Chapter 395 - 201: Master Zhou, Spare Some Time to Give Me Pointers as Well

Chapter 395: Chapter 201: Master Zhou, Spare Some Time to Give Me Pointers as Well

"You’re too kind, Master," Xu Yunliang said with a smile, breathing a sigh of relief.

Even at his age, he still felt a little nervous every time he cooked in front of the elders from his school.

The others also eagerly picked up their chopsticks, likewise starting with the Dry-Burned Rock Carp.

"Mmm, this tastes fantastic. It reminds me of the way Huaifeng used to make it back in the day."

"It’s just so good!"

The clan elders all praised it after tasting it.

"This Dry-Burned Rock Carp is packed with flavor. The fish has soaked up the aroma of the pickled mustard and pickled peppers, and the meat is fresh and tender. It’s absolutely perfect," Wang Mian said, looking at Xu Yunliang earnestly after taking a bite. "Xu, I’m in Rongcheng too. I hope I can get a chance to learn from you sometime. I can never get the Fire Control right for this dish. My sauce always boils away, and the flavor just isn’t quite there."

Xu Yunliang smiled and nodded. "Sure thing. I have Mondays off. We can all learn from each other."

"Xu’s skill with this Rock Carp is truly impressive. The way the sauce has reduced is just perfect. He didn’t add any starch at all; the sauce naturally thickened and infused the fish, making it rich, fragrant, and incredibly flavorful."

"As expected of a First-level Chef. Even with a new pot and stove, his performance was top-notch."

After tasting the dish, his fellow chefs were full of praise, and they began asking Xu Yunliang questions on the spot. The atmosphere was incredibly friendly and collaborative.

GULP. The other chefs standing to the side couldn’t help but swallow their saliva as they listened.

The dishes on the table were evaluated one by one. Since this was for a newspaper article, Kong Qingfeng was clearly more lenient today, offering more praise than criticism. Still, he would unerringly point out the issue with each dish so that everyone was clear on the standards.

Kong Qingfeng put down his chopsticks and said to the chefs watching from the sidelines, "Alright, we’ve all had a taste. Don’t just stand there. Grab some chopsticks, come try everything, and feel free to share any thoughts you have. This is how we all exchange ideas and improve together."

"Alright!" the group replied, unable to hold back any longer.

Zhou Yan grabbed a pair of chopsticks and took a bite of the Dry-Burned Rock Carp first.

He carefully lifted a piece of fish, which was topped with chopped pickled mustard and pickled peppers.

The Rock Carp had been flash-fried first, which tightened the flesh and gave the skin a golden-brown color.

This Rock Carp weighed a little over two pounds; it was thick and plump. As he picked up a piece, he could feel the firmness of the meat, completely different from the flaky texture of a farm-raised carp.

Besides the pickled mustard and minced pickled peppers, he could also see diced meat fried to a crispy golden-brown, looking very similar to the pickled mustard.

In the plate, the sauce and oil had separated into distinct layers, and there was no trace of starch-thickening on the fish.

This was the unique ’dry-burning’ technique of Sichuan Cuisine.

It involved simmering the fish over low heat, allowing the sauce to slowly cook into the flesh. The collagen from the fish itself acted as a natural thickener, with the focus on reducing the sauce naturally.

He had never eaten Dry-Burned Rock Carp before, but Zhou Yan had eaten dry-burned carp in Rongcheng. It was a common dish in Sichuan restaurants, but none had ever looked as good as this Dry-Burned Rock Carp made by Master Xu.

As he took a bite, the skin was crispy and fragrant, while the meat was indeed firm yet tender. It was savory, aromatic, and mildly spicy. The sauce was perfectly absorbed into the flesh, creating a mellow and rich flavor, and he could taste the unique salty fragrance of the pickled mustard.

Compared to the steamed Rock Carp Zhou Yan had eaten before, the meat of this one was even firmer and more delicious!

’Whatever else might be, the wild Rock Carp from the rivers of this era is truly incomparable to the farmed ones of the future.’

’The superiority of the ingredients was incredibly obvious.’

"This Dry-Burned Rock Carp is delicious!" Zhou Yan couldn’t help but exclaim. This was, without a doubt, better than any dry-burned fish he had ever eaten.

"You’re too kind, Master Zhou," said Xu Yunliang, who was sitting in front of him and had overheard. He smiled as he spoke.

Zhou Yan: ...

’This is so annoying!’

Zhou Yan also tried the Stir-fried Salt Pork made by Arhat.

This dish looked a bit like Twice-Cooked Pork, and many people couldn’t even tell the difference between the two.

Both used the hind-leg cut of pork belly and raw garlic sprouts, making the ingredients basically the same. However, Stir-fried Salt Pork requires fermented black beans, which he didn’t add to his garlic sprout Twice-Cooked Pork. The cooking methods were also completely different.

Twice-Cooked Pork involved an extra step of boiling, which gave it a softer, chewier texture.

The essence of Stir-fried Salt Pork, however, was right there in the name: the pork was stir-fried from raw.

The sliced hind-leg pork belly was stir-fried directly in the wok. The method was largely similar to making Twice-Cooked Pork.

Zhou Yan had never made it himself, but he had filmed it being made, so he knew the basic method.

The Stir-fried Salt Pork had a glossy, reddish sheen. It felt firmer than Twice-Cooked Pork when picked up with chopsticks. The first bite was dry and fragrant, as the fat had been rendered out more thoroughly than in Twice-Cooked Pork. The lean meat had a springy, toothsome texture, complemented by the fresh aroma of the garlic sprouts. It was incredibly delicious.

It was another excellent dish that went perfectly with rice!

While its texture and flavor were slightly different from Twice-Cooked Pork, both were classic Sichuan dishes meant to be eaten with rice.

Zhou Yan made a mental note: when he taught Arhat how to make Snowflake Chicken Porridge later, he would also ask Arhat to teach him how to make this Stir-fried Salt Pork.

’Master Luo’s version is even better than my own master’s.’

’Everyone has their specialty. Best to learn their signature dish!’

He didn’t get to try any of the other dishes. There were too many eager hands, and the plates were cleared in an instant before he had a chance.

However, he did manage a bite of his own Snowflake Chicken Porridge. It was velvety, smooth, and delicate—the texture was absolute perfection. The chicken flavor was rich and full-bodied, with a long, lingering aftertaste.

’No wonder this was the famous Sichuan dish my Master could never forget. The taste is truly extraordinary.’

’Compared to this, the other versions of Snowflake Chicken Porridge I’ve had were just terrible.’

’It has a lot to do with the ingredients,’ Zhou Yan surmised. ’I used a genuine free-range country chicken. Most restaurants are considered decent if they even use fresh chicken. To save costs, they most likely use frozen chicken breast.’

’The technique was different, too. You could tell from the texture that they used too much bean starch.’

After everyone finished eating, they discussed things for a while longer, and the exchange finally came to a close.

Shen Shaohua put down his chopsticks, still savoring the experience.

’This is probably the most enjoyable interview I’ve had in years,’ he thought. ’I got to crash a tasting of amazing food, and soon I’ll get to enjoy a whole banquet too.’