After raising their motivation, the next thing to do is ask them to help me clean the bird's nest.
"Gentlemen, I will show you an ingredient that never been used as a food ingredient. It still needs some processing before this can be eaten, and I will ask your help to do that. Will you help me?"
"Yes!! Just order us for that job young master Henry!"
Great! With those enthusiastic cooks in my side, I need no worry about lack of helper. I raise the package that I bring to the kitchen and open it to show to the cooks what inside the package.
"I bet you must be curious with what inside this package right? I tell you all, to obtain this ingredient is not easy. I take the risk that can dangerous for my life to get it, so process it with careful and meticulous manner, please. Of course, I will show you how to process this ingredient first"
I open the package and show the cooks what inside the package. I saw some dumbfounded looks on their face when they saw what inside the package.
"Young master…is that…birds nest?"
"Yes, this is indeed bird nest"
"This thing…can be eaten? Really?"
"Just because you haven't eaten something like this, doesn't mean this can't be eaten, right?"
"Every bird nest can be eaten, young master?"
"Of course not….this is special bird nest that made from the bird's saliva. It's hard to get because they live in caves and high places. But the taste and the effect from this ingredient is great and good for the body. Now I will show how to process this ingredient"
Alright, since these bird nests still in its original appearance after I pick them up from the cave walls, they still have some dirt, feather and other impurities on the nest. The processing that I said before is to remove that from the bird's nest.
"I need a basin of clean water and tweezers that you usually use to remove the bones from fish and small knife"
One of the cooks immediately provide me with things that I need
"The first step to processing this ingredient is soaking the ingredient with clean water. After soaked in water for a while, it will be inflated and make the dirt peeled from the nest and feather that still attached there will easily remove by using tweezers. If there still dirt or moss stain in the nest, use the small knife to scrape it from the nest"
After giving example how to processing the bird's nest, I ask the cooks to take over the job while the one who cooks for lunch to continue their work. The processing bird nest is time-consuming and need a lot of labor works, that's why I give the task to them. In the modern world, some birds nest producer using a bleaching agent to wash the bird's nest. It is easier and faster but not good for human health.
"Gentlemen, don't soak the bird's nest with water too long or they will lose the nutrient inside. After the bird's nest were cleaned, it needs to dry up to remove the water content and after dry, it should keep in a dry and closed container until it comes to use".
"We will process like what young master said, don't worry young master"
Before I left the kitchen, I realize that I almost miss another important aspect for cooks.
"Gentlemen, I still have one more thing to say"
The cooks stop their activities and listening to me carefully
"This is important, so I hope you can do it start tomorrow. I hope that you can keep the cleanliness in this kitchen. Not just the place and the utensils, but also yourself. I want before you start cooking, you wash your hand first with clean water, later on, you should wash it with soap. You will know what soap is soon. Then pay attention to your clothes, I want to wear clean clothes every day if possible don't use the clothes that you wear yesterday when you cooking today. Maybe in the future, I will provide you uniform for cooks, but that still must wait. And the last, put something to cover your hairs. I can't imagine when Earl Stamfort comes here, having his meal and when he scoops the soup, he found a strand of hair floating there. If it's you, maybe you won't mind about that, but Earl Stamfort is different. He's a noble from high rank, don't make Harvard castle lost the face just because of one strand of hair in Earl Stamfort 's soup. Of course, the soup is only an example. I don't want any strand of hair in other dishes too. Do you understand this?"
The cooks reply in unison
"Yes young master Henry, we understand that"
"Good, I'm expecting the high quality of food can come from this kitchen, not just because your Excellency Earl Stamfort is visiting but also in our daily life. Alright, you can continue with your works and tomorrow I will give you another recipe to learn"
The cooks' faces shine with joy when they hear another recipe. Well, today or last least tomorrow the carriage from salt camp will arrive, of course, they will bring my ingredients too. Now what I want to do in the kitchen is finished, I should thinking what to do next while waiting for the shipment from the camp.