Chapter 242: Chapter 172: So beautiful that one can hardly bear to tuck in! What, another cooking competition? [Seeking Monthly Ticket]
This actually worked? Lin Xu had already given up hope. Unexpectedly, just when he was least hopeful, the Cooking Learning Card actually took effect.
"How is it, Junior Brother? Master’s original dish isn’t bad, right?" Xie Baomin, seeing that Lin Xu wasn’t speaking, thought he was stunned by the dish.
Qiu Zhenhua asked from the side, "Xie, I can understand everything else, but what was that pat at the end all about? What’s the principle behind that?"
He wasn’t the only one puzzled. Qin Wei was also completely baffled.
After pouring the Clear Soup, the flower bud didn’t move an inch, looking like a complete failure, but after that one pat, the petals bloomed one after another. Wasn’t that just magical? Had the spirit of a young culinary prodigy possessed him?
Xie Baomin looked at Lin Xu and asked, "Junior Brother, do you understand what happened?"
If the Cooking Learning Card hadn’t taken effect, then Lin Xu, like Qin Wei and Qiu Zhenhua, would still be struggling in the desert of knowledge.
But now that he had read the method for making Perfect Level Qingshui Furong, he naturally understood the principle behind it.
When the fried chicken slices were soaked in hot water, they would swell somewhat, and a porous, tofu-like structure would form inside.
What his Senior Brother scooped out from the water had been deliberately drained. The water absorbed by the chicken slices during soaking was drained out, and furthermore, when they were placed into the cup, the slices were somewhat compressed.
So, by the time it was inverted into the porcelain bowl and the Clear Soup was added, these chicken slices would rapidly absorb the Clear Soup. After absorbing the Clear Soup, the chicken slices would inevitably begin to swell. The flower bud, shaped by the cup, was already precarious. At that moment, Xie Baomin gently patted it, applying a force to the bud, so the petals unavoidably started to bloom.
Truth is, even if he hadn’t patted it, the petals would have opened up on their own from absorbing too much water. When Master created this dish back in the day, he had already taken this factor into account. In fact, it was a "little mechanism" he deliberately designed to make his first wife happy.
Lin Xu didn’t know if Master’s wife had been happy at the time. Anyway, he was quite happy right now.
Because now he had not only witnessed a visually stunning dish, but most importantly, he also knew how to make it himself. Yes, he definitely had to make this for Shen Baobao sometime and make that girl happy too.
"Junior Brother, I’m asking you, do you know the principle?" As Lin Xu remained silent, Xie Baomin couldn’t help but urge him again.
Lin Xu then came back to his senses. Smiling, he said, "The chicken slices swell after absorbing water. The flower bud was already precarious, and you gave it a pat, so naturally, it bloomed."
He didn’t go into too much detail, but he basically explained the principle.
No sooner had he finished speaking, Xie Baomin burst out laughing, "I always say my Junior Brother is talented! That’s exactly the principle."
He explained the principle in detail, which elicited continuous admiration from Qiu Zhenhua, "This idea, how on earth did Elder Mr. Gao think of it? Isn’t it just magical?"
You simply have no idea how much effort a player would put into a relationship... Lin Xu sighed quietly to himself. Other people’s culinary stories are either beautiful anecdotes or thrilling legends. Yet Master’s original dishes are filled with the aura of a scumbag. Even if I wanted to praise them, I wouldn’t know where to start.
He gathered his thoughts and looked at the flower in the bowl.
In the crystal-clear soup, a pure white flower floated. ’A lotus emerges from clear water, naturally unadorned’—this must be it, right?
This dish was the most visually stunning Lin Xu had ever seen. It was so beautiful that it made one doubt whether it was even real.
While he was still looking, Xie Baomin handed over chopsticks and a spoon. "Come on, everyone, have a taste. No matter how good-looking a dish is, it ultimately comes down to the taste. If the taste is bad, all effort goes to waste."
Don’t just praise its looks! Praise other things too, like the flavor or the texture!
Just praising its appearance is too one-sided, isn’t it? Head Chef Xie, awaiting further compliments, was getting a little anxious.
Qiu Zhenhua took the chopsticks, looked at the white flower in the porcelain bowl, and a wry smile appeared on his face. "It looks so beautiful, I can hardly bring myself to touch it with my chopsticks."
He had seen beautiful dishes before. For example, famous Suzhou dishes like Wensi Tofu, Kou San Si, and White Robed Shrimp—their appearance was among the best in Chinese cuisine. But no matter how beautiful those dishes were, they still looked like food.
The Qingshui Furong in front of him, however, now looked more like a work of art.
However, Xie Baomin was right; no matter how beautiful a dish, if the taste isn’t good, it’s all for nothing.
He raised his chopsticks and finally picked up a petal. Supporting it with a small saucer, he brought it to his mouth and began to taste it.
"How is it, Qiuqiu? Is the taste alright?"
"It’s amazing! I didn’t expect that after the chicken slices expand, are drained, and then absorb some broth, they would taste so good! The chicken is tender and smooth, and full of rich juices inside. Delicious!"
Hearing such high praise, Lin Xu too felt his mouth water.
He picked up a petal with his chopsticks and brought it to his mouth. The first thing he tasted was an intense umami flavor, followed by the tender and silky texture of the chicken.
Although it had been deep-fried, and for a slightly long time, its texture in the mouth was so tender and smooth it was like eating a piece of Lactone Tofu.
However, compared to Lactone Tofu, these chicken slices were superior in both texture and flavor, especially the umami fragrance of the chicken and its juicy texture. Eating it truly gave one an uplifting and delightful sensation.