When it comes to French cuisine.
People's first impression is that it's upscale, expensive, and involves long dining times.
Actually, these are all stereotypes!
Like Ye Chen's small restaurant, it mainly features some traditional French dishes such as meat broth, egg mayonnaise, parsley snails, veal, ham and cheese grilled sandwiches, foie gras, French borscht, and more.
These dishes are all affordable and of good quality.
Moreover, the seasonal menu changes every month.
All the ingredients' flavors are appropriately expressed, and the daily imported ingredients are limited to ensure freshness every day.
Basically, the customers are mostly local residents, college students, teachers, and tourists.
...
At this moment.
The door of the restaurant was gently pushed open.
A fresh breeze, carrying a faint scent of perfume, drifted in.
It could be seen that a French female teacher, dressed in a simple white dress, walked in with light and elegant steps.
She had a waterfall of smooth golden hair, and her deep blue eyes were like clear lakes, revealing a touch of liveliness and intelligence.
Then.
As if feeling at home.
She actually went straight to a seat by the window and sat down.
The spot was just right, allowing her to feel the warm moonlight streaming in from outside while also enjoying the lively scene of people coming and going on the street.
With a very "familiar" attitude, she greeted Ye Chen, then said with the unique romance and enthusiasm of the French: "One Normandy cream chicken, and a bottle of wine."
"Alright!"
"Just a moment!"
Hearing this, Ye Chen replied in slightly accented but very fluent French.
...
Rich and flavorful foie gras.
Has always been a signature dish of the culinary nation, France.
In fact, France's admiration for "chicken" is no less than the former, and they also like to refer to their country as the "Gallic Rooster."
If you don't believe it.
Just look at the French national team's jersey in the World Cup—the emblem printed on it is also a rooster.
After all, one represents the nation, and the other represents cuisine.
There is a difference in prestige.
...
When it comes to Normandy.
Perhaps the most impressive aspects are the vast beaches, steep cliffs, and tranquil harbors.
Indeed.
Geographically speaking.
Normandy is uniquely blessed with abundant agricultural and marine products.
The locals, therefore, use simple cooking methods to preserve the freshness of the food. Oysters and green oysters produced in Manche and Calvados are especially excellent as appetizers.
Normandy cream chicken, on the other hand, is famous for its unique cooking method and rich flavor. This dish typically uses high-quality chicken as the main ingredient, cooked with cream and other spices.
During the cooking process.
The chef ensures that the chicken undergoes "self-steaming" internally.
This allows the fats and moisture inside the muscles to react with the external heat, resulting in an unparalleled texture.
At the same time.
The addition of cream.
Enhances the dish's rich aroma and makes the flavor more mellow.
Often, this dish appears as an appetizer or cold dish in French banquets.
...
Returning to the cooking station, Ye Chen.
After preparing the ingredients, quickly cut the chicken into pieces, diced the onions, minced the garlic cloves, and sliced the mushrooms.
Then, he added butter to the pan, turned on medium heat, and once the butter melted, he pan-fried the chicken until both sides were golden brown, then set it aside.
Add onions and garlic, sauté until the onions become translucent.
Add the sliced mushrooms to the pan and stir-fry with the onions and garlic until the mushrooms soften and release their aroma.
Chicken.
Return to the pan.
Add apple cider, bring to a boil, then reduce to low heat and simmer for about 10 minutes.
The key to Chicken à la Normande lies in the quality of the cream, so Ye Chen directly uses high-quality fresh cream to ensure the sauce is rich and smooth.
Soon, the steaming hot Chicken à la Normande was plated and served.
...
"Madam."
"Your Chicken à la Normande, and the wine!"
Finally, Ye Chen brought the freshly prepared Chicken à la Normande and a bottle of homemade wine to the female teacher.
At the first bite.
The outermost layer of fresh cream.
Was as smooth as silk, enveloping every piece of chicken and accompanying vegetables.
The sauce incorporated the subtle sweetness and slight acidity of the apple cider, balancing the richness of the cream and bringing a refreshing fruity aroma.
The thyme, bay leaves, and other herbs added during cooking infused the sauce with a woody fragrance. The umami of the mushrooms further enhanced the overall complexity.
It all culminated with the tenderness of the chicken!
Of course.
If one could take a sip of wine, the experience would be even more delightful.
Ye Chen's homemade rosé wine had both the robust fruity notes of red wine and the crisp, refreshing quality of white wine.
When paired with the creamy chicken, the strawberry, raspberry, and other red fruit aromas in the rosé wine blended with the sweet scent of caramelized apples, creating a warm and romantic atmosphere.
A gentle sip filled one with tender affection!
"So delicious~"
"Indeed, only the dishes from this restaurant can satisfy my appetite!"
As she ate, the female teacher couldn't help but exclaim.
After that, she paid no attention to her table manners and began devouring the creamy chicken in large bites.
...
Since its opening.
This restaurant had risen like a brilliant new star in the bustling culinary scene of the metropolis.
And Ye Chen was the soul of this restaurant. With his exceptional culinary skills, he transformed ordinary ingredients into mouthwatering delicacies.
For every dish.
From ingredient selection to cooking, from seasoning to plating...
He pursued perfection, striving to achieve the utmost excellence and satisfy every diner!
At this moment, having just finished a busy stretch, Ye Chen finally had a moment to catch his breath. He sat quietly at the front counter, carefully holding a bright red apple in his hands.
This apple.
Was no ordinary apple.
It was a special fruit artificially cultivated by IGO (International Gourmet Organization) on Scare Island.
The surface of this apple bore a clear facial structure, complete with eyes, a nose, a mouth, and other features, though the expression wasn't one of fright, joy, or sorrow—it was calm!
Yes.
This Scare Apple.
Only when frightened would the fruit exhibit physiological reactions such as bloodshot eyes, foaming at the mouth, and violent trembling.
Ultimately, it might faint from excessive fright and become ineffective!
And it was said that the greater the scare, the more delicious the apple would become.
...
"How should I go about scaring it?"
"Should I peel it with a fruit knife? Or wash it and toss it directly into the juicer?"
Staring intently at the Scare Apple in his hand, Ye Chen fell into deep thought.
However.
A miraculous scene unfolded!
The Scare Apple, upon hearing Ye Chen's words, quickly revealed an expression of being frightened.