Yamafu Military Affairs

Chapter 283: Kong Gu Su Tuo
Bang!
Seeing that he had become the focus of everyone's attention, Cha Xiaodao remained calm. He scooped out the beef shank bones that had been stewed until they were soft in the casserole and placed them on the clean chopping board.

After washing and wiping his hands with cold water, Cha Xiaodao gently pressed the fascia with his left hand to prevent it from loosening, and the kitchen knife in his right hand flew around. The blade was in close contact with the chopping board, making a continuous and rhythmic beat, almost an afterimage. Although the speed was very fast, it gave people a feeling of being unhurried and leisurely.

The whole process was smooth and flowing, and just the movements of changing the knife and removing the bones were pleasing to the eyes.

After cutting everything, Qin Huai discovered that the beef shank bones were still intact at first glance!
"It seems that the inheritance ability demonstrated by the knife earlier is still retained."

Looking at the knife skills that had briefly reached perfection, and thinking back to the long food tasting process last night, Qin Huai touched his chin, and an idea flashed through his mind.

"Next, it's the most important [Ding Wan] and [Hong Shao]."

As a native of Jiaolai, Qin Huai naturally knew that the "braised" technique that Cha Xiaodao was about to use was unique to Shandong cuisine.

When the few of them were chatting earlier, Cha Xiaodao had mentioned that most of his skills were put into controlling the heat and flipping the wok, and the most important things in Shandong cuisine are precisely this control of heat and flipping the wok.

If the candied silk dish originating from Shandong Province is the embodiment of the cooking temperature of Shandong cuisine, then the technique of "stir-frying" is the culmination of Shandong cuisine's flipping skills.

Cha Xiaodao took a Tianqinghai bowl and stuffed pieces of beef shank bones that were dyed an attractive dark red by soy sauce into it. After filling it up, he put it aside.

The kitchen knife was put back into the knife holder and the flame on the stove gradually died down.

Use a knife to drip a little oil into the iron pan, add sugar and stir-fry the caramel color. With the iron spoon stirring regularly, the bright red caramel color is quickly poured into a small bowl aside for later use.

While the flame is still small and strong, use a small knife to add the scallions and ginger into the pan to color and fry them to make clear oil.

The caramel color and the original soup are mixed into a red sauce in the pot. After taking a spoon from a knife to taste the saltiness, a little bit of other seasoning is added: sugar to remove the bitterness, salt to set the taste, and pepper to remove the fishy smell. Finally, add onion, ginger, and cooking wine to enhance the flavor.

Seeing that everything was going smoothly and nothing went wrong, Cha Xiaodao shook his wrist and poured two large spoonfuls of oil into the bowl.

stab~
With a crisp sound, the oil poured over the scallion segments, ginger slices, and beef shank bones in turn, and the salty and fresh aroma came out, making people feel itchy.

Cha Xiaodao exhaled slightly, and ignored the scallion segments and beef ribs that were soaking in oil. Instead, he put the iron pot in the sink and scrubbed it clean.

Qin Huai watched his movements and understood clearly that this was a warm-up action before the big flip.

Before flipping the spoon, you need to put oil in to "refine the spoon", so the heat at this time is critical.

The bellows was pushed slowly, and the fire on the stove became stronger. Cha Xiaodao put the shiny iron pot on the high fire. When he saw that the fire had reached the level he needed, he turned around and scooped a spoonful of oil into the pot. His wrist moved flexibly to ensure that the oil was heated evenly. After the oil covered the entire pot, he began to shake the spoon, making the entire surface of the pot extremely lubricated.

Although they are ordinary "refining spoon" and "shaking spoon", with the addition of [Yi Yin's Knife], Cha Xiaodao makes them look good. The iron pot and iron spoon weighing more than ten pounds are turned upside down in Cha Xiaodao's hands as if they were nothing. Combined with the roaring fire, it feels like an acrobatics on fire.

The ox bones that were completely soaked in oil were arranged into the shape of a pagoda mountain and turned upside down on a plain white porcelain plate. The irregular tendons and cartilage looked like pieces of rugged rocks, which looked very beautiful when placed on the plate.

[Braised Beef Ribs in Red Sauce] The essence of this dish lies in the "braised" part. The requirement is that the shape it is placed on the plate should remain the same shape after turning the spoon in the pot. The key is to evenly coat it with starch sauce during this process. Then, it must remain in the original shape when it is placed on the plate after being taken out of the pot to be considered successful.

Many novice knife cooks are not good enough at cooking this dish, so they usually just arrange the dish into long strips or squares. This is the least likely to make mistakes, but also the ugliest.

The beef ribs have been cooked and placed on the plate. The next step is the highlight of the whole dish, the key to braising.

Cha Xiaodao was seen holding the spoon handle with his left hand and easily lifting his arm diagonally upward to the left, sending the pot above his head. When his arm formed a 45-degree angle between his chest and abdomen, he shook his wrist to turn the dish over, then gently retracted his wrist to catch it, and let it fall naturally.

"it is good!"

Qin Huai slapped his thigh and couldn't help but applaud for the exquisite control of the knife.

Cha Xiaodao completed the above whole set of movements easily in just one breath, like a fish leaping over the dragon gate, like picking the moon in the sky, graceful and smooth, crisp and neat, just like he was just flipping a spatula to fry a dish.

"Hmm? Is that the "Fishing for the Moon Under the Sea" from "Confucius Mansion Banquet"? "

On the judges' panel, Zhen Xian saw all of Cha Xiaodao's movements, but he was still not quite sure about the cooking techniques he used.

"It should be derived from the "fishing for the moon in the bottom of the sea" and then improved. This contestant is really talented~"

Kong Zongyan shook his head and looked at Cha Xiaodao who was putting the final touches on his work. He couldn't help but feel a little admiration for his talent.

"Serve!"

Cha Xiaodao took a deep breath, and his face turned paler for no reason, but there was an indescribable look in his eyes.

【Kongsangpao·Red Braised Beef Ribs】

Quality: Excellent

Category: Consumables
It must be eaten all at once, which will greatly increase the speed of the eater's injury healing and body metabolism, lasting for one day.

Note: It can be used for walking at Jiuyao and below, but the effect is greatly reduced above Baji.

This dish [Red Braised Beef Ribs] was not served in small bowls, but was placed in a large snow-white porcelain plate and presented directly to the podium.

While Cha Xiaodao was done, Ding Ru also calmly thickened the extremely delicious seafood soup and poured it into the coconut cup that had been carved earlier.

【Chao Ming Banquet·Poseidon in Coconut Cup】

Quality: Rare

Category: Consumables
After consumption, it will enhance the awakening degree of the water-type inheritance Yamabu Walking by 6%. It requires precious ingredients (excellent or above). It is effective when the awakening degree of the walking inheritance is 39% or below.

Due to the use of more precious ingredients, the level of dishes made by Ding Ru finally surpassed Cha Xiaodao's [Tingyan] and reached the level of [Zhenwei].

Of course, this does not necessarily mean that [Poseidon in Coconut Soup] will taste better than [Braised Beef Ribs in Red Sauce]. It’s just that in Yanfu’s judging system, the former is more valuable than the latter.

Perhaps taking Qin Huai's special circumstances into consideration, Cha Xiaodao thoughtfully used the remaining beef shank bones to make a small portion of red steak and asked the White Tiger Guard to deliver it to Qin Huai.

Ding Ru, who was next to stove No. 626, was a little surprised when he saw Xiaodao's movements, but he soon figured it out and decided to follow suit and use the remaining soup in the pot to cook a small pot. However, there was only one [Wenxiang Coconut], and using other coconuts to make a pot would ultimately reduce the effect.

Soon, the [Coconut Cup Sea King] made with fresh food from the East China Sea that Qin Huai risked his life to buy was divided into three smaller coconut cups. Steaming hot, white coconut shell cups, crystal clear fish and snow pillars, and bright red shrimp meat next to them.

Qin Huai looked at the two dishes, one red and one white, placed in front of him and smiled at Cha Xiaodao and Ding Ru, as if to say that you two are very knowledgeable.

Cha Xiaodao and Ding Ru were also each holding a coconut cup, and were tasting the remaining beef ribs while the judges were appreciating the food.

Seeing tens of thousands of spectators immersed in the delicious food, Qin Huai also took the chopsticks, picked up a piece of chewy and jelly-like beef bone, and put it into his mouth.

Salty! Fresh! Fragrant!
The taste similar to the mixture of beef and tendon bursts on the tip of the tongue. The simplest taste is matched with the most suitable ingredients, but the effect of one plus one is far greater than two.

The beef ribs are soft and sticky, and covered with a layer of glossy sauce. The slight bitterness and sweetness that the caramel color should have brought are gone, leaving only the purest salty taste.

With a slight lick of the tongue, the surface of the beef shank bone melts in the mouth, leaving behind a bit of soft and elastic tendon that needs to be chewed.

As you chew, the aroma of tendon, beef and fat slowly emanates.

"They actually stewed the small amount of fat from the ox trotter bones into the tendons, which not only made the originally bland tendons tasty, but also added layers of flavor. I can only say that they are worthy of being called Yi Yin."

Qin Huai frowned slightly, picked up a piece of fried scallion that had turned brown and golden, and put it into his mouth together with the beef shank bone.

Click~
As soon as you put it in your mouth, the scallion segments are chewed, making a slight sound, followed by the chewy texture of the beef shank bone.

The light sweetness and burnt bitterness intertwined together further highlight the salty and fresh taste of the beef shank bone.

"The knife is a good trick."

Qin Huai put down his chopsticks, picked up the teacup beside him, rinsed his mouth with clean water, and then looked at the white coconut shell beside him.

I reached out and picked up the [Poseidon in Coconut Cup] on the table, and used a small spoon to stir the misty milky white lake inside. The star perch, shrimps, soft bones and snow pillars in the mist were all faintly visible under the starlight.

The juice and fibers from the Wenxiang Coconut condensed into a pool of water, and the mist that spread throughout it was strips of fresh milk, starch sauce, and onion filaments interwoven together.

The bright red meat of the Bamboo Shrimp rolled together with the carrots and turned into a bright sun. The countless slices of the Ke Xue Zhu sank to the bottom of the lake. Thousands of schools of fish formed by the Seven-Star Perch swam in the morning light and the clouds. They were covered with a layer of transparent gelatin made from the Smooth Bone Soft, which looked vivid and lifelike.

Qin Huai's nostrils twitched slightly as he sniffed the sweet fragrance emanating from the Yunmeng Lake. He reached his white porcelain spoon into the swirling clouds and scooped a spoonful into his mouth.

The Kexuezhu at the bottom of Yunmeng Lake are fresh and tender, with a clean and transparent taste without any salty or fishy sand. The delicate and elastic squid shreds silently penetrate into the taste buds on the tip of the tongue. The coconut milk soup dominated by Wenxiang coconut further interprets the richness and tolerance of Yunmeng Lake. Finally, bite down on the sun wheel that is a mixture of bright red meat and crispy and sweet bamboo shoots. Chew it gently, and a "sweetness" that is completely different from the sweetness of sucrose, fructose, etc. will burst out in the mouth, and in an instant it will spread to the limbs and bones, and surge to the mud ball between the eyebrows.

[You have eaten the Coconut Cup Sea King. The current awakening degree of your inherited enlightened beast body is 18%! ]

Added 4% awakening?
Qin Huai grinned and drank the remaining seafood soup in one breath.

"The steam from Yunmeng Lake is overwhelming, and the waves are shaking Yueyang City. Old Ding is really ambitious~"

After tasting the dish in terms of color, aroma, taste and shape, Qin Huai naturally understood the chef's intention behind this dish [Poseidon in Coconut Cup].

Unlike Cha Xiaodao who is wholeheartedly trying to make ordinary delicacies exquisite, Ding Ru's dish uses more complex ingredients and naturally requires more thought.

"Want to be the king of the culinary world? Then you have to compete with the future god of food next to you~"

Qin Huai looked at Cha and Ding who were discussing the quality of the dishes, threw down the spoon and coconut cup, and picked up the chopsticks to pick up the remaining pieces of beef ribs.

As a Jiaolai native, he naturally prefers the Shandong cuisine red steak, which can be regarded as a representative of northern cuisine.

After about a cup of tea, the three people on the podium cut off the transmission of the five senses again and spoke one by one.

"One is to simplify the complex, with unique techniques, just for the authentic taste of Konggu; the other is to simplify the complex, with rich ingredients, and to interpret the various Sudas. In my opinion, both are acceptable."

It was Zhen Xian who spoke first again, and on behalf of the Guanglu Temple and the court, he gave the most pertinent comments on the two dishes.

"What Zhen Shaoqing said makes sense, but although the taste of this beef ribs is good, the texture is a bit monotonous. If Chef Cha is interested, he can wait for a while after the game."

Kong Zongyan made no secret of his interest in Shandong cuisine's cooking techniques and immediately gave a kind smile to Cha Xiaodao in the backstage.

"Although the imprint of the meaning in this seafood soup is powerful, it conflicts with its true taste, which is a pity. If Mr. Ding is interested in the future, he can find some classics about Xinnianzhai. If he studies it carefully, I believe he will soon be able to become a Lin chef."

The North Sea Nun chanted the Buddha's name with one hand and also gave her comments and suggestions.

Seeing that the three judges rarely said a few words, Cha Xiaodao and Ding Ru also knew that these were rare and insightful suggestions, so they hurriedly bowed and saluted to the podium.

"Thank you, great scholar (Shen Ni) for your advice!"

Among the 36 judges, except for a few gourmets with picky tastes and eccentric personalities who gave a disapproval evaluation, most of the judges approved the two dishes [Braised Beef Ribs in Red Sauce] and [Pea King in Coconut Soup] based on the consideration of the five flavors.

The Star Power Incense Pillar was about to burn out. Qin Huai looked at the few remaining chefs, only three in the inner field, and his eyes unconsciously focused on the sad middle-aged man who had not yet finished the competition and left.

[Yelü Pharmacist Slave]: The opponent has counter-attack skills, and your quick glance cannot reveal the specific details.

There was a big pot on his stove, with the lid tightly attached to the edge of the pot. Except for the occasional white steam coming out, the tens of thousands of spectators in the venue could not see anything unusual.

"You can either simmer or steam a bear paw. What else can you do with it? You hide it so well. Do you think we are country bumpkins who have never eaten it before?"

Liu Gengyang looked at the melancholy middle-aged man's mysterious attitude and curled his lips in disdain.

Just as the Star Power Incense Pillar was about to burn out, the distressed middle-aged man stopped sitting cross-legged, stood up, and spoke softly:
"【Fu Lu Shou】, please give me your guidance."

The sound immediately spread throughout the entire circular arena. As the sad middle-aged man lifted the lid of the pot, an extremely dazzling light exploded in the pot, filling the eyes of the audience.

"Hmm? [Daogong]?!"

(End of this chapter)