The Cheat Emperor of the Culinary World

Chapter 635: Chapter 628: Long Time No See

Fu Yu used boiling water to blanch the fugu fish.

Then he carefully scraped off the white membrane and cleaned it thoroughly.

Once the specific steps for handling fugu are mastered, the rest depends on the chef’s meticulous handling.

Since the blood and entrails of fugu are poisonous, they must be thoroughly cleaned.

After cleaning the fugu, Fu Yu began cooking.

Zhang Jinyu, who had been assisting by his side, suddenly brightened up and skillfully stood in his usual spot.

He could observe the cooking process and learn while conveniently assisting, such as passing a cooking tool.

Liu Junrong was quick-witted and, when working in the kitchen, was very perceptive and got along well with people like Zhang Jinyu and Sun Qingning.

After helping catch the fish, he proactively took on the task of the first oil pass, positioning himself next to Fu Yu so he could see Fu Yu’s cooking with just a glance.

Sun Weixing, who was interning in the kitchen at the same time, didn’t notice at all.

He merely glanced enviously at Liu Junrong.

Although the first oil pass task isn’t technically demanding, it’s much better than endless chopping and preparing ingredients, making it quite an easy task.

As the thought crossed his mind, Sun Weixing sighed inwardly and continued chopping silently.

He had no choice; he wasn’t good at socializing.

Meanwhile, Zhang Jinyu and Liu Junrong focused on Fu Yu’s cooking techniques.

Fu Yu sliced the fish liver into pieces 0.5cm thick and set them aside after rinsing.

This thickness is the optimal size he refined through repeated practice in teaching labs.

A little more and the texture is too heavy.

A little less and it easily falls apart during cooking.

Ginger was sliced as thin as possible.

This operation sounds simple but is very difficult to execute.

Because ginger has many fibers, slicing it improperly would result in scraping ginger paste instead.

Fu Yu wielded the knife with ease.

In this scenario, the ability to cut through iron as if it’s mud was extremely fitting.

Both Zhang Jinyu and Liu Junrong were amazed at Fu Yu’s knife skills after watching him.

They didn’t realize the skill involved in this exercise.

Fu Yu didn’t even consider that this particular skill was actually very challenging for an average kitchen worker, testing their knife skills.

Unbeknownst to him, as his culinary skills improved little by little, Fu Yu had gradually distanced himself from the rest of the kitchen staff.

He knew his culinary skills were great now, but he didn’t have a clear sense of how good he was.

So for him, slicing ginger to this level was extremely easy, and he never thought he needed to guide others on knife techniques.

He heated the pan, added soybean oil, heated it to 120℃, and poured in the fish liver, pan-frying it until light yellow over low heat.

Throughout the process, Fu Yu continually rotated the wok to ensure even heating of the fish liver.

He added the appropriate amount of white wine and water.

Once the pot boiled, he placed the washed fugu fish neatly into the pot.

He added secret sauce, broth, green onions, ginger, garlic, and fish skin, then continued cooking.

The secret sauce was the same kind used in the restaurant’s braised fish dishes.

The flavor was very rich and fragrant.

Once the soup had dissolved all the seasonings, he added bamboo shoots and continued to simmer over low heat.

Once the fugu was tender, he carefully placed it on a plate and used high heat to thicken the sauce.

Three fugu were placed side by side in a shallow, wide-rimmed white porcelain dish, topped with rich sauce, and accompanied by two sides of blanched, tender green vegetables, with fresh, delicious bamboo shoots covering the fish tail.

Fu Yu’s first taste of fugu was in a teaching lab session.

He cooked and tasted it himself.

One bite and he immediately understood the thrill of those brave diners who dared to try this delicacy.

The cooked fugu was incredibly fresh and sweet, the meat tender and juicy, and the sauce rich and smooth.

It was paired with broth simmered with mussels, ham, crab roe oil, hen, and pork belly.

The umami flavor could practically melt one’s tongue.

Fu Yu finished plating, called a server to take away the braised fugu.

Zhang Jinyu and Liu Junrong, who watched from beginning to end, looked as if they had greatly benefited.

Even though Fu Yu didn’t deliberately instruct them due to the undemanding cooking process, watching carefully gave them an impression of how the dish should be made.

This was considered a very successful method of learning by observation.

After cooking the braised fugu, Fu Yu continued preparing other dishes.

He was busy when a server from the front came with a message.

"Chef Fu, the guests in room 207 said they’re friends of yours and would like you to come over."

Fu Yu was startled and a bit surprised: "My friends?"

The server said, "Yes, they said their surname is Han."

Han?

Fu Yu quickly ran through his memory to recall any friends with the surname Han.

He honestly couldn’t remember anyone who would visit him at the restaurant.

Fu Yu hurriedly said, "Alright, I’ll come over after I finish up here."

...

Room 207.

When Fu Yu arrived, the people inside were having a meal.

There were two people.

A younger one, in his early twenties, with prominent features and an energetic look.

An older one, around thirty-seven or thirty-eight, looked slightly familiar, though Fu Yu couldn’t immediately recall where he had seen this person before.

However, since he knew Fu Yu worked at Qianlima and could correctly call out his name, they must have crossed paths before; it just didn’t leave much of an impression on him.

With this thought, a warm smile appeared on Fu Yu’s face.

The older person immediately got up when Fu Yu arrived and greeted him with a smile: "Chef Fu, long time no see!"

Fu Yu racked his brain trying to figure out who he was, yet responded verbally: "Yes, long time no see indeed."

The other person said, "Since the last chef competition, I’ve been wanting to have a meal with you, but the restaurant’s been too busy and I never found the time."

Fu Yu suddenly realized it was someone he’d met at the chef competition.

He thought carefully again and recalled slightly.

This person seemed to be the contestant chef who stood next to him back then.

Oh yes!

The head chef from the Old Shunrong Restaurant.

What was his name again?

Something with "Zhi"?

Was there a "Dong" in it?

What was his surname again?

Never mind, just handle this for now.

Fu Yu smiled and nodded: "Yes, now that it’s peak season, we’re incredibly busy here too."

Han Dongzhi introduced the young man next to him to Fu Yu.

"This is my apprentice, He Kun, who has been working hard with me recently, so I brought him today to reward him and let him try the specialties here."

Fu Yu got to know He Kun, half-joking and half-serious: "I hadn’t seen you in person, just looked at the order list, so I thought a regular customer was visiting."