Chapter 487: Chapter 485: Grand Opening – Pan-Seared Duck Thighs with Lemon

Today is Monday, 6 AM.

The best thing about Wang Fan’s RV is twofold: one, no need to look for a place to stay, and two, the kitchen can be sorted in 10 minutes.

A space of 40 to 50 square meters is more than enough for him and Zhuo Qianqian to mess around, while many of the apartments rented by Beijing’s working professionals are less than 20 square meters.

After a morning jog in the zoo, the two of them began preparing for the opening.

The RV’s kitchen extends outward, expanding the space a bit more.

The purchased ingredients had already been delivered; they bought white-feathered duck legs. Today, he planned to make a simple lemon pan-seared duck leg.

He opened the shop quite early, but he wasn’t in a rush compared to some eager foodies.

The zoo opens at 8:30, but before 7, cars were already arriving one after another.

After finding a spot to park, a group rushed to the north gate, which was naturally where Wang Fan’s RV was located.

When these people gather together, they don’t even need to ask to know what they’re here for.

"Wow, I thought I was the only one coming this early, turns out there are quite a few foodies."

"It’s hard to get Boss Wang here, how can you not line up early?"

"Yeah, I just don’t know what Boss Wang is making, but it doesn’t matter, whatever Boss Wang makes is sure to be incredibly delicious."

"In Nanjing, you have to eat duck, but I wonder how good Boss Wang is at cooking duck?"

"Hiss... What you said sounds a bit off, I feel like you’re driving somewhere."

"Still wondering? The wheels are on my face. This isn’t a bus to kindergarten; I want to get off."

They chatted and laughed as they walked, already able to see Wang Fan’s imposing RV.

Zhang Xinmiao’s eyes lit up as he looked at the RV and said, "Hey, has Boss Wang opened up? I think I see smoke rising."

After hearing this, several people’s eyes lit up, and they quickly looked towards the RV, seeing wisps of white smoke rising.

"He must be making breakfast?"

"Possibly, it’s about breakfast time now."

"If we go over there shamelessly, could we get some food?"

"That’s not right, is it?"

"Hey, weren’t you just saying it’s not right? Why are you walking so fast?"

Wang Fan was indeed cooking; after all, the two of them needed to eat in the morning too.

He was making the lemon pan-seared duck leg that he planned to sell today.

The white-feathered duck legs had been deboned, the duck meat cut into large pieces, then marinated with light and dark soy sauce, oyster sauce, and black pepper in a bowl. He squeezed lemon juice directly into the bowl, and the refreshing tangy flavor was really enticing, making Wang Fan himself almost drool.

He added a spoonful of cornstarch and mixed it evenly, and while it was marinating, he deboned other duck legs.

After marinating for 20 minutes, a large bowl of deboned duck legs was ready. He washed his hands and began cooking.

The pan was already on the stove, he picked out some marinated duck legs, and without adding any oil, placed the duck skin side directly on the pan, quickly filling it up.

He usually doesn’t eat much in the morning, but couldn’t resist because Zhuo Qianqian has a healthy appetite.

"Sssszzzz..."

As the duck skin hit the pan, the sound of sizzling oil continued. The fats in the duck skin gradually rendered out, soon forming a thin layer at the bottom, while the rich aroma of meat began to release.

The duck skin became thinner as the fat rendered out, changing color through time to a tempting reddish-brown.

Wang Fan didn’t rush to move the duck meat; it hadn’t yet reached the peak of flavor imparted by temperature.

The duck skin’s color deepened, and the sizzling sounds became more urgent, with the rich meat aroma beginning to have a slight nuance of being on the edge of caramelization.

Zhuo Qianqian, holding a bowl in one hand and chopsticks in the other, stared with shining eyes at the duck meat in the pan, like a child waiting eagerly for a treat from an adult.

The corners of Wang Fan’s mouth turned upward unconsciously. Having such a foodie by his side is every chef’s dream.

The worst fear after expending effort to cook is no one appreciating it. If you say it’s delicious and only take a few bites before saying you’re full, which chef would believe that’s sincere?

Wang Fan picked up the pan and gave it a quick shake. The pieces of duck obediently flipped over, and those that didn’t were flipped with chopsticks.

After frying for a while longer, a strong aroma of charred meat began to permeate. Seeing that both sides were almost done, he poured the duck onto a plate without washing the pan, and directly added onions, garlic, chili peppers, and sliced lemons with seeds removed. 𝒻𝑟𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝑛𝘰𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝘤𝘰𝘮

The residual duck fat in the pan immediately brought out the aroma of the side ingredients, mixing a rich freshness with the warmth of chilies, making their mouths water just from the smell.

Wang Fan had just taken a deep breath and was greeted by about ten uninvited guests, all gazing eagerly at the pan, biting their lips as if they were afraid their saliva would turn into a flood of drool.

Wang Fan curiously asked, "Who are you guys?"

Cheng Feifan gulped and then chuckled, "Boss Wang, we’re all your fans. We came all the way to buy some of your delicious food."

Wang Fan looked at his watch speechlessly and said, "Isn’t it a bit early for you guys? We haven’t even opened yet."

Cheng Feifan replied, "We just thought we’d come early to queue up. It’s rare for you to come to Nanjing, so if we miss out because we’re late, we’d be losing out, wouldn’t we?"

Then he pointed to the pan, "What are you making? I’ve lived in Nanjing for many years and have never had duck cooked this way."

Wang Fan explained, "It’s just something I came up with, lemon pan-seared duck leg."

Cheng Feifan licked his lips, "Um... could you sell us some?"

Wang Fan chuckled, "This is our breakfast, brother. We haven’t even started business yet. We just finished exercising and we’re starving."

Cheng Feifan and his friends were very disappointed, but they couldn’t ask for more, right? You can’t just take someone’s breakfast; that would be rude.

But the aroma was just irresistible!

The tangy lemon flavor was like Lv Bu, forcefully breaking down the gates of their appetites.

The hint of gaminess in the duck disappears completely under the influence of the lemon, blending perfectly with the spices of chili and onion.

Whoa!

Is this life-threatening or what?!

Cheng Feifan found the whole thing amusing.

Nanjing, oh!

In Nanjing, no duck could leave alive!

I’ve lived here for more than thirty years, having explored every nook and cranny for food, yet I’ve never tasted duck cooked this way!

The absurdity was just like the national soccer team losing 7-0 to a small cherry blossom team; something impossible.

Especially since Old Wang once lost 6-0 just to flatter the cherry blossom team’s formation.