Chapter 8 Chapter Seven: Three-Head Feast

Xiyuan Hotel may not be the best hotel in Yangzhou, but its five-star facilities and services are definitely the highest and most upscale in Yangzhou.The hotel integrates accommodation, entertainment and catering, and has always been the first choice for foreign guests and high-end tourists when they come to Yangzhou. The Red House Banquet Hall is the most luxurious banquet hall in the catering department of Xiyuan Hotel.Compared with other large and small private dining halls, the Red Mansion Banquet Hall has a completely independent kitchen and service staff, including eight chefs serving spoons, eight side dish workers, fourteen waiters, and welcome staff. Two, front desk and management staff four.This set of people, not to mention being in charge of a banquet hall, is more than enough to support a medium-sized restaurant.

However, there is only one table of banquets sold in the Red Mansion Banquet Hall every day.This is not because the business of the banquet hall is deserted. In fact, to hold a banquet here, it is often necessary to book a month in advance.But no matter how high the price you pay, don't let the banquet hall set up a second banquet on the same day. "A person's daily energy is limited, and the peak of his working state can only appear once in a day. Therefore, we will only hold one table of banquets every day, that is to say, all the thirty-six staff members of the Red House Banquet Hall will Concentrate all your energy for the day and serve only one table of guests.” This passage is from Duan Xueming, the manager of the banquet hall, and it is also the business philosophy of the Red Mansion Banquet Hall.

The quality of such a service can be imagined, and the price can also be imagined.Few people know how much it costs to set up a table of banquets in the Red House Banquet Hall, but everyone knows a secret: the Red House Banquet Hall only sells one table of banquets a day, but its profit is better than many restaurants with the same manpower much. Looking at Yangzhou City, perhaps only such a banquet hall is qualified to host the battle between "Yidaoxian" and Jiang Shan, which is destined to become a legend in the culinary world. The time when Jiang Shan came to the banquet hall of the Red Mansion was 7:05 in the evening, five minutes later than the agreed time.

In some cases, being late does not mean that a person has a weak sense of time. Jiang Shan's late arrival today is not only a courtesy, but also a strategy. First of all, as a guest at the banquet, you'd better not arrive before the appointed time, or you may embarrass the host who is not ready; second, let the opponent wait for your arrival before a high-level confrontation, Undoubtedly, it can take a psychological advantage to a certain extent.Of course, no matter what the situation, the time for being late should not be too long, and about five minutes is a suitable choice. Jiang Shan entered the banquet hall led by Miss Yingbin, and he saw that other people had already sat down at a mahogany round table, among them were Ma Yun, Chen Chunsheng, Peng Hui, Sun Youfeng, Shen Fei, Ling Yongsheng, Xu Lijie, On the main seat was the old man in Caiyi Lane, and the empty guest seat beside him was naturally reserved for Jiang Shan.

However, "One Knife Fresh" is not among the people at this table. "Yi Dao Xian" is the host of this banquet, of course he will not be late.In fact, he was the first person to come to the banquet hall of the Red Mansion tonight, but instead of serving the table, he sat behind a large screen in the hall. The screen made of jade, inlaid with red carvings and lacquer, stands facing the table. On the front of the screen is a beautiful picture of "Dan Feng Ying Chun", and on both sides, a golden soft satin curtain is drawn to cover the "one knife fresh". Through the screen, I can vaguely see his sitting figure.

"Mr. Jiang is here? Please take a seat." A hoarse voice came from behind the screen. Everyone looked away from Jiang Shan immediately, and looked in the direction of the voice.Since their arrival, this is the first time "Yi Dao Xian" has spoken. For this legendary character, even if he cannot see his face, a simple sentence can still attract everyone's attention. "Aren't you coming to sit?" Jiang Shan replied, looking at the screen. "Hey." "Yi Dao Xian" laughed twice, with some embarrassment and helplessness in his tone, "I haven't been out and about for decades, what's so good about this old face?"

Everyone at the table looked at each other.Except for the old man in the main seat, Ma Yun was the oldest at the scene, and he was the only one who had had several contacts with the "one-knife fresh" before he disappeared. I saw him stroke his beard and said: "Although Mr. I have faded out of the culinary world for many years, but the outstanding demeanor of the past is still unforgettable to me, and those who come here have always admired it. It is a rare chance to get together today, but the husband can’t be separated from the screen. It’s really regrettable.” "Yi Dao Xian" murmured, as if hesitant about the next words, and said after a long time: "Today's competition, if I win, it's okay to have a drink with everyone, but if I lose, the family two hundred Years of fame have been ruined, so what kind of style can we talk about? At that time, everyone will pretend that you haven’t seen me, and forget about me.”

As soon as this remark came out, everyone was quite surprised.I originally thought that hiding behind the screen was a masterful demeanor of "the dragon sees the head but doesn't see the tail", but now that I heard it, I was worried that I would have no face to step down after losing the competition.His low-key and timid attitude is quite different from the almost mythical image in the legend. Sun Youfeng couldn't bear it anymore, and whispered in Chen Chunsheng's ear: "Mr. Chen, is this 'one knife fresh' old? It seems that the sharpness of the past has been worn away a lot."

Chen Chunsheng frowned, looking puzzled, and thought to himself: "When he swept Beijing eight years ago, who could compare with that spirit? Could it be that it has changed so much in the past few years?" Everyone received the invitation of "Yi Dao Xian", and they all came to the banquet with great interest today, thinking that since "Yi Dao Xian" came out, they would definitely be able to defeat Jiang Shan and sweep away the declining trend of Yangzhou's culinary circle in recent days.Unexpectedly, shortly after taking their seats, they first got the news that Uncle Xu said that he was not sick, and then saw the low fighting spirit of "Yi Dao Xian".

Even Xu Lijie, who held a neutral attitude, couldn't help shaking her head, and said softly, "Why does this 'one knife fresh' look a little afraid of Jiang Shan?" "No. He just said so. I think it's just an excuse for him. He doesn't want to show his face. There are other reasons for it. 'Yidaoxian' has been the best culinary skill in the world for more than two hundred years. How could you be afraid of Jiang Shan?" The one who spoke was Ling Yongsheng, he was simple and honest by nature, and the reputation of "Yi Dao Xian" had a profound influence on him, no matter what happened, he could not shake his support for "Yi Dao Xian".But facing the hesitant attitude of others, he couldn't help but feel a little sad at the moment.

Fortunately, he wasn't alone. A person around him smiled approvingly, which revived his mood. There was a faint smile, but it was as relaxed and free as sunshine after the rain. This kind of smile naturally belonged to Shen Fei.Could it be that he, like Ling Yongsheng, has an almost devout trust in the strength of "One Sword Fresh"? No matter what other people's attitudes are, Jiang Shan always looks like he is not chaotic.He walked to the table, nodded to everyone as a salute, and then sat calmly on the empty seat next to the old man. Ever since Jiang Shan entered the room, the old man had been sitting upright and keeping his expression on his face.Now that Jiang Shan was seated, he cleared his throat and said in a loud voice: "Behind the screen is an old friend of mine. It is inconvenient for him to see guests today, so he asked me to be his host. If you don’t come, the guests will be here now, Manager Duan—” Following the old man's shout, a middle-aged man with a round face and thick eyebrows walked out from the back kitchen quickly, stood beside the old man with his hands down, and asked respectfully, "What's your order?" Seeing this situation, all the Huaiyang chefs present were secretly surprised.If the expectations are correct, this middle-aged man should be Duan Xueming, the manager of the Red Mansion Banquet Hall. In Yangzhou's culinary world, in addition to the owners and chefs of the three famous restaurants, there are four other people who also have their own special skills, and they are called "one strange and three unique". The "Three Uniques" refer to Zhu Xiaohua, Li Dong, and Jin Yiying who are the best in material selection, knife skills, and heat respectively. This "one strange" refers to Duan Xueming. Duan Xueming was ranked before the "Three Wonders" as a "monster", and his strength can be seen. First of all, Duan Xueming's blame lies in his origin.Twenty years ago, Xiyuan Hotel organized the Red Mansion Banquet Hall. He suddenly appeared and defeated many Huaiyang famous chefs in the cooking competition, and entered the banquet hall as the manager.Before that, no one had ever seen him, his cooking skills belonged to the authentic Huaiyang cuisine, but no one in Yangzhou city knew who his master was. Duan Xueming's fault is secondly his character.After he entered the Red Mansion Banquet Hall, he lived in seclusion and rarely interacted with outsiders.Even though he is famous, there are very few people who have actually seen him.Even if foreign guests and celebrities come to the Red Mansion Banquet Hall for dinner, it is extremely difficult to get him out of the back kitchen to show his face.It is said that there was only one exception, and that was when the old head of a certain central government came back for an inspection. After tasting the dishes in the Red Mansion Banquet Hall, he was full of praise, so Duan Xueming came out to say hello.The old chief once wanted to transfer him to the Zhongnanhai State Banquet Hall as the head chef of Huaiyang cuisine, but he politely declined. His lifelong goal seemed to be to be the manager of the Red Mansion Banquet Hall. But it was such a strange person who stood obediently in front of the old man now. Judging from his demeanor, even if the old man asked him to pack up and go home, he would not say "no". Even so, the old man still treated him with an expression of indifference, he slightly rolled his eyelids, and said lightly: "The guests are all here, let's go to the dishes." Duan Xueming was unequivocal, and yelled in the direction of the back kitchen: "Let's go to the food~" The last sound of his word dragged on for a long time, and the lingering sound did not stop, only the sound of "da da" was heard. A group of slim women in clear clothes and wooden clogs came out from the back kitchen, a total of twelve people in total, It coincides with the number of twelve gold hairpins in the middle school. At first, each of the five women held a black velvet brocade plate in their hands, and spread out behind the crowd, and then another five women stepped forward, each took five small dishes from the brocade plate, and gently placed them on the table. Then eight of the twelve women waited behind Jiang Shan and the others, one by one, but Duan Xueming personally accompanied the old man.Two other women went to the screen, and the remaining two stood at the entrance of the back kitchen. The chopsticks, plates and cutlery on the table have already been prepared. If everyone wants to drink any drink, they only need to ask the woman who is behind them to pour it immediately. Xu Lijie looked at the five side dishes on the table, and there seemed to be nothing special about them.Four of them are very common, even in Chinese restaurants in the United States. She couldn't help but said in turn: "Old vinegar peanuts, jujube with honey, cold bitter gourd, couple's lung slices, I know all these dishes , only the last plate seems to be chicken?" "This is not a chicken." The old man smiled and said, "This is a local product of Yangzhou, salted old goose, Miss Xu, please try it." Xu Lijie picked up the chopsticks, put a piece of goose meat into her mouth, after chewing, she felt fat but not greasy, and there was a umami taste in the salty fragrance, which was very delicious.After she finished eating, she felt that she was not satisfied yet, and when she was about to pick up the second chopsticks, she was gently stopped by Shen Fei: "You can only eat one piece of each dish." "Why?" Xu Lijie looked at the plate of goose in confusion.Although the plate is not big, the goose meat is cut very finely, two or three pieces for each person on the table should be more than enough. "These are not main dishes." Shen Fei explained to her, "These five small dishes are mainly sour, sweet, bitter, spicy, and salty. They are used to adjust the taste buds of diners before eating the main meal. The size and the intensity of the taste are matched just right, and when you eat a piece of each, the five flavors can be released and balanced. If you eat more than one piece of any dish, it will affect the taste when you taste the main dish for a while." "Then it's the same if I eat two or three slices of each dish?" Xu Lijie already understood the reason, but she still couldn't help but want to tease Shen Fei. Ling Yongsheng thought she was serious, and said naively from the side: "That can't be done. There can be more than one main course, and each main course needs to be seasoned. According to the way you eat, just eating seasoning dishes is enough I am full." "Well, what Xiao Lingzi said makes sense." Xu Lijie said with a smile, but she refused to give this face to Shen Fei.Then, like everyone else, she tasted the five small dishes one by one. After the seasoning was finished, everyone put down their chopsticks one by one, and suddenly the hoarse voice of "Yi Dao Xian" sounded from behind the screen again: "Mr. Does it suit your taste?" Jiang Shan smiled slightly, and then chanted: "'Yangzhou is good, there are three heads in the family banquet. The taste of heaven and earth is in the world, and the taste is delicious.' This three-head banquet uses ordinary ingredients from the market to cook the main course, turning clumsiness into treasure, It is a very high level of culinary art to break out of the ordinary and turn the vulgar into the elegant. What is more suitable for banquets in Yangzhou than the 'Three Heads Banquet'?" Xu Lijie heard the two people talking so lively, her heart was itchy already, she thought to herself: "This 'Three Heads Banquet' gives people a different feeling just by hearing the name, I don't know what the 'Three Heads' refers to. what?" Just as he was guessing, the old man nodded and said, "Since Mr. Jiang appreciates the 'Three Heads Banquet' so much, let's serve the main course." When Duan Xueming heard the order, he clapped his hands to the two maids standing at the door of the back kitchen. They understood and walked into the back kitchen.The sound of "da da" clogs became farther and farther away, and then farther and nearer.When the two appeared from the door again, a strong fragrance also floated into the banquet hall. Duan Xueming announced the name of the dish loudly: "The first item of the 'Three Heads Feast', grilled whole pig's head!" The two maids worked together to hold a huge plate, and on the plate, facing upside down, was indeed a whole big pig's head with bright red and oily burgundy! By the time the pig's head was brought to the table, the aroma had already wafted throughout the banquet hall.Shen Fei gulped down a mouthful of saliva, and was not polite, while praising: "It smells good, smells good!" Stretching out his chopsticks, he was about to poke the pig's head. "Wait!" Duan Xueming suddenly stopped. "What's the matter?" Shen Fei was taken aback, "I can't wait for this grilled pig's head. After it cools down, the glue will freeze, and the taste will be much worse." "Of course." Duan Xueming said with a smile, "I also hope that you will eat your chopsticks as soon as possible. But this is the Red Mansion Banquet Hall, and there are some unique rules. If you follow them, you will enjoy eating more." "What rule? Say it quickly." Shen Fei impatiently waved the chopsticks in his hand. Duan Xueming said unhurriedly: "There is a description in the book, when everyone is drinking, they must write poems with propositions, and only those who finish will have food. Today, you may wish to learn from this allusion to add some fun to drinking." "Recite poetry?" Shen Fei shook his head like a wave drum, and pointed at Jiang Shan, "According to this method, you might as well just give him the whole pig's head." "It's not limited to poetry." Duan Xueming seemed to have been prepared for a long time, and said calmly, "Since everyone wants to eat pig's head, I think we might as well use 'pig's head' as the topic, whether it is poetry, allusions, or common sense. If you say something relevant, you will pass the test." "Whether you can pass the test or not is up to you?" Shen Fei rubbed his chin, thinking in his heart whether the deal would be worth it. Duan Xueming waved his hand: "I'm just a service person today, how can I directly participate in the game? I think Ms. Xu is the most suitable for the role of referee." "Okay!" Shen Fei was overjoyed when he heard this, "Missy has always been fair and fair, and it is indeed the most suitable to let her be the referee. Missy has worked so hard, so it is natural for her to taste the pork head first." Hurry up." After finishing speaking, without asking other people's consent, he took a piece of meat from the pig's cheek and put it on Xu Lijie's plate, flatteringly said: "Try it, the meat in this place is the best. Delicate." Seeing Shen Fei's appearance, Xu Lijie couldn't help but want to laugh.But now that he had already grabbed it, he stopped being polite and put the piece of meat into his mouth.The meat of the pig's head and cheeks is really crispy and rotten, as tender as tofu, and at the same time has a strong taste, which lingers on the tongue. "How does it taste?" Shen Fei asked with a smile. "It tastes good." Xu Lijie tilted her head and looked at him, "But you bribed the referee and fined you to play last." Shen Fei pinched his nose, with a bitter face, an innocent expression. Xu Lijie turned her head to look at Jiang Shan at this time, and said with a smile: "Mr. Jiang, you are a guest from afar, let's start with you first." "Okay." Jiang Shan pondered for a while, and said: "Just now Shen Fei said that poetry is my strong point, so I'll be lazy and stop looking for other ways. The following song "Recalling Jiangnan" is a poem written by Huang Dingming in the Qing Dynasty. , which mentioned this 'grilled whole pig's head'." After finishing speaking, he paused for a moment, and then opened his mouth and said: "Yangzhou is good, you can visit Fahai Temple, the empty hall on the lake is on the other side, and the group of pagodas by the water is reflected in the middle. , leave a guest with a rotten pig's head." "Well, what a 'retaining rotten pig's head'!" The old man on the main seat praised him, and then said, "Luo Pin, one of the Eight Monsters of Yangzhou, once wrote a poem about the deliciousness of pig's head. It’s like this: “The first sound of spring thunder, springing up after the rain. Buy it with roasted pig’s head, don’t ask the cook, ask the old monk.”” "Not bad, both of your poems are very good, please eat your meat." After Xu Lijie performed her duties as a referee, she immediately raised the question in her heart: "But in your poems just now, one of you said 'Fahai Temple',' The guest kept a rotten pig's head', and one said to burn a pig's head' instead of asking the cook to ask the old monk', what's going on?" Ma Yun chuckled and said, "Let me go along with the flow and answer this question. According to legend, this 'grilled pig's head' was created by the monks of Fahai Temple in the Qing Dynasty. It was not the whole pig's head that was made at first, and the cooking utensils used It was very special. The monks at that time cut the pork head meat into one-inch square pieces like "Dongpo meat", stuffed them into unused urinals, added various condiments and appropriate amount of water, and closed the pot with a wooden cork. The mouth is tightly plugged, and then the urinal is hung on the lighted candle with a wire and slowly stewed, so that even if someone sees it, they will think that they are roasting to remove the smell in the urinal, and they will never think that they are cooking delicious food. pork head." "Ah?" Xu Lijie's eyes widened, "Aren't there a group of flower monks living in Fahai Temple?" "You are wrong. Not only are they not Hua monks, but they are also good monks who are dedicated to Buddha. According to legend, Emperor Qianlong once passed by Fahai Temple, smelled the smell of meat, secretly investigated and discovered the secret of the monks stealing pork head meat. Qianlong The Lord was furious and accused the monks of not abiding by the rules and regulations. Everyone was terrified, and only one monk replied calmly that the pork head meat they cooked was not eaten by themselves, but was secretly sold to nearby residents, so as to raise money for the Buddha statue money. After Emperor Qianlong appeased his anger, he couldn’t help but taste the pork head meat. It was delicious and delicious. Since then, Lord Qianlong has licensed the monks in Fahai Temple to make and sell pork head meat publicly. Pork head meat has become a famous dish in Fahai Temple. After getting rid of the urinal, it has been continuously improved, and today's "grilled whole pig's head" came into being." After Ma Yun finished speaking, he looked at Xu Lijie with a smile: "How about it, are you satisfied with my explanation?" "Satisfied, satisfied. This explanation is both interesting and reasonable. Please eat meat too." Seeing Ma Yun picking up a piece of pork head meat and eating it very deliciously, Xu Lijie couldn't help but "puchi" smile and said: "But this pig head meat is originally It was burned from the urinal first, thinking of this, will it affect your appetite?" "Miss Xu, you don't know about this. If it wasn't cooked in a urinal, it wouldn't be so delicious." Peng Hui interjected. Xu Lijie blinked curiously: "Oh? How do you say this?" "The two most important points in the cooking process of this pig's head meat are that it must be stewed thoroughly, and the second is to remove the fishy smell from the pig's head." Peng Hui explained, "Put the pig's head meat in a urinal just to meet these two requirements. First of all, the urinal has a small mouth, gathers gas, and is the most suitable container for stewing on a low fire; secondly, the urinal at that time was made of clay, and it was like a fine sand filter during the cooking process. It can absorb the fishy smell in the pig's head. Nowadays, when many cooks cook "grilled whole pig's head", they often put two large mud tiles under the pig's head, which is actually the same reason." "So that's how it is." Xu Lijie suddenly nodded and said with a smile, "That's right, you can eat meat too." There are nine people at a table, and more than half of them have passed the test.Xu Lijie turned her attention to Chen Chunsheng at this time: "Mr. Chen, it's your turn." After the foreshadowing of the previous people, Chen Chunsheng was already prepared. He cleared his throat and said, "What I want to say is the knowledge of pig's head selection. Anyone who can make a pig's head knows that the more tender the pig's head, the better the taste. ;The fatter the pig's head, the better it looks. It's easy to understand that tenderness and fatness are contradictory. The bigger the pig, the older the meat. But two years ago, a butcher in Hedongzhuang, a suburb of the city, But there are always fat and tender pig heads, which are really suitable for making 'grilled whole pig heads'." "Oh, then Mr. Chen, you must have got the news soon. Such a good pig, naturally you will be monopolized by 'Jingyuexuan', right?" Ma Yun said half-jokingly and half-seriously. "Mr. Ma, your guess is only half right. I got the news immediately, but I didn't go to the local area to buy pig heads. What I want is the method of breeding this kind of pig heads." Jiang Shan nodded in agreement: "That's right, this is the foundation of business." "I wanted to buy the butcher at a high price at first, but I didn't expect that the man was so tight-lipped and unwilling to reveal the secret. I was unwilling to return empty-handed, so I rented the room next to his pigsty and drilled on the mud wall. Kong, endured the stench and stared at it for a day and a night, and finally figured out the tricks of raising pigs." Chen Chunsheng said here, with an unconcealable smug look on his face. Everyone secretly sighed in their hearts. Two years ago, Chen Chunsheng's net worth exceeded tens of millions. In order to obtain business secrets, he was willing to spend a day beside the smelly pigsty. It is no accident that this person can rise rapidly in the business world. "Then you must have put this method into practice soon?" Ma Yun guessed again. Chen Chunsheng shook his head: "Not only did I fail to learn his method, but I also asked people to buy some pig heads from other places and sell them there at a low price, disrupting his business." "Why is that?" Ma Yun asked puzzled. "If you knew why the pigs he raised were so fat and tender, you would do the same. During the observation of that day, I found that when he was idle, he used a wicker whip to beat the pig's face , and the attack was very heavy. Those pigs were beaten until they screamed, and some even shed tears. I was puzzled at first, and then I saw the red, swollen and bleeding parts of the pig's face, which suddenly dawned on me. The pig's face was beaten After the injury, due to the physiological protection mechanism, the nutrients in the body will be concentrated and supplied to the wound to promote its healing and growth, and over time, the pig's head will naturally grow fat and tender." "This method is too cruel." After listening to Xu Lijie, she sighed and said, "Mr. Chen, you have not learned to use his wicked method. You are a conscientious businessman. Based on this alone, today's pig's head meat is also indispensable. Your share." Chen Chunsheng picked up a chopstick of pork head meat, ate it with relish, then wiped his mouth with a paper towel, and said: "Actually, Chef Sun has his own opinions on the selection of ingredients for this pig head. for novelty." "Oh?" Everyone turned their attention to Sun Youfeng. Ma Yun stroked his beard and asked with a smile: "Master Sun, can you share the mystery of this with everyone?" Generally speaking, as a master in the culinary world, he will more or less master some exclusive cooking secrets or tricks.According to the industry regulations, it is not appropriate for colleagues to ask about these things. However, as Sun Youfeng's boss, Chen Chunsheng, since he mentioned it first, everyone will have less scruples. Xu Lijie was aroused, and she took out her referee's privilege to urge her: "Master Sun, tell me quickly. After you finish this game, you will pass the test." Sun Youfeng nodded and said: "Well, it's just a little opinion, and it may not be correct. Everyone, just take it as a joke. Although the pig's head mentioned by Mr. Chen just now is fat and tender, I think , it is not the best choice to use it to make 'grilled whole pig's head'." "why?" Sun Youfeng pointed to the pig's head on the table: "Look at this pig's head, it not only tastes great, but also looks like a smile on its back. After serving it on the table, the whole room is full of joy. So this 'grilled whole pig's head' , there is an alias in the folks, called 'Happy Overlord Face'." Indeed, the pig's head on the plate squinted and grinned, and it really looked like a hearty smile. Xu Lijie watched it with great interest, while listening to Sun Youfeng's continued explanation: "Experienced cooks know that the pig's head should be grinned. Laughing is not difficult, it can be made with knife skills and techniques. However, the expression between the eyebrows and eyes of pig heads cannot be adjusted, and it will not change before and after cooking. Therefore, although many pig heads are smiling, their eyebrows and eyes cannot be stretched. , with a sad face, when such a pig's head is served on the table, the atmosphere is a bit worse." Everyone present nodded slightly in agreement.After a short pause, Sun Youfeng continued: "After the slaughter and cooking process, the skin and muscles of the pig's head have become loose. Why do they have different expressions? I think this has something to do with the conditions of the living pig. If this pig The pigs eat enough, sleep enough, and enjoy themselves all day long. Over time, the skin and muscles of the face naturally show a happy expression; on the contrary, those fat pigs like Mr. Chen just mentioned are often tortured and tortured, and they are always frowning. , this resentment will always be carried in the eyebrows." After Sun Youfeng's theory was eloquently explained, everyone found it novel and interesting, but after thinking about it carefully, it was not unreasonable.At the moment, the opinions were unanimous, and Sun Youfeng was agreed to pass the test and eat meat. At this time, except for Shen Fei who was restricted to be the last to speak, Ling Yongsheng was the only one who hadn't eaten the pig's head.I saw him scratching his forehead, and said in embarrassment: "I can't think of anything else at the moment, but I remember the specific method of 'grilling the whole pig's head'. I don't know if it can be counted?" "Grilled whole pig's head" is a well-known dish in Huaiyang cuisine. Of course, all the chefs here are familiar with the method, so answering the question with this method is somewhat disappointing.But everyone knows that Ling Yongsheng has always been simple and honest, and it is difficult for him to talk about fresh and interesting topics.So the old man looked at Xu Lijie and said, "Since Miss Xu is the referee, everything is up to you to decide." Xu Lijie also had no intention of making things difficult for Ling Yongsheng, and said to him with a smile: "Alright then, but you have to be careful and explain the steps clearly." Ling Yongsheng said happily: "Of course. If I am wrong and everyone points it out, then I will lose. For this 'grilled whole pig's head', first of all, we must choose a good tender white pig's head, and put the head and ears inside and out. Scrape off all the hair and dirt, and use a knife to split from the center of the chin forward, but the facial skin must be kept connected and cannot be cut off. After removing all the skulls, soak the pig's head in clean water for more than an hour to make the blood stains dirty. Then put it into the boiling water pot and cook for 20 minutes, take it out and put it in clean water and scrape and wash it again. At this time, use a knife to remove the hair and meat around the eye sockets, dig out the eyeballs, cut off the pig's ears, and cut off two pig ears. For the gill meat, remove the tip of the pig’s mouth, remove the lymphatic meat, and scrape off the tongue membrane. Then put the pig’s head in a boiling water pot and boil it twice for 20 minutes each time to completely remove the fishy smell. Then put the pig’s head with skin Put the pig’s head face down on the bamboo grate or tiles, put the eyes, ears, tongue, gills, etc. into the pot in sequence, spread ginger slices, green onion knots, add water until the pig’s head is submerged by three centimeters, then add rock sugar and soy sauce , Shaoxing wine, balsamic vinegar, spice bags and other seasonings, after boiling over high heat, turn to low heat and simmer for more than two hours until the soup is thick and the meat is rotten. Put the meat face up to cover the tongue, then install the gills, pig ears, and eyeballs according to the original parts of the pig head to form a whole head, pour the original juice and serve.” Ling Yongsheng breathed a sigh of relief, and analyzed the practice of "grilling the whole pig's head" in an orderly, clear and orderly manner.Not only all the chefs present nodded frequently, but even Xu Lijie, who knew little about cooking, heard it clearly.Only Shen Fei sighed heavily after listening, with a sad expression on his face. Ling Yongsheng looked at him and asked puzzledly: "What's the matter, Brother Fei? Is there something wrong with what I said?" Shen Fei pursed his lips helplessly, as if he was extremely wronged: "You all have meat to eat, I don't know poetry, I don't know allusions, and I can't memorize recipes. I really don't know what to do." Xu Lijie smiled until her eyes were narrowed: "I don't think there will be a time when Brother Fei has nothing to do?" Shen Fei made a pained expression of racking his brains, and said: "This pig's head, I have bought quite a few in the past ten years. If you want to say that the pig's head in the large and small vegetable markets in Yangzhou is good and cheap, then I am I know it well, but these people are definitely not interested in listening." Seeing that Shen Fei was thinking hard, Ma Yun couldn't help reminding: "You might as well tell me, what is the biggest and best pig head you have bought in the past ten years?" "The biggest and best pig's head?" Shen Fei rolled his eyes and said without hesitation, "That's naturally the one I bought from Beicheng Wang Laizi last year." Seeing that he was so resolute, Xu Lijie asked with interest, "Oh? How good is it?" "That's amazing." Shen Fei said to the point of excitement, his eyebrows danced with joy, "Just now Chef Sun said that a good pig's head must have a happy face, so that the diners can see it and feel happy. And I You don’t need to look at the pig’s head you bought, just tell you about it, and everyone will be so happy from ear to ear.” "Really?" Xu Lijie looked at Shen Fei suspiciously, "Talk about it, if everyone really laughs, it will be considered as your pass." Shen Fei stroked his chin triumphantly, appearing quite confident: "Then let me tell you. One afternoon last year, I heard that Wang Mangyi would go to the butcher in the suburbs early the next day to buy some fresh pig heads, so I I found Wang Mangzi and ordered one from him. Wang Mangzi agreed and said that he would keep the biggest and best one for me. The next morning, I went to Wang Mangzi's meat stall, and saw his stall Sure enough, there were quite a few pig heads, and a group of people were rushing to buy them. When I managed to squeeze in close, those pig heads were all snatched up. I was a little anxious at the time, so I asked him: "You promised to sell it to me." Where is that pig's head?' Wang Manizi took it easy, reached out his hand to dig out from the table bucket, and took out a huge pig's head and put it in front of me. It turned out that he still kept the one I ordered." When Shen Fei said this, he stopped. Xu Lijie waited for a while, and seeing that he had no intention of continuing, she couldn't help asking: "Then how is this pig head? You haven't said anything yet." Shen Fei giggled: "If you heard what Wang Mangyzi said to me at that time, you would know what's so good about this pig's head." "What did Wang Laizi say?" "At that time, Wang Manzi was very enthusiastic. He pointed to the pig's head and said with a smile on his face: 'Brother Fei, I will hide your head for you. Take a look and count your head as the fattest and biggest!'" Shen Fei imitated Wang Mangzi's flattering tone at that time, and finished the passage vividly.Xu Lijie reacted the fastest, and immediately burst out laughing. The others were stunned for a moment, and then they also heard the mystery, imagining that Wang Manzi pointed at the pig's head, but said "your head" to Shen Fei, that look The scene really made people laugh, and there was laughter on the table for a while.Although the accompanying women behind them pursed their lips hard, they couldn't hide the smile on their faces. Amid the laughter of everyone, Shen Fei picked up the chopsticks and asked solemnly: "Everyone laughed, can I eat this pork head?" "Yes, yes." Xu Lijie joked on the topic, "This hair is also yours now, we will keep it for you." "Well, the pig's ears are soft and crispy, you can't miss it; the pork tongue is soft and tough, you can't miss it; the most rare thing is the skin on the pig's head, which is waxy, fragrant and smooth. I think it is better than Beijing roast duck. It's better than that." Wherever Shen Fei said, the chopsticks would stretch out, pick up the parts mentioned respectively, and put them on the plate one by one if they couldn't be eaten immediately. After everyone laughed, their appetites also whetted.Now that everyone has passed the test, everyone is no longer polite, and each holds up their chopsticks to pick up the meat, eating happily. After another round of eating, I suddenly heard "Yidaoxian" say behind the screen: "Although pork head meat tastes good, it is greasy after all. Don't be greedy and eat too much, otherwise your appetite will decrease, which will affect your appetite for the following two delicacies." , it would not be beautiful." When everyone heard this, they put down their chopsticks.Duan Xueming looked at the screen and said respectfully: "What you said is very true. Is the second main course ready to be served now?" "One Knife Fresh" nodded silently.He seemed to know that his voice was hoarse and unpleasant, as long as he could not speak, he generally would not speak. Duan Xueming winked at the maids, and the two standing at the door of the back kitchen came over, removed the leftover pig's head and sent it to the back kitchen, so as not to disturb the smell of the second main course.The maids behind each person serve green tea to purify the mouth.Everyone drank tea, ate seasoned dishes, and then sat quietly to wait. 不一会儿，随着脚步声响，那两名端菜的侍女再次从后厨走了出来，这次她们四只玉手共同抬着一只大瓷钵，钵壁甚高，远远只见腾腾地冒着热气。香气早已四下飘散，与刚才“扒烧整猪头”的浓郁感觉不同，这股香气却要淡雅了许多，可又别具一番清新的鲜味。 段雪明仍是朗声报出菜名：“'三头宴'第二款，拆烩鲢鱼头！” 侍女将那瓷钵置于餐桌中央，徐丽婕伸长脖子，只见瓷钵中一片乳白浓稠的汤汁，余沸未歇，尚在咕咕地泛着气泡。一只硕大的鱼头卧于汤汁中，那鱼头足有三十公分长，被一劈两半，但中部的皮肉仍然相连。鱼头周围隐隐有碧波轻翻，仔细看时，原来是鲜嫩的菜心。 “好大的鱼头啊！”徐丽婕惊叹道，“这么大的鱼头，整条鱼会有一米多长吧？” “那倒不至于。”段雪明很有礼貌地解释说，“徐小姐大概对这种鱼不是很了解。这种鲢鱼，本地人俗称'大头鲢子'。其特点便是头部硕大，大概能占到身体总长的三分之一左右。我们这边有句俗语说得好：'鲢鱼吃头，青鱼吃尾，鸭子吃大腿。'虽然话语直白朴素，但对这三种烹饪原料的点评却是一针见血，准确得很。具体说来，今天我们选用的是产于扬州一带江水中的大花鲢，与寻常的塘鲢相比，不但更加肥美，而且绝无河塘中的泥土气。” 沈飞馋馋地添了添嘴唇，有些悻悻地问道：“这道菜该怎么吃啊？又要出题过关吗？” 段雪明笑了笑：“不必了。这道菜请诸位即刻品尝，最好不要有半点拖延。因为这鱼头一凉，便会有腥气，越是滚烫时，滋味才越美。” 沈飞哈哈一笑：“这就好，这才能吃得痛快嘛。这烩鱼头汤汁最是鲜美了，来，先给大家每人盛上一小碗。”他大咧咧地向身后陪侍的女子招呼着，似乎他倒成了今天的主人一样。 在座的众人知道沈飞性格一向如此，倒也都不在意。待陪侍的女子盛好汤汁后，诸人手捧汤碗，各自小口轻喥。 九人中，唯有徐丽婕是第一次品尝这道“拆烩鲢鱼头”，这一口鱼汤下去，她立刻体验到一种从未有过的奇妙感觉。原来那汤汁不仅极香极鲜，而且浓厚无比，以至于口唇接触汤汁之后，竟有微微有些发黏，互相间轻轻一碰，几乎便要粘在一起了。 却见姜山轻轻咂了咂舌头，赞道：“棒骨底汤，双髓相融，这种口感，用'绝妙'两个字形容毫不为过。” 徐丽婕用胳膊肘捅了捅身边的沈飞，悄悄地问：“他说的前半句话是什么意思？” “烩制鱼头的时候，用的可不是普通的白水，而是上好的鲜汤，这种汤俗称底汤。一般来说，大多数人都会选用鸡汤为底，不过这份鱼头，选用的底汤却是用猪棒骨熬成的，因为棒骨中富含骨髓，所以这种骨头汤本身就已经十分浓稠，再加入鱼头烩制，大量的胶蛋白又融于汤中，这才使得最后的汤汁如此浓厚，要是稍微凉一凉，只怕会冻在一起呢。”沈飞说完，又接连喝了好几口鱼汤，然后闭眼轻叹，一副无穷享受的模样。 段雪明看看徐丽婕，笑着说：“徐小姐，这道菜不仅滋味鲜美，而且营养丰富。尤其是这鱼头中的眼膏，具有养颜美容的奇效，你不妨尝尝看。” 徐丽婕欣然点头。身后的陪侍女子随即上前，手持一个小勺，轻轻从鱼头的眼窝部位探了进去。那鱼头看起来极为柔软，一触即陷，小勺立刻没入其中。 徐丽婕“咦”了一声，诧异地说：“怎么这鱼头就像没长骨头一样？” “不是没长骨头，而是骨头在烩制前就已被去除了。”一旁的凌永生向她解释着，“这道菜在制作时，首先把鲢鱼头去鳞、去鳃，清水洗净后，用刀在下腰进刀劈成两爿，放入锅内，先加清水淹没鱼头，放入葱结、姜片、绍酒等去腥的调料，用旺火烧开，续小火焖十分钟，然后用漏勺捞入冷水中稍浸一下，冷却后用左手托住鱼头，鱼面朝下，右手则在水下将鱼骨一块块拆去。这个步骤对手法要求极高，操作者无须目视，仅凭触感拆骨，且每块骨头拆除先后顺序不得有丝毫错误，否则便会划伤鱼肉，造成最后上桌的鱼头形容不整。将鱼骨完全除去后，这才加入底汤和各种调料，进行最后的烩制。因此这道菜才会叫做'拆烩鲢鱼头'。” 徐丽婕一边津津有味地听着，一边想象着厨师水下拆鱼骨的情形，必定是五指灵巧，技艺娴熟，几乎可与昔日“庖丁解牛”的功夫相媲美。 此时那女子已从眼窝处剜出了一勺胶状物质，放在了徐丽婕的餐碟中。只见那勺胶质又白又嫩，呈半透明状，宛若凝脂，尚在微微颤动着，想必就是段雪明所说的眼膏了。 徐丽婕将小勺送入口中，那团凝脂到了唇齿之中，未及咀嚼，只是轻触了一下，便立刻柔柔地化开了，一股浓郁的鲜香随即泛遍了口舌间的每个角落，久久不散。 “太棒了！”徐丽婕由衷地赞叹着，“你们都该尝一尝啊。” 主座上的老者微微一笑，说道：“这鱼头虽大，眼膏却只有很少的一勺，不是人人都有口福尝到的。” “啊？”徐丽婕吐了吐舌头，“那不是变成我一个人独美了？真是不好意思……” “不妨的。这'三头宴'上历来的规矩，鱼头中的眼膏都是给来客中的女宾享用，今天除了你，别无二人。”老者对徐丽婕说完，又把目光转向了姜山，“姜先生，这鱼唇具有补肾强体的作用，对男儿大有益处，你贵为主客，自当独享，就不必推辞了。” 一旁早有侍女将鱼唇部分夹下，送入了姜山碟中。姜山点头以示答谢，轻轻夹起那片鱼唇，送入口中细细品尝。 与眼膏的细嫩不同，这鱼唇却是既脆又韧，颇有嚼头。且悠绕反复，鲜香的滋味越嚼越浓，几乎令人舍不得下咽。 “姜先生，这鱼唇的滋味如何？”“一刀鲜”在屏风后沙着嗓子问道。 姜山抬起头，略想了一会，给出了自己的评价：“这鱼唇的来源虽然极为普通，但其滋味和口感，却可与粤菜中华贵的鱼翅一较高下。” “说得好！”沈飞一拍巴掌，“我对这道菜也极为偏爱，原因就是'来源普通'这四个字。鲢鱼是鱼中的下品，在菜场中价格极为便宜。古人甚至有云'买鱼得妨，不如啖茹'，这里的'妨'指的就是鲢鱼，意思是说买鲢鱼吃还不如吃蔬菜呢。可就是这种肉质粗松的鲢鱼，其头部经过高厨的烹制，却是处处为宝，这才能显出淮扬厨艺的精妙。对我来说，买菜时也是心情愉快，这么个大鱼头，十元左右便可拿下，嘿嘿，想想烹出的美味，真是物超所值啊。” 沈飞这一番话说得颇有道理，令在座的众厨均微微点头。淮扬菜素以重选料而闻名，不过其追求的是精细而非华贵。能以普通的原料做出精致高雅的菜肴，正是淮扬菜系的一大特色。 “这鱼头的选料如此低贱，那这道菜能够流传下来，其中是不是也有什么故事呀？”徐丽婕突然想到这个疑问，当下便提了出来。 “你还真问着了。”马云呵呵地笑着，“我就给你讲讲有关这道'拆烩鲢鱼头'的传说。相传在清末年间，扬州城郊有一个财主，雇用民工为其建造楼房。这个财主为人苛刻，自己整天大鱼大肉，给民工的一日三餐却质量极差。民工营养不足，又被逼迫限期完工，生活苦不堪言。财主家的厨师看在眼里，于心不忍，就想了一个方法。他每天买来大鲢鱼，剐成鱼片或制成鱼丸供财主食用，鱼头则加到财主家吃剩的鲜汤中，煮了以后给民工食用。为了怕财主发现，他都把鱼骨事先拆掉，这样民工把汤喝完后便可不留痕迹。这种汤做出后，民工都觉得极为鲜美，连连称赞厨师手艺高超。而且营养充足，干活也有了力气。后来厨师回到店里，继续用鲢鱼头做菜，在选料和制法上加以改进，在店里挂牌供应'拆烩鲢鱼头'。顾客品尝后都是赞不绝口。不久各家菜馆纷纷模仿制作，该菜由此名扬全城，成为淮扬地区最著名的菜肴之一。” 听完马云的讲述，沈飞啧啧地叹了两声，颇带几分羡慕地说道：“如果每天都能吃到这样的美味，那就是让我去当民工也愿意呀。” “既然如此，那就请多吃一点吧。来，大家都不要客气，尽管自己动手，趁热吃。”在老者热情的招呼下，众人纷纷举筷。鱼头的其他部位与眼膏和鱼唇相比，虽然略有逊色，但也都肉质腴嫩，爽滑可口。品者无不交口称赞，沈飞更是左一筷，右一筷，吃了个酣畅淋漓，不亦乐乎。 徐丽婕见沈飞吃起个没完，忍不住拉拉他的衣角，冲他使了个眼色，提醒道：“你少吃点，别吃撑着了，还有一道大菜没上来呢。” 沈飞得意地咧了咧嘴：“嘿嘿，你放心吧，我这个肚皮是橡皮做的，容量大着呢。” 话虽这么说，沈飞还是暂且放下了筷子，拿起一张纸巾，惬意地擦了擦，然后问徐丽婕：“你知不知道这第三道大菜是什么？” “这个嘛，既然叫'三头宴'，那肯定都是和头有关的。鸡头？鸭头？或是羊头？牛头？”徐丽婕一边胡乱猜测着，一边用目光观察着沈飞的表情，见对方始终一副似笑非笑、不置可否的模样，她干脆放弃了努力，“哎呀，这做菜的原料那么多，我一时哪猜得出是什么头？不猜了，不猜了。” “徐小姐不用心急，一会这菜上了桌，你自然就知道了。”段雪明说完，做了个走菜的手势，诸女子会意，或换碟，或上茶，或前往后厨端菜，各自忙碌了起来。 沈飞却不甘心以这种方式揭晓答案，他看了徐丽婕一眼，提示说：“你再想想看，其实这道菜，你是已经吃过一次的。” “我吃过？”徐丽婕蹙起眉头，努力回想着，这几天来各种美食佳肴尝了不少，可确实没印象吃过什么“头”啊？正迷惑间，只听得端菜女子的脚步声渐行渐近，同时一股似曾相识的香味悠悠地飘了过来。 徐丽婕闻到这股香味，脑中立刻就像打开了一扇窍门，脱口而出：“是狮子头！”几乎同时，段雪明也报出了菜名：“'三头宴'第三款，清蒸狮子头！” 听着那熟悉的菜名，徐丽婕心中一动，竟微微有些发酸。她想到回扬州的第一天，父亲便是做了一道清蒸四鲜狮子头为自己接风。当时父女重逢，那副感慨万千却又其乐融融的场景历历如在眼前。今天又见到这道菜，可父亲却不在自己身边。究其原因，固然可说是他对“一刀鲜”和姜山比试的结果信心不足，可自己昨天做出的那个决定，至少看起来是导致父亲称病不出的最直接因素。昨晚她也想了很多，毫无疑问，父女俩的关系出现了一些裂痕，想来想去，她始终不觉得自己做错了什么，可越是如此，她也越觉得无奈和迷茫。 一只大砂锅已经端上了桌，砂锅中团簇着九只狮子头，粉嫩圆润，看着便让人喜欢。徐丽婕一手托着腮，怔怔地看着，心绪愈发起伏。 沈飞看到徐丽婕一副神不守舍的样子，猜到她在想什么，轻轻地叹了口气，说道：“唉，可惜徐叔不在，否则由他来品评一下这款'清蒸狮子头'，那是再合适不过的了。” 众人闻言，都是一愣，马云和陈春生对看一眼，微微摇了摇头，略有沮丧之意，不明白徐叔为何会在这样的关键场合避而不出，令得这场比试尚未开始，淮扬一方便输却了很多锐气。 一时间人人沉默不语，气氛略显得有些沉闷。“一刀鲜”在屏风后见此情形，忍不住说道：“徐老板的狮子头声名虽然显赫，但红楼宴厅今天打理的也绝非泛泛之笔。徐老板不在也好，大家品尝之后，可无所顾忌地发表意见，对这两款狮子头定个高下。” 徐丽婕听出“一刀鲜”的话中隐隐有轻视父亲的意思，若在以往，她倒也不会很在意，但在今天这种环境下，不禁触景生情，心中颇为不悦。当下便立着眉头说：“那天我吃了父亲给我做的'四鲜狮子头'，一个狮子头中可品出鲜肉、火鸡、香菇、蟹粉四种不同的鲜味，四味缭绕，但又各自分明。连我这种对烹饪一窍不通的人，都能尝得出来。姜先生更是一闻香味，就报出了各种原料。不知道这款狮子头又能如何？” “哦？”老者转头看着姜山，“既然姜先生辨味的能力如此出色，那你不妨也试着分析一下这道狮子头的用料。” 姜山笑了笑，也不推辞，闭上眼睛，用鼻子深深地吸了一口气，那口气并不进入腹腔，从鼻后绕过，经由口舌后，便徐徐地吐了出来。众人的目光现在全集中在他的身上，不知他会说出什么样的高论来。 只见姜山沉思了片刻，说道：“那天徐叔做的狮子头，四味复合，相辅相成，便如同百花竞放，各自争奇斗艳。而这款狮子头中，只有一种鲜香的气味。不过这绝非烹饪者手法欠缺，在这款狮子头中，即使加入再多的原料，也无法达到多种鲜味复合的效果。因为现在已有的这股鲜味霸道无比，必然会将其他鲜味掩盖，终究只能是一花独放的局面。” 在座其他的大厨也都仔细闻了那股香味，此时均微微点头，对姜山的分析表示赞同。老者“嗯”了一声，说：“这现有的香味一定是出自某种非同一般的原料，不知姜先生能否准确地说出呢。” 姜山轻轻吐出两个字：“鲍鱼。” 淮扬众厨一片讶然。这鲍鱼属海产，而扬州自古处于内陆江河，淮扬菜系中从无鲍鱼的制法，所以刚才众人都没能判别出那股霸道香味的来历。鲍鱼极为名贵，在以华贵取胜的粤菜系中常可见到。红楼宴厅将鲍鱼引入狮子头的制作，可谓是融两大菜系所长的一种创新了。 老者此时赞许地点点头：“姜先生分析得一点不错，段经理，你现在就把这个菜分一下，让大家都来品尝品尝你独创的'鲍汁狮子头'，看看是否能具有和'四鲜狮子头'叫板的实力。” 段雪明做了个手势，自有陪侍女子上前，将那九只狮子头一一分入众人面前的餐碟中。老者待大家动筷后，自己也吃了一口，然后抬头问道：“诸位觉得如何啊？” 姜山品了片刻，回答：“鲜香浓郁，入口即溶，这些都不必说了。单从创意想法上来讲，四鲜争艳和一味独霸各居胜场，倒也难分高下。” “嗯。”老者看看身后的段雪明，“能得到这样的评价，你也该知足了。徐老板的'四鲜狮子头'独霸扬州这么多年，你能有求变的想法，这创新出来的菜肴能和'四鲜狮子头'分庭抗礼，实属不易。” 段雪明听着老者的话，连连点头，眉宇间颇为欢喜，看似老者几句简单的褒奖便可让他心花怒放一般。 姜山的话却似乎还未说完，他停顿片刻后，又补充了一句：“不过从原料上来说，这两款狮子头的贵贱，就相差得比较多了。” 徐丽婕一愣，姜山这话，意思自然是“鲍汁狮子头”贵而“四鲜狮子头”贱，那么说来，父亲终究还是输了，她瘪了瘪嘴，心中不免有些沮丧。 可抬头一看，段雪明却耷拉着眉毛，全无获胜后的欣喜。老者也摇着头，沉吟片刻后，说道：“此话有理啊，你用了超出十倍价格的原料，最终做出的菜肴也只能和别人斗个旗鼓相当。你要想在'狮子头'这道菜上有所超越，看来这个方法是行不通了。” 徐丽婕听了这话，方才恍然大悟，原来姜山以贵贱论菜，言下之意却是父亲的“四鲜狮子头”稍胜一筹。得意之下，忍不住转过头去，隔着屏风神气地看了“一刀鲜”一眼。隐约可见“一刀鲜”微微颔首，哑着嗓子说道：“好，说得好。”也对姜山的观点表示赞同。 三道主菜都已上齐，意味着这“三头宴”也接近了尾声。 吃完碟中的狮子头后，诸人各自放下了筷子，厅中气氛逐渐凝重。 谁都知道，今天的宴席只不过是个序曲，见证“一刀鲜”和姜山之间的厨艺比试，才是大家来到红楼宴厅的真正目的。 当序曲结束的时候，正戏就应该开始了。 诸人都看向主座上的老者，目光中充满期待。 老者却是一副气定神闲的样子。他拿起桌上的面巾，先擦了擦嘴，然后折叠了一下，又开始擦手。他一根手指一根手指地擦着，极为仔细，似乎这双手马上要去做一件很重要的事情。 快擦完的时候，他抬起头，看了屏风后的“一刀鲜”一眼。 “一刀鲜”轻轻点了点头。 老者放下纸巾，不紧不慢地说道：“今天我既然代做这个东道主，那也得献个丑，奉上一道菜肴，一来给大家助助兴，二来也有劳姜先生品评品评。” 老者语气平和，但最后一句话中的挑战意味却极为明显。众人先是一愣，随即明白：这肯定是“一刀鲜”事先安排好的一步棋。老者虽然归隐多年，但却是不折不扣的扬州人，在此时出手，如果能胜过姜山，自然可算扬州厨界获得了胜利；即使落败，后面还有“一刀鲜”押阵，老者也算是起到了投石问路的作用。 姜山心中对此形势更是清清楚楚，禁不住暗暗捏了一把汗。这老者不但厨艺极高，而且自己对他的来历底细一无所知，比试起来，并无必胜的把握。不过好不容易查到了“一刀鲜”的下落，绝不能在最后的关头功亏一篑。想到这里，他仍是一副自信的表情，笑着说：“品评两个字不敢当。老先生如果能够一显身手，让大家观摩学习，我倒也求之不得呢。” “好啊，这下热闹了。”沈飞眉飞色舞，似乎唯恐天下不乱，“老先生，您今天要做什么呢？'神仙汤'还是'金裹银'啊？” 老者摇摇头：“这样的市井儿科，怎么能在行家面前拿出手。段经理，带我去后厨吧，顺便也给我打打杂。” “好的。”段雪明做了个请的手势，老者起身离座，跟在段雪明身后，一同向后厨走去。 淮扬众厨看着两人的背影，都有些愕然。段雪明自二十年前横空出世，担任红楼宴厅的经理以来，虽然很少抛头露面，但其名望绝不亚于扬州任何一家酒楼的总厨。现在居然有人让他来“打打杂”，而他还毕恭毕敬，毫无怨言。这种事情，如果不是亲眼看见，只怕谁也不会相信。 老者身份的神秘和高贵，也由此可见一斑。 这边的陪侍女子们忙碌不停，这次却连众人的碗筷餐具都换了。新上的餐碟色泽微绿，原是用上好的碧玉制成，筷子细巧白腻，自是以象牙为原料。见到这等阵势，众人都是暗自咂舌，陈春生更是心痒难挠，琢磨着须给“镜月轩”也添几套这样的餐具，这才那凸显出酒楼的档次来。 过了约一刻钟，仍是段雪明当先，两人一前一后，回到了宴厅中。 只见段雪明手捧一只银质高脚餐盘，上覆圆顶盘盖，小心地走至桌前，将餐盘放下。那餐盘锃亮光洁，周壁用金丝嵌着游龙的图案，栩栩如生，看起来甚是华贵。 见到这样的餐盘，众厨的目光一下在全被吸引了过去，并且微微露出惊讶