Chapter 264: Chapter 179: Super Simple Sugarcane Juice! Fish Scales Can Actually Be Made into Snacks? [Monthly Ticket 1500 Bonus Chapter]_2
Hmm, I can’t just fleece them and run like Senior Brother. That would be too crude.
It’s better to have people offer things willingly.
That’s the rule of a civilized society, after all.
"Chef Song, what’s your nephew’s name? It’d be good to get to know him when I go there."
Lin Xu was focused on the matter of getting sugarcane from them.
Suddenly, he remembered he also had the task of finding a head chef.
If Song Dahai’s nephew met the requirements, wouldn’t this be a chance to poach him?
"My nephew’s name is Zhu Yong. Just ask around in Building 15, and you’ll find him. He’s been participating in cooking competitions for the past few days. Unfortunately, he’s over twenty-five this year, so he didn’t participate and missed the chance to compete with you in culinary skills."
He can participate in cooking competitions?
That means his culinary skills must be exceptionally high!
It’s confirmed then. This is the third chef I need to poach.
I must visit Building 15 soon, make contact with this Zhu Yong first, and see if he’s willing to switch jobs. If he is, I’ll start poaching immediately.
After finishing the rice in his bowl, Song Dahai was preparing to leave when he suddenly spotted a kitchen helper in the distance carrying a large Carp, weighing over ten pounds, to the sink, preparing to gut it.
He casually remarked, as if sighing with emotion, "That’s a hefty fish. Its Fish Scales alone could make two dishes."
Lin Xu, who was nearby, was somewhat astonished.
Really? Is that true?
Fish Scales can be used in cooking?
He asked curiously, "Chef Song, can Fish Scales really be eaten?"
"Why can’t Fish Scales be eaten? Blanch the Fish Scales, clean them, and simmer them for a few hours to make Fish Scale Jelly. It has an even better texture than pork skin jelly. Or, you could wash them thoroughly, coat them in dry starch, and deep-fry them. After taking them out of the oil, sprinkle some chili powder on top, and you’ll have crispy Fish Scales."
WOW!
Lin Xu truly hadn’t expected Fish Scales could be prepared this way.
He wasn’t very interested in Fish Scale Jelly.
But he wanted to try the crispy Fish Scales.
His own Shen Baobao loved these kinds of fragrant and crispy snacks. He’d collect the Fish Scales later and try frying them.
After seeing Song Dahai off, Lin Xu quickly went to the sink and said to the kitchen helper who was gutting the Carp, "Save the Fish Scales for me. Chef Song said they can be used in cooking, and I plan to give it a try."
"Got it, Master Lin!"
Back at the stove, he prepared several tables of pre-ordered dishes. Then, he saw his Senior Brother Xie Baomin stride into the kitchen.
"Has Old Song left?"
"He’s left. He said he still had things to do back there, so he ate a bowl of rice and went back."
"HA! That old fellow really doesn’t let himself be taken advantage of. We managed to fleece two sugarcanes off him, and he still ate a bowl of our rice before leaving! We’ll have to go fleece a couple more from him tomorrow."
As he spoke, Xie Baomin picked up the remaining sugarcane and began to prepare a Cantonese-style sweet soup.
To make the sweet soup, it needed sweetness, so he had to use the sugarcane stalks.
Using a chef’s knife, he peeled off the hard outer rind of the sugarcane, removed the joint sections, and kept only the relatively tender core, which was easier to chew.
Lin Xu picked up a piece and tasted it.
This sugarcane is still quite juicy. It’s just not sweet enough, likely because it hasn’t fully matured, but chewing it reveals a crisp freshness that mature sugarcane lacks.
Hmm, it’s the taste of nature.
Xie Baomin split each section of sugarcane core into four pieces, then placed them into the pot used for making desserts, added water, and began to boil it.
"Young sugarcane is quite cooling and very suitable for drinking in this current weather."
Lin Xu wasn’t very familiar with how this type of sweet soup was made. Chewing on the sugarcane in his hand, he asked, "Just sugarcane?"
"Of course not. You have to add at least some snow pears. That way, you get sugarcane and snow pear soup. No sugar added, just drink it plain and light like this. It not only cools you down but also clears the lungs."
That sounds pretty good.
Lin Xu asked again, "Besides snow pears, what else can you add?"
"Any similar cooling fruits will do, or other ingredients like yam, Horse Hoof, and taro. Actually, there aren’t many strict rules, as long as the properties of the combined ingredients don’t clash."
Is it that simple?
Just as Lin Xu thought of this, a system notification sounded in his mind:
"The host has listened to the guidance of a State Banquet master and has comprehended the Qualified Level Sweet Soup Technique — Ingredient Pairing. Congratulations to the host."
Sweet Soup Technique?
I can comprehend things just like that?
It seems I’ll have to chat more with these head chefs when I have free time.
Who knows, I might comprehend a whole wave of Techniques.
Isn’t that just a free gain?
Soon, the water in the pot came to a boil. Xie Baomin covered the pot with a lid, turned down the heat, and continued to simmer it.
"Sugarcane has plenty of water content and can withstand long cooking. It should be simmered for as long as possible so that its crisp, fresh flavor can infuse into the soup."
Lin Xu nodded, mentally noting it down.
When I make this for Shen Baobao later, these pointers will come in handy.
After simmering for about twenty minutes, Xie Baomin went to the storage room and fetched two snow pears. He peeled them, cut them into small pieces, and added them to the pot. After cooking for about five or six more minutes, he turned off the heat and removed the pot from the stove.
"Snow pears shouldn’t be cooked for too long; just until their flavor comes out is enough. Although this might sound very particular, as long as you understand the techniques for pairing ingredients, you can make a pot of sweet soup in minutes."
Lin Xu nodded and then asked, "If one wanted to add sugar, at what step would it be most appropriate?"
"Add two pieces of Crystal Sugar while boiling the snow pears; the flavor will be very good."
After saying this, Xie Baomin ladled some soup into a bowl. He blew on it a bit and drank it once it wasn’t too hot. Nodding, he said, "Hmm, not bad. Although the sweetness is a little faint, the crisp, fresh flavor of the young sugarcane is quite rich. Try it, Junior Brother. See if it gives you any inspiration."
Lin Xu nodded and ladled some for himself.
He drank it when it wasn’t too hot. The soup was slightly sweet, carrying the distinct, crisp freshness characteristic of sugarcane, intermingled with the refreshing sensation of snow pear.