The Gourmet Customizer

Chapter 276: Chapter 132: Jellied Tender Medley, What an Appetizer

"All the ingredients are encased in a meat aspic. It’s very springy in your mouth, but the aspic itself is very tender. After it melts, the first thing that hits you is the savory umami, followed by the fresh fragrance of the vegetables."

Lu Yongliang nodded and said, "This defies common sense, but that’s really how it is."

Normally, an aspic shouldn’t smell of vegetables. It should smell of meat.

Next was Liu Fu. "With one bite, the textures and flavors of all the different ingredients just burst forth! In that single moment, I could instantly feel the soft, glutinous texture of the wheat gluten puffs, the fall-apart tenderness of the chicken, the springy chewiness of the pig’s trotter, and even the firm bite of the lean pork knuckle. It’s incredible!"

Cui Yufen continued with a wry smile, "Among so many ingredients, there isn’t the slightest clash in texture or flavor. Instead, they all complement one another. Boss Su, this jellied platter of yours is marvelous!"

’Marvelous? It’s far more than that.’

Su Chen had known this would be the outcome all along.

The reason the dish achieved this effect was entirely because Su Chen had experimented with hundreds of ingredient combinations in the Gourmet Practice Room.

Chicken is versatile. Its presence doesn’t interfere with the flavors of other ingredients; in fact, it actually enhances their umami.

Likewise, there’s no clash between the pig’s trotter and the pork knuckle. The side ingredients, like the wheat gluten puffs and pan-fried tofu, are also commonly paired with these meats in everyday cooking.

As for the kelp and Spanish mackerel, they added a distinct seafood umami to the dish.

This umami was completely different from that of the chicken.

And the two sheets of pig skin on the outermost layer had long since been boiled down, transforming into the meat aspic now visible to the eye.

Su Chen looked at the masters with a grin. "So, what do you all think would be a suitable price for this dish?"

Liu Fu said with a straight face, "Calculated by the plate, 58 yuan for the one we just had isn’t expensive."

"Yes, 58 is a fairly average price. But for this flavor, 88 would be fine too," Cui Yufen offered her suggestion.

After all, you couldn’t base the price solely on the ingredients; flavor had to be a major factor.

The same dish might only sell for 28 at an ordinary restaurant, but it could go for 38 at a high-end establishment, simply because it tastes better.

The same principle applied to this jellied platter.

Based on ingredients alone, 58 for a plate would be about right. But to sell something this delicious for only 58 would be a major loss. It had to be at least 88!

’Cui Yufen has spoken. How could I dare to disobey?’

He immediately sliced up another plate. "Eighty-eight a serving! Who’s buying?"

Cui Yufen stared, dumbfounded.

’So, Boss Su, you were just waiting for me to set the price for you, weren’t you?’

’This is killing me. If I’d known, I would have said it should be 18 a serving!’

"You’re a real joker, Su Chen..."

Su Chen shook his head. "You helped set the price. I’ve made my decision. Since everyone thinks it’s delicious, starting today, the Jellied Meat Platter will officially be on the menu in the Delicious second-floor cafeteria as a permanent cold dish!"

’Perfect. Just like that, I’ve added another permanent item to the menu.’

’This dish isn’t hard to make. Later, I’ll go to the Gourmet Practice Room, work out the process step-by-step, and write up a standardized recipe for Zhang Heping.’

’Just follow the fixed ingredient ratios and cooking times. It doesn’t require a lot of technical skill, just the ability to follow instructions.’

’That’s the beauty of a standardized S-Level dish!’

"Sheesh! Give me a plate. I’ve really got to hand it to you, Boss Su." Liu Fu was the first to jump in, unable to wait.

’Eighty-eight it is,’ he thought. ’It’s not like this dish is common, or that I’ll be eating it every day.’

The other chefs in their group all followed suit, paying out of their own pockets. This time, no one offered to treat the others.

After all, the memory of yesterday morning’s bill for buns coming to over eight thousand, and lunch’s noodle bill being over five thousand, was still fresh in their minds. It would be truly inappropriate to let someone else treat them again.

"Too bad for Peixing. He’s missing out on something this delicious," Shi Qi said, also paying for a serving himself.

He then snapped a photo and sent it to Wang Peixing.

A moment later, Wang Peixing replied with a voice message.

"Damn it, Shi Qi, you’re cruel! How could you eat something so amazing this early in the morning and torture me like this?"

"Damn it! I’m blocking you! Unless you bring a serving back to the Capital City for me, our brotherhood is over!"

Hearing Wang Peixing’s exasperated voice, Shi Qi put his phone away with great satisfaction. "Boss Su, can I mix my own dipping sauce?"

"Help yourself." Su Chen was busy slicing the cold platters for everyone, so he let them handle their own sauces.

Everyone has their own preferences; when it came to dipping sauces, mixing your own was the only way to get it perfectly suited to your own palate.

Su Chen sliced up the entire jellied loaf and arranged it on plates, making a full twenty of them!

He placed them on the counter. Whoever wanted one could scan a QR code to pay and then help themselves.

’So early in the morning, right after waking up, and I’ve already tearfully pocketed nearly two thousand yuan,’ Su Chen thought. ’Ah, life... how dull!’

As for Old Ba, one plate wasn’t enough to satisfy him. Seeing the number of platters on the counter dwindling,

he went ahead and grabbed the last two. "This is the taste of my childhood!"

’No, it’s even better than the taste of my childhood!’

If he could, Old Ba wished he could be like Zhang the Second and just get a job at Boss Su’s company.

Unfortunately, his family and career were both in Lu Province. He couldn’t make such a decision lightly; he couldn’t be as carefree as Zhang the Second.

One serving of the jellied platter wasn’t really all that much food when you got down to it.

After all, cold dishes are typically appetizers. You just have a few bites, and that’s it. Who actually eats a cold dish as their main course?

Only this group of burly men from Lu Province, apparently.

"Sigh, I still haven’t had my fill! Boss Su, why don’t you make another batch? I’m not heading back today. I’ll wait and have it for dinner!" Liu Fu was serious.

Su Chen smiled and shook his head. "I can’t make any more today. I have to go out and take care of some things."

’There’s still no word from Brother Fang Chang’s side,’ Su Chen thought, feeling anxious.

’I have to go in person today and see what’s going on.’

"Fine, then. I’m going downstairs for some buns," Liu Fu said. "Damn it, Old Er, when are you ever going to master Boss Su’s skills? I really don’t want to eat your crappy buns."

"If you don’t want them, then don’t eat them! Plenty of others do. See that guy with the black-rimmed glasses? He eats five to eight of them every single day!" Zhang Heping, unafraid of his Eldest Brother, retorted immediately.

Liu Fu couldn’t be bothered to argue. "Whatever. You’re paying for this morning’s buns, then. Damn it."

Even after eating several plates of the jellied dish so early in the morning, none of them felt stuffed. On the contrary, it seemed to have whetted their appetites.

They felt like they could easily polish off another ten buns right now.

The only regrettable thing was that Boss Su hadn’t made the buns himself today, so they could only eat the ones made by Zhang the Second.

Seeing how things were unfolding, Su Chen knew that his plan had already halfway failed.

’The sports meet hasn’t even started yet. Even if I manage to keep them here now, it won’t be of much use.’

’Perhaps I should just...’

An idea sparked in Su Chen’s mind.

’We didn’t become the five sworn siblings of Delicious for nothing!’

’Was I calling them ’brother’ and ’sister’ for nothing?’

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