The Cheat Emperor of the Culinary World

If you want fresh abalone to have a tender texture, steaming is the most common method, but it can easily be overcooked.

Actually, the best temperature to cook abalone is 80 degrees.

You can use 80-degree water to poach the abalone.

The abalone prepared this way has the most tender texture.

Exceed this temperature, and the texture will become tough.

Fu Yu has always known this.

However, the so-called 80 degrees often relies on one’s own sense to time it.

But now there’s no need to worry.

With the skill to control the heat, you can have the water at whatever temperature you want.

When the freshly cooked abalone was plated and carried away, Yao Shi didn’t give it a second glance.

From Fu Yu’s previous actions, he could already estimate that the water temperature was about 80 degrees.

It’s common knowledge, but there’s some difficulty in actual operation.

Undeniably, Fu Yu did very well.

The original taste of East Sea seafood is considered a mixed dish, featuring a clear, fresh, crisp, and refreshing texture.

This isn’t the first time Fu Yu made this dish, but it was the first time he seriously paid attention to the cooking considerations.

When cooking East Sea seafood, avoid using strong acidic or spicy flavors that would overpower the seafood’s original taste.

The flavor should highlight the seafood’s natural essence.

A touch of sour, sweet, and spicy combined with salty freshness is the best seasoning method for small seafood.

These three auxiliary flavors can enhance the fresh taste.

East Sea seafood should also highlight the crispness of the ingredients.

This requires precise control of heat during initial processing.

Blanching must be done with high heat and brief time; after removing, immediately cool it in ice water, producing small seafood that is not only brimming with fresh flavor but also refreshingly crisp.

Another dish, East Sea Braised Fish, relies on vinegar and flour sauce.

East Sea Braised Fish must use authentic flour sauce, which imparts a savory sauce flavor to the fish and smartly removes the fishy odor.

In classic old-style methods, some rice vinegar was preferred when cooking fish.

But don’t use much, as it can soften the fish bones, balance the flavors, and eliminate the fishy smell.

When braising, use low heat, letting the fish slowly absorb the seasonings.

Otherwise, high heat will ruin the shape of the fish; this is how slow heat yields tender fish.

Several dishes were successfully cooked in succession.

Yao Shi’s expression completely relaxed.

Watching Fu Yu cook is a pleasure.

The cooking methods he had in mind were demonstrated by someone else in the most standard and disciplined way.

The feeling of moving with ease, like drinking a refreshing cup of iced tea under the scorching sun, a delightful sensation that instantly soothes the body and mind.

Yao Shi hadn’t sat down to watch someone cook with such tranquility for a long time.

This long-lost feeling made him unknowingly watch Fu Yu cook for more than half an hour.

Fu Yu didn’t mind this.

As he flipped through the special family banquet menu, he cooked according to the methods described there; everything went smoothly.

Just this Blackfish Egg Soup.

Fu Yu specifically reread the method.

Mainly because he had never made this soup before.

Few customers ordered it, and when Zhao Meng made it, Fu Yu never caught it.

But although he hadn’t made it, Fu Yu had heard Zhao Meng mention it a couple of times.

He knew making this Blackfish Egg was quite a hassle.

The crucial point is to avoid rinsing it with water before use.

Otherwise, although the salty and astringent flavors can be removed, its texture will harden and change color.

When used directly, the fishy smell is hard to remove.

When Zhao Meng mumbled about it, Fu Yu found it interesting and asked more questions.

Zhao Meng babbled on, but Fu Yu, having just finished chopping, was too tired and hot to listen carefully.

Now reading through the special family banquet menu, he finally understood how to make Blackfish Egg Soup taste good.

Put the Blackfish Egg into a pot of cold water.

Slowly heat it, and after boiling, remove the Blackfish Egg.

Then put it into another pot of cold water and boil again, and remove it.

Repeat this process three times.

The Blackfish Egg cooked this way is extremely soft, tender, and smooth, with a pleasing color, perfect for making Blackfish Egg Soup.

After bringing the clear broth in the pot to a boil, skim off the scum from the surface.

Add slices of Blackfish Egg to the clear broth.

Add soy sauce, yellow wine, ginger juice, salt, and pepper to create a golden color and a salty and fresh flavor profile.

After adjusting the color and taste of the clear broth, dribble in diluted cornstarch.

Stir well to increase the thickness of the soup, forming the viscosity of rice soup thickening, and thicken it into shape.

The bowl used by Qianlima to serve the Blackfish Egg Soup is a pale teapot-colored round soup bowl.

Gently ladle the cooked Blackfish Egg Soup into the soup bowl and drizzle with sesame oil and vinegar.

Lastly, garnish with a few pieces of cilantro for decoration.

The soup is golden in color with a salty and fresh aroma.

The slices of Blackfish Egg are white and tender, and the soup is of moderate thickness, blending perfectly with the Blackfish Egg slices, giving a warm and appetizing appearance.

Only the final dish, Sweet and Sour Cornfish, remains.

There are various ways to prepare cornfish, but one thing is consistent: the method of cutting is uniform.

When cutting cornfish, if every cut is of the same depth, you can see the bottom of the corn kernels in one glance, making it look unappealing.

The fish meat in the middle part of the body is thicker, so the cuts can be deeper, while the sides are cut shallower; this way, upon heating, the degree of shrinkage is different, giving the corn kernel shape a more pronounced 3D effect.

When it comes to knife skills, Fu Yu is now quite experienced.

He picked up the kitchen knife and swiftly began altering the cut of the yellow croaker.

He sliced off the meat on both sides of the fish body completely.

On the inside of the fish meat, he scored shallow crosshatch cuts, two-thirds deep, seasoning with fine salt.

He wielded the knife skillfully, his movements as fierce as a tiger.

Yao Shi watched in amazement!

This knife work without a specialty knife, just an ordinary kitchen knife?

This bold and rough technique, even Zhao Meng couldn’t manage!

Yet, despite that, the fish meat sliced with the kitchen knife, whether in terms of cut depth or cutting speed, was impeccable.

Especially when Fu Yu placed the two pieces of fish meat into the oil, frying them until they floated up like two corn shapes, and scooped them out golden brown.

All of Yao Shi’s doubts and worries instantly vanished.

The way this fish was made was truly beautiful!

The corn kernels truly had a strong 3D appearance!

Anyway, Yao Shi was very satisfied with it.

As long as the dish is well-made, it doesn’t matter whether a kitchen knife or a boning knife was used in the process.

Despite handling the entire table with ease alone, Fu Yu managed it all effortlessly.

While Yao Shi spent almost forty minutes watching Fu Yu cook, he was filled with admiration.

Just at that moment, another round of orders came in.

Yao Shi, considering that Fu Yu had just busied himself with an entire table, wanted to take on a few more dishes himself out of concern for Fu Yu’s tiredness.

But before he could say anything, Fu Yu swiftly took most of the orders, leaving only three simple and easy-to-cook dishes for Yao Shi.

Yao Shi took the order, silently sticking it to the kitchen wall, feeling heartfelt: This kid is truly kind-hearted!