Chapter 555: Chapter 548: Truly Blessed
Fu Yu has become very adept at controlling both the timing and heat.
When the fried beef is ready to be taken out of the pot, sprinkle it with cumin and sesame seeds.
This dish is then considered complete.
When plating at Shangshi Private Kitchen, the method of arranging in an overlapping pattern is used.
Once the plate of tender fried beef is arranged, it is piled high into a small mountain, appearing very grand, and preventing the fried beef from sticking together, which would affect the crispy texture.
This plate of tender fried beef was made for Fu Yu to try, and after it was done, everyone in the kitchen shared it on the spot.
The texture is soft and smooth, tender and fragrant with a good chewiness.
Upon tasting, you can detect the unique aromas of cumin and sesame, which complement the tender texture of the beef perfectly.
Liu Yunong tasted Fu Yu’s soft fried beef and nodded in satisfaction.
She turned her head to look at Wang Yulong, and the two exchanged a glance.
Wang Yulong also looked full of praise.
He had a high opinion of the discerning eye of his boss, and was even a little envious in his heart.
Look at the boss’s luck, if they’re going to take on a disciple, it’s a genius-level one.
After finishing the soft fried beef, Fu Yu hurried back to fry pork belly.
He poured a small amount of oil into the pot, and when the oil was fifty percent hot, he placed the pork skin side down into the pot to fry.
Since a lot of oil splatters during frying, it’s necessary to cover with a lid quickly to avoid getting burned.
This is one of the cautions that Liu Yunong repeatedly emphasized.
Fu Yu highly values his safety, so he remembers clearly to accurately cover the pot lid securely when the pork skin approaches the hot oil.
After frying for one minute, you can see many red bubbles have appeared on the pork skin.
At this point, take the pork out and soak it in cold water.
Soaking it in cold water makes the pork’s texture more refreshing.
Once the pork cools thoroughly, place it in the freezer for two hours.
This makes it easier to slice and more stable in shape.
During the freezing time, Fu Yu, following Liu Yunong’s instructions, began cycling through previous cooking actions.
He worked on pork belly piece by piece, becoming increasingly adept in his techniques and faster in speed.
As Liu Zhangpeng finished preparing the seasoning sauce and sent it to the cold storage, he happened to meet Fu Yu carrying the cooled pork belly over, so he enthusiastically approached: "Xiaofu, didn’t you say you haven’t made this Pagoda Meat before? I can see your technique is quite skilled!"
Although there was an air conditioner in the kitchen, staying constantly in front of the stove made Fu Yu sweat profusely.
He felt somewhat irritable and wasn’t in a mood for much conversation, but out of politeness, he exchanged a few courteous words with Liu Zhangpeng, then quickly returned to work.
It must be said, everything at Shangshi Private Kitchen is good, except for one thing: the standards and cooking skills of the lesser workers are somewhat inferior to those at Qianlima.
Fu Yu, while cooking, was very meticulous, so when he was at Qianlima, whether it was Sun Qingning or Zhang Jinyu as his assistants, they were always obedient and sensible, ever perceptive of when Fu Yu needed something, and could immediately deliver it to him.
Whereas at Shangshi Private Kitchen, the lesser workers needed to be instructed for each action, and being always guided by Liu Yunong standing nearby, Fu Yu had to handle everything personally.
However, he got used to it and adapted, which actually gave him a lot more hands-on practice.
In the iron pot, he simmered mei gan cai with broth, skillfully fishing out cinnamon sticks and star anise.
Everyone was busy working, and no one noticed that, with each movement of his hands, whenever the soup ladle emerged from the broth, the thick broth would slide off rapidly like Moses parting the Red Sea.
After the broth was brought to a boil on high heat and then simmered on low heat, Fu Yu transferred the mei gan cai to a clay pot and continued cooking with the gas on the kitchen counter.
The large iron pot was still used for blanching the pork belly.
The distinctive feature of Pagoda Meat lies in its skillful slicing technique.
The pork belly must be sliced into thin sheets, long and continuous, so it can be stacked into an elegant pagoda shape.
Fu Yu took the frozen meat out, placed it on the cutting board, and sliced along the edge.
As he neared the end, he had to be cautious not to cut through, otherwise, this piece of pork would be wasted.
Once cut, he reassembled it into the original shape of a meat block, placed it into a mold, then pressed it into a pagoda shape.
The end of the meat was secured with toothpicks.
This step was quite detailed, and only after completing it was the Pagoda Meat officially formed!
Fu Yu performed this smoothly, with a refined technique, confident and skilled, exuding an indescribable confidence.
He seemed extremely experienced, not at all like someone cooking this dish for the first time.
He resembled a seasoned master chef who had done it dozens, even hundreds of times!
Liu Zhangpeng, finding a free moment amidst his busyness, couldn’t help but watch Fu Yu cook.
Seeing the pork belly sliced with perfect thickness, meticulously stacked into a pagoda shape, the more he watched, the more amazed and impressed he became!
He even inexplicably felt that Fu Yu’s earlier claim of cooking this dish for the first time was just to showcase his skills to everyone afterward.
Indeed, Liu Zhangpeng, feeling astounded and deeply impressed, initially felt a bit awestruck, but then somewhat aggrieved.
How could there be such a disparity among people!
Some people are just born to be envied!
While some, like himself, can only rely on hard work and diligence to make incremental progress.
Not only Liu Zhangpeng, but also Liu Yunong standing nearby was genuinely stunned by Fu Yu’s exquisite knife skills.
Fu Yu had previously claimed he hadn’t made this dish before, and Liu Yunong had prepared extra ingredients accordingly.
She planned to give Fu Yu an hour to practice his knife skills, so earlier at the kitchen counter, she had been busy with the preliminary work for the tender fried beef just to save time for Fu Yu to experiment.
But Fu Yu’s current performance is like that of a top chef with honed skills and extensive experience.
Does he even need practice time?
Might as well put him directly on the stove and have him handle things right away!
Wang Yulong felt frustrated enough to want to smack his own head!
Truly envious and jealous!
How come someone this talented doesn’t come across his own path!
What a... real pity.
Having a disciple like this is a once-in-decades find!
If only he could take on such a disciple, then his skills would definitely be passed down.
Such a person must be groomed as a successor.
Liu Yunong is truly fortunate!
This luck was destined from birth, something others could only admire!
As Fu Yu efficiently handled the pork, he turned back to the kitchen counter.
The mei gan cai in the clay pot had finished cooking.
According to Shangshi Private Kitchen’s cooking method, some brown sugar needs to be added.
And the ratio should be one tablespoon more than the classic traditional recipes.
This makes the taste slightly sweeter and better suits the local palate.
The mei gan cai should be simmered until there’s only a thin layer of broth left, without letting it dry out, as the broth will be used to thicken the dish later.
