, or they won’t cook evenly and won’t blend flavors effectively. Finally, it tests the even distribution of seasonings, which is the hardest part. With so many types and quantities of ingredients, it’s not easy to season everything evenly, and even Li Qi found it challenging to do it perfectly.

The large pot dishes made by school canteen chefs are a disgrace to the dish. They are watery and tasteless, and some add more gutter oil than water, leaving a bowl of black, greasy water after a meal. How could that be delicious?

It’s almost as bad as pig feed.

No wonder many students prefer to eat fried rice with eggs rather than the large pot dish.

Although a large pot dish can’t compare to abalone, shark fin, or sea cucumber, it is a dish that suits the masses. Not everyone can afford to eat such luxurious dishes every day. Moreover, the nutritional value of a large pot dish is much higher than most dishes, at least it is very comprehensive.

Even for a single dish, Li Qi cooked it in three batches, as there were too many ingredients. If he had put them all in the pot at once, there would have been no room to stir.

After the first two batches were cooked, he gave each of the women and children a bowl to eat first. He didn’t care about the traditional male superiority.

The steamed buns Bai Qianruo had ordered earlier were delivered while Li Qi was cooking. The children squatted in the corner, each with three or four large buns, eating them with the large pot dish, and they were all enjoying it immensely.

The few men who hadn’t eaten yet were drooling.

But Li Qi didn’t keep them waiting long. Soon, the last batch of the large pot dish was ready.

Li Qi didn’t ask them to get bowls; he just called everyone to sit around the pot and use chopsticks to pick from it.

A large pot dish without the pot wouldn’t be a large pot dish.

Since it was already past mealtime, the old men were starving. Once they heard they could eat, they all rushed to pick from the pot, regardless of whether it was garlic or meat, just stuffing it into their mouths.

Praises for the large pot dish were abundant.

Bai Qianruo, sitting next to Li Qi, picked up a piece of vegetable and put it in her mouth. Although it wasn’t as impressive as the “Smiling Eyes” dish from last night, she was still surprised by how delicious a small leaf could become in Li Qi’s hands. She asked, “Mr. Li, what is this dish called?”

Li Qi smiled and said, “Large pot dish. A very simple name.”

“Large pot dish?”

Bai Qianruo nodded slightly. “It fits. Is this a new dish you came up with?”

“Uh... not really. I just didn’t have the environment to make it before, so I rarely did.”

Bai Qianruo sighed. “It’s a great fortune for Sister Wang to have your help!”

Although she thought Li Qi’s character was not great, always talking about money, his culinary skills were truly exceptional.

Li Qi chuckled. “It’s a great fortune indeed. Next time you talk to the lady, don’t praise me too much.”

Bai Qianruo was somewhat amused by Li Qi’s “modesty” and shook her head without a word.

Tian Mujiang smacked his lips and said to Li Qi, “Mr. Li, your large pot dish is amazing. It’s the best dish I’ve ever had.”

“Of course, who is Mr. Li? It’s a great honor to eat his dishes.”

...

Li Qi, seeing them getting more and more exaggerated, stopped them. “I’m not that great. You should eat quickly.”

“Yes, yes, yes.”

“If we could have some wine, it would be even better.” Tian Mujiang suddenly sighed, clearly craving alcohol.

Bai Qianruo was slightly taken aback, then remembered that Li Qi hadn’t asked anyone to buy wine. In the Northern Song Dynasty, almost everyone enjoyed alcohol, and it was a must at the table. She quickly said, “Xing'er, go see if you can get some wine.”

“No need.”

Li Qi gestured for Xing'er to wait, then said to Tian Mujiang, “You still have to go to the shop with me later. Let’s skip the wine.”

His voice was not loud but left no room for argument.

Bai Qianruo was taken aback, then gave Xing'er a look to stop her.

Tian Mujiang also sensed Li Qi’s displeasure, blushed, and hurriedly apologized.

Li Qi smiled, saying it was no big deal, but he was still a bit annoyed. With the current situation, where even filling their stomachs was a problem, they were already thinking about drinking. Really, you’re my lord.

Li Qi wasn’t stingy about the cost of the wine; it was just a matter of moderation. You have to consider the environment. Besides, he had already told Tian Mujiang and the others that they would go to the Drunken Immortal Inn in the afternoon. If Wu Furong saw him bringing a group of drunkards, he might think they were all Li Qi’s relatives.

After the meal, they rested for a while, and Li Qi began teaching the children some advanced service etiquette.

Clearly, he wanted to turn the Drunken Immortal Inn into a modern restaurant.

He had planned this from the beginning. He didn’t want it to be like the Jade Pavilion, where seven or eight waiters ran around like headless chickens, shouting at each other. In their time, no matter how delicious the food was, no one would want to eat there.

For a restaurant, first-class service is essential.

Li Qi first taught them about appearance and etiquette, such as smiling, tone of voice, and attitude towards customers.

Then he taught them some posture and gestures, such as standing, sitting, and hand movements.

At first, Bai Qianruo and her servant found Li Qi’s unique poses amusing, but as they watched, they were no longer laughing. They were only amazed. If there were a modern term to describe this amazement, it would be “professionalism.”