Chapter 13 The troublemaker has arrived.

Chapter 13 The troublemaker has arrived.

"Qingqing, is the duck carcass cleaned?" Su Yingxue asked as she heated the oil in the wok, not wanting to miss any of the best parts of the duck.

Xu Qingqing rushed over with the duck carcass, beads of sweat dripping down her forehead.

Xu Guoqing quickly said, "Slow down, there's no rush."

Su Yingxue smiled and said, "Yes, no rush, they're the ones who should be anxious." She looked at the reporters and fans peeking out the window, already impatient, and found it quite amusing.

By then, the ducks were roasted. Their golden-brown exteriors looked especially tempting under the light, and a delicious aroma wafted through the air, like an invisible hand gripping everyone's olfactory nerves. The group of reporters outside couldn't wait to rush in and feast.

Xu Guoqing was a master at carving duck; he skillfully and quickly processed a large quantity of roast duck, even arranging it into a flower-like shape. Su Yingxue had known of Xu Guoqing's skill for a few days, which was why she chose this dish. Xu Guoqing also proudly boasted about his glorious past at a certain restaurant.

Now, the cleaned duck carcass still looked like it had plenty of meat left, and Su Yingxue didn't want to waste this delicious food. "I've only ever had it with salt and pepper, how else can you eat duck carcass?" Fang Xiang kept asking curiously from the side. Su Yingxue nodded and said, "Let's add a soup today, tofu and duck carcass soup."

The aroma of roast duck grew stronger, like an invisible hand drawing the crowd closer. Xu Guoqing's knife skills were swift and precise; the slices of duck meat were as thin as cicada wings, neatly arranged on the plate, the skin crispy, the meat tender, and glistening with oil.

He deliberately arranged the duck skin and meat separately. The duck skin was golden and crispy, while the duck meat was tender and juicy. He also arranged the duck meat in the shape of a flower, which attracted several young reporters in the distance to take photos secretly with their mobile phones.

Su Yingxue took the roast duck, quickly dipped the skin in white sugar, and handed it to Fang Xiang: "Try it, this is the most traditional way to eat it."

Fang Xiang took it and carefully took a bite. The crispy duck skin crackled between her teeth, and the aroma of the oil exploded in her mouth instantly. It was sweet and fragrant, and her eyes lit up: "This is so delicious! It's even better than those old brands in Beijing!"

Xu Guoqing smiled smugly: "Of course, I studied in the kitchen of 'Mou Mou De' for a few months back then. I'm a professional at slicing duck."

Su Yingxue picked up another piece of duck meat, dipped it in sweet bean sauce, and paired it with shredded cucumber and scallions, along with a paper-thin spring pancake (a modified version of dumpling wrappers). She handed it to Xu Qingqing next to her: "Try this. The spring pancake is a modified version of dumpling wrappers that I made. It's crisp, tender, and refreshing, and it helps to cut through the greasiness."

Xu Qingqing took it, took a bite, and her eyes widened slightly: "Hmm? This spring pancake... you made it with dough, it smells so good!?"

Su Yingxue nodded: "I couldn't buy that many ready-made spring pancakes, so I used dumpling wrappers, rolled them out thin, brushed them with oil, and the taste was surprisingly good after baking."

Xu Qingqing took another bite and nodded: "Mmm, it's chewy and has a bit of an oily aroma, perfect with roast duck."

The reporters outside, drawn by the aroma, couldn't contain themselves any longer. A male reporter carrying a camera pushed his way to the front and asked loudly, "Ms. Su, did you develop this roast duck specifically for the film crew? Or did you have some special inspiration?"

Su Yingxue replied with a smile, "I would say it's a 'youth version'. The traditional Peking duck process is complicated, and with so many people in our crew, it's impossible for everyone to have a taste. So I simplified the process, but tried to keep the flavor as close to the original as possible."

Another female reporter asked curiously, "Then why did you think of roasting duck in a beer bottle? I haven't seen anyone do that online."

Su Yingxue explained, "It was actually an accident. There were a few beer bottles left over from a previous crew dinner. After cleaning them, we found that they were just the right size to fill the belly of the whole duck. Also, glass conducts heat evenly, so the duck skin turned out crispier."

Xu Guoqing added, "When I worked in a restaurant before, I tried using various containers to roast duck, but I had never tried using beer bottles before. I didn't expect it to work so well!"

A gentle smile played on Su Yingxue's lips as she continued working at the stove, her hands never stopping. She knew the essence of this duck bone soup: the duck bones were cut into very small pieces so that they could fully absorb the savory flavor of the broth during stewing, resulting in a more flavorful soup.

She first put the prepared duck carcass and ginger slices into cold water. As the water temperature gradually rose, subtle movements began to appear at the bottom of the pot. Soon, a layer of foam rose to the surface of the water, which was the blood and impurities surfacing under the high temperature.

With focused eyes, Su Yingxue held a spoon and patiently skimmed away the foam little by little, her movements gentle and steady, as if she were engaged in a delicate artistic creation.

After skimming off the foam, she replaced the water with clean water and put the duck carcass and ginger slices back into the pot. She brought it to a boil over high heat, the water instantly bubbling and filling the small kitchen with steaming vapor. Once boiling, she decisively reduced the heat, allowing the broth to simmer slowly and develop its rich flavor.

Meanwhile, on the other side, Xu Guoqing was preparing salt and pepper duck frames. He poured a large amount of oil into the pot, which quickly heated up, sizzling loudly. With practiced ease, Xu Guoqing swiftly placed the duck frames into the oil to fry. The duck frames rolled in the hot oil, gradually turning golden and crispy, their enticing color gleaming in the oil.

After frying, Xu Guoqing took the duck carcass out and immediately sprinkled Su Yingxue's special seasoning on it. The seasoning, like a fine golden rain, evenly landed on each piece of duck carcass, instantly coating them with a rich aroma of spices. Xu Guoqing quickly took the fried salt and pepper duck carcass out of the pan and plated it, completing the task in one swift motion.

At this moment, the pot of braising liquid was still bubbling happily in the pot, as if telling its story of passion. Su Yingxue glanced at it, then threw in dozens more eggs; she didn't want to waste the delicious aroma of the braising liquid.

In addition, she also added potatoes and kelp knots that had been prepared early in the morning to the pot. She thought to herself that this should be enough for everyone to have their fill.

"The food is served! The food is served!" Su Yingxue's call seemed to sound the horn of delicious food.

The first dish served was a plate of stir-fried greens. The bright green water spinach was fresh and juicy, garnished with a few white garlic cloves and bright red chili peppers. The red and white stood out against the green background, making it look crisp and delicious, as if beckoning to everyone.

Next came the neatly arranged and beautifully presented roast duck platter. To entertain the group of reporters who had come from afar, Su Yingxue had specially borrowed dozens of large plates from the village cooks who used to serve wedding banquets.

The blue and white porcelain plate is simple and elegant. The blue porcelain plate complements the golden and crispy roast duck. The roast duck is also accompanied by bright green cucumber strips and crisp scallion strips. The colors are harmonious and have a unique charm, just like a beautiful painting.

A bowl of clear, fragrant duck bone soup is gently placed on the table, next to a plate of golden-brown, crispy salt and pepper duck bones. The savory aroma of the duck bone soup contrasts sharply with the crispy salt and pepper duck bones, yet they complement each other perfectly.

Finally, a large platter of braised meats was brought to the table. Braised duck feet, braised duck wings, eggs, potato slices, and kelp strips filled the large platter. The golden-brown braised meats emitted a rich and savory aroma, which seemed to be mixed with the unique fragrance of Chinese herbs, making one's mouth water.

One duck, four ways to eat it!!!

Each dish was exquisite and tempting, prompting the reporters to raise their cameras and snap photos, eager to capture the moment of this delicious food.

"Ugh! It tastes awful!" Amidst the lively exclamations, Mei Ruoguo suddenly stepped out from the crowd, muttering these words.

Su Yingxue looked up at the sound and saw Mei Ruoguo with a look of disgust. She couldn't help but wonder, wasn't this one of the actresses she'd competed with most fiercely last time? Why was she suddenly appearing on set and saying such a jarring thing? A hint of doubt flashed in Su Yingxue's eyes as she fixed her gaze on Mei Ruoguo.