The Cheat Emperor of the Culinary World

Chapter 352: Chapter 351: I Stand and Watch

Aside from being unwilling to personally conduct a cooking demonstration in public, Qiu Jingxiu was otherwise quite cooperative.

She thoroughly taught Fu Yu and Gao Chao the cooking methods for five traditional Beijing Crispy Pork Pot recipes and even worried they might forget, so she specially handed them pre-prepared recipes.

Ingredients ready, cooking methods prepared, and the cooking station was set up.

Fu Yu and Gao Chao each began to cook.

After taking the recipe, Fu Yu didn’t rush to start cooking. Instead, he carefully reviewed each of the five dishes.

Since acquiring the skills for time management, he had unwittingly developed such a habit.

One must admit, Qiu Jingxiu was meticulous in her work, with the cooking steps in the recipe being very detailed.

The first dish Fu Yu prepared was the Beijing Crispy Pork Pot.

He cut the pig shank into pieces, added salt, white pepper, green onion segments, and ginger slices, and marinated it for half an hour.

He then interspersed making clear broth crispy pork.

He sliced the skinned pork belly into strips, coated each with a thin batter, deep-fried them in the oil, and then scooped them into a bowl.

He placed soaked daylilies, wood ear mushrooms, and cabbage in boiling water with oil and salt, blanched them briefly, scooped them out, and laid them over the crispy pork strips before steaming them.

During his free time, Fu Yu began making Cantonese-style crispy pork.

He washed the fresh pork brisket, skinned side down, scored it evenly with cross-cuts, then minced it finely.

He slowly added starch and egg liquid (adding 2 grams of salt) to the minced pork brisket until it became finely mashed and elastic.

He placed the minced pork brisket into oil heated between 130°C-140°C, slowly deep-frying it.

During frying, he would occasionally pierce the surface of the minced meat with chopsticks to ensure even internal heating.

He cut the fried pork brisket into slices measuring 8×4×0.5cm, placed them skin-side down in a bowl, mixed the remaining seasonings evenly, heated them for two minutes, then poured them into the bowl with the meat for steaming.

At this point, both pots were in use.

Fu Yu tried the marinated pig shank for the Beijing Crispy Pork Pot and found the taste just right.

The cooking station he was using was makeshift, with only two burners set up, far from enough.

Fu Yu glanced at Gao Chao, who was busy cooking, noticing he was using only one of his two burners, and asked, ”Teacher Qiu, if your cooking station isn’t in use, could I borrow a burner?”

All of Qiu Jingxiu’s attention was focused on Gao Chao’s cooking skills at that moment.

One must admit, Gao Chao’s cooking techniques were very skillful, and his comprehension was impressive.

Watching him cook, Qiu Jingxiu inwardly praised him and couldn’t help but ask, ”Xiaogao, how many years have you been graduated?”

Gao Chao replied while cooking, ”Three years.”

Qiu Jingxiu continued, ”Where do you work?”

Gao Chao said, ”Zhongxiang Restaurant.”

Qiu Jingxiu pondered and asked, ”Che Yuhang is the head chef there, right?”

Gao Chao looked up and smiled, ”Yes, he’s my master.”

Qiu Jingxiu was taken aback, somewhat surprised, ”So you’re Chef Che’s apprentice!”

No wonder.

Their conversation spread through the sound system, reaching the audience clearly.

Those who knew of Defu Building quickly explained to those around them.

Those who didn’t know were asking around.

Once they understood the scale of Zhongxiang Restaurant and who Che Yuhang was.

Everyone looked at Gao Chao, who was intently cooking on stage, with a different perspective.

As everyone’s attention was fixed on the big screen showing Gao Chao’s cooking, suddenly a clear male voice rang out.

The crowd turned towards it simultaneously and saw another contestant, silently cooking beside them, talking to Qiu Jingxiu.

In fact, Qiu Jingxiu first noticed Fu Yu at the start.

Mainly because the young man was indeed very handsome, standing on stage like a promotional model, with every move particularly captivating.

Everyone appreciates beauty.

Qiu Jingxiu was no exception. Seeing a good-looking young man, she was more than willing to take a few more glances, her demeanor unconsciously becoming gentler.

Upon hearing Fu Yu’s request, Qiu Jingxiu instinctively replied, ”Sure, if you need it, feel free to use it.”

Fu Yu thanked her with a smile and moved the ingredients he needed over.

Following his actions, Qiu Jingxiu naturally walked over out of curiosity; the cooking station already had two burners, which apparently weren’t enough, and another needed to be borrowed; what was this young chef planning to do?

Fu Yu stood at Qiu Jingxiu’s cooking station.

He mixed egg liquid and flour into a batter, coated the meat pieces, and fried them in oil heated to seventy percent until crispy outside and tender inside, then set them aside.

He left some oil in the pot, stir-fried green onion segments, ginger slices, star anise, Sichuan peppercorns, bay leaves, and cinnamon until aromatic, poured in high broth, placed the fried pork pieces, and steamed them in the basket.

Simultaneously, he started making mushroom mini crispy pork.

Qiu Jingxiu specially went over to check Fu Yu’s original cooking station.

It was only then she discovered that Fu Yu was actually cooking several dishes at the same time, with all the cooking steps being systematic, not wasting even a second.

Qiu Jingxiu couldn’t help but exclaim, ”His control over cooking time is really precise! This young man is quite impressive!”

The host immediately caught on to the topic and quickly joined in, asking, ”Teacher Qiu, what do you mean by this?”

Qiu Jingxiu explained, ”This...”

The host helpfully interjected, ”Fu Yu.”

Qiu Jingxiu nodded, ”Yes, just take a look, he is now cooking three dishes, and they are almost done.”

The host heard this and was instantly stunned.

Three dishes almost done?

This, how is this possible!

From starting on stage to now, it’s been less than forty minutes?

And Gao Chao over there has only just started cooking the second dish.

If calculated this way, wouldn’t Fu Yu finish the entire cooking process nearly half the time ahead of Gao Chao?

The host also became curious and moved closer to watch Fu Yu cooking.

As they moved, the camera also shifted to focus on Fu Yu.

Fu Yu slashed the pork neck into strips and marinated them with the seasoning.

He cleaned the mushrooms, removed the stems, and oil-blanched them for later use.

After dealing with them, he began cooking the final dish: Oil-seared sea cucumber crispy pork.

Fu Yu appeared energetic and photogenic.

The big screen had been showing Gao Chao’s cooking process all along. Now, suddenly switching to the handsome Fu Yu, whether one understood or not, watching the enchanting scenes on the screen, everyone’s mood unknowingly improved.

Fu Yu was already preparing the cooking method for the last first kind of crispy pork.

The host walked beside Gao Chao, asking casually, ”Chef Gao, you’ve just started with the second crispy pork dish, and Chef Fu over there is almost done with them all. What do you think about this speed?”

Gao Chao was at a loss for words; I’m standing here watching...