From selling box lunches to becoming a famous Chinese chef

Chapter 255 Grilled Lamb with Sea Cucumber

The sea cucumber and mutton were stewed separately, and Master Yan quickly cleaned the stove.

Then Master Yan said to his apprentices: "The key to cooking well is to know how to use the taste well. Is the mutton delicious? Of course it is delicious, but if it is not cooked well, the mutton will have a very unpleasant smell."

Sea cucumbers can be said to be very difficult to taste. If they are not cooked well, the sea cucumbers will have only one texture and will not be able to taste at all. Therefore, they must be processed differently according to the taste characteristics of different materials. Cooking can better reflect their flavor characteristics without causing bad odors. "

Listening to Master Yan's words, not only Feng Zhengming and Yang Bin were very useful, but more importantly, Xia Hui and Sun Hai really learned something.

Chef Yan once again gave some instructions on how to cook mutton.

"We actually just boil the mutton in plain view, adding very few spices, mostly using carrots, celery, and onions to remove the odor. We also add some fruit and vegetable flavor to the mutton, and also add some Sichuan peppercorns and some white peppercorns. It’s all about adding flavor to the mutton.”

Speaking of this, Master Yan said to Sun Hai: "You have to remember that this process is not about roasting the mutton to add flavor, because the mutton has to be grilled later. It is when grilling that the flavor is added to the mutton. This stewing process is to remove the mutton. It also adds some fruity and vegetable flavor to the mutton, so you can’t add a lot of spices, understand?”

Sun Hai nodded seriously, indicating that he understood what Master Yan meant.

When Master Yan's mutton was cooked, Master Yan took out the mutton and handed it to Feng Zhengming and Yang Bin: "Put the mutton on top and put it outside to freeze."

Sun Hai was very surprised when he heard this: "Why do you have to press it up and leave it outside to freeze?"

Before Master Yan could explain, Yang Bin had already helped explain: "Silly boy, the purpose of using heavy objects to press the mutton is to make the mutton solid enough, and to put it outside to freeze because it is winter and the temperature outside is low, so It’s easier to cool down if you put it outside, so the pressed lamb will be firm and well-shaped.”

At the same time, Yang Bin had already taken out the stewed mutton, placed it on a tray, pressed it with another tray, and pressed it with a large basin of water.

After leaving, Yang Bin asked Sun Hai to move the pressed mutton outside with him.

Xia Hui asked in the kitchen: "Is this how you grill mutton strips?"

Master Yan nodded: "Yes, among the halal dishes, there is a dish of grilled mutton strips, which is also made in this way. This dish is a combination of Shandong cuisine and halal cuisine. It combines mutton and sea cucumbers and uses the grilling technique. .”

While the mutton was cooling outside, Master Yan chatted with Feng Zhengming about his dish.

"Zhengming, what kind of fish are you going to use for your whole fish meal?"

Feng Zhengming immediately replied: "Perch."

Master Yan nodded: "The seabass can be half steamed or half braised."

Feng Zhengming said: "Master, I plan to cook half of it with tomato sauce. I'll use a method similar to coral fish. I'll cut the fish meat with a knife, coat it in flour and fry it, and then pour it with tomato sauce."

Master Yan heard this and said: "So, your method will be similar to sweet and sour carp."

Feng Zhengming nodded: "Yes, it's like Master's sweet and sour carp."

Xia Hui was very curious after hearing this: "Eat the whole fish in two portions, half with tomato sauce and half steamed. It must be great. Wouldn't Uncle Master cook it in advance for us to try?"

Feng Zhengming smiled and said: "No, you will see it during the game. As for whether you can taste it, it may depend on the situation after the game."

Xia Hui couldn't help but feel a little disappointed after hearing this: "Oh, I can't eat it in advance."

Feng Zhengming continued to smile and said: "Don't just think about eating. Your first dish is fried hairtail with tomato sauce. Have you ever thought about what you will make for the next two dishes?"

Xia Hui smiled and replied: "I didn't think about it at first, but today my uncle taught me how to make crispy fried hairtail with tomato sauce, which inspired me. I thought of what to make the other two dishes."

Feng Zhengming and Master were a little curious after hearing this?

What exactly will Xia Hui cook in the other two dishes?

And Xia Hui didn't hide it, she said it directly.

"I'm going to make scallops with hibiscus for the second dish, and I'm going to make a simple shrimp in milk soup for the last soup."

After listening to Xia Hui's next two dishes, Feng Zhengming and his master looked at each other and said nothing.

But neither Feng Zhengming nor Master Yan spoke, which made Xia Hui feel a little uncomfortable.

"Grandpa Yan, Uncle Master, tell me, what do you think of my choice of these two dishes? Don't you give me some advice?"

Seeing that Xia Hui was obviously a little anxious.

Master Yan smiled and said, "Don't be nervous. You chose the two dishes very well. They just go well with your fried hairtail in tomato sauce. They are both seafood dishes."

When Master Yan said this, Xia Hui immediately became energetic: "Yes, yes, I just want to make all three dishes with seafood."

Feng Zhengming said, "Very good. The three dishes are all seafood, and they are prepared in three different ways. You can also show your basic skills. I believe you will get a good ranking."

The dish she thought of was recognized by Master Yan and Feng Zhengming, which made Xia Hui feel very happy.

Yang Bin and Sun Hai put away the mutton and came back from outside.

The two of them were also discussing what to do with Sun Hai's other two dishes along the way.

After returning, the two of them had almost made up their minds.

Yang Bin told Sun Hai the next two dishes he was going to cook.

"Master, for Sun Hai's other two dishes, I think we can let him make another fried double flower, which can be regarded as a test of his skills during this period. The final soup is just cabbage in milk soup, which is also in season. "

After hearing these two dishes, Feng Zhengming thought for a moment and said, "I'm afraid, by then, many of the young chefs in Zhengsai will be cooking these two dishes."

Sun Hai was more honest: "Uncle Feng, I came from vocational school not long ago, and these dishes are already very difficult."

Feng Zhengming laughed: "Hahaha, don't get me wrong, I'm not asking you to cook more difficult dishes on the spot. I think we can make the same dishes more beautiful, such as fried double flowers, you When the time comes, cut the side dishes and toppings into flowers, then carve florets out of cucumbers, carrots, etc. to decorate.

For cabbage in milk soup, if you are willing, you can carve a small winter melon cup on site to hold your cabbage in milk soup. It is a kind of attitude to participate in the competition. "

After hearing this, Master Yan agreed with Feng Zhengming's words.

"That's right. After all, you are participating in the province's young chef cooking exchange competition. You can be said to represent the better group of young chefs in our province. When you cook on the spot, you still need to pay attention to some posing and matching. The plate head carvings you learned will make the dishes more beautiful when presented on the plate."

After listening to Master Yan's warning, Xia Hui and Sun Hai both nodded seriously and said they would take note of it.

Yang Bin saw that the atmosphere was a little tense. He smiled and said, "Uncle Zhengming, how are you prepared? Don't just ask Xiao Xia and Xiao Sun to prepare. You are not prepared yourself."

Feng Zhengming smiled slightly: "Don't worry, third brother, I'm ready."

Seeing Feng Zhengming's calm face, Yang Bin felt relieved.

The dry rice shop will still be open as usual in the evening.

Feng Zhengming still did not go to the train station to set up a food stall.

But everyone basically knows that, so many people near the train station will come to Fengjiagan Restaurant for dinner.

After the first round of customers in the evening were taken care of, during the break, Master Yan came to the back kitchen again and asked Yang Bin and Sun Hai to bring back the mutton that had been left outside.

When the mutton was brought back, it turned into a solid piece after being exposed to the cold weather outside.

At the same time, Master Yan also took out the sea cucumbers.

The sea cucumber has been stewed and tasted, and it has a bottom.

Seeing that the materials were all ready, Master Yan looked at Feng Zhengming and Yang Bin and asked, "Which one of you will demonstrate?"

Feng Zhengming and third senior brother Yang Bin looked at each other.

Yang Bin smiled and spoke first: "How about I do it? I will take care of Sun Hai all the time."

Master Yan did not let Yang Bin demonstrate directly, but first asked: "Yang Bin, what do you know how to cook?" Yang Bin explained the cooking method.

In fact, Yang Bin's method is very traditional, which is to put the mutton slices on a plate, start the pot and let the juice out, then push the cut mutton slices in, then add a few seaweeds, and simmer for a while to get the flavor. Reduce the juice over high heat and thicken the sauce. Take it out of the pot.

Master Yan nodded after hearing this: "Not bad, very standard braised mutton with sea cucumber."

And then, Master Yan asked Feng Zhengming: "What would you do?"

Feng Zhengming was stunned for a moment when asked, and then said with a smile: "Basically the same as the third brother."

Master Yan did not let Feng Zhengming go like this.

"No, if you were to cook this dish for a competition, how would you cook it?"

Feng Zhengming was really confused when his master asked him this question.

Master Yan looked at Yang Bin and asked, "If you compete, how can you do better?"

Yang Bin thought for a while and said: "Should it be plated? With some carvings, sea cucumbers forming a circle next to it, and grilled mutton in the middle, to support that kind of beauty."

Master Yan shook his head after hearing this: "If you do this, sea cucumber is sea cucumber and mutton is mutton, so it won't be a dish."

Yang Bin was stunned by these words, but he didn't expect this.

Feng Zhengming heard his master say this about his third senior brother, and he also realized this problem.

Since it is grilled mutton with sea cucumber, a dish should better integrate mutton and sea cucumber.

If when presented on the plate, sea cucumber is sea cucumber and mutton is mutton, it really cannot be regarded as a dish.

Feng Zhengming thought carefully for a moment and looked at the mutton and sea cucumber on the table.

An idea slowly came to his mind.

"Master, Third Brother, what do you think, if you slice the mutton, cut the sea cucumber into slices, add the sea cucumber slices to the middle of the mutton, and push it into the pot to stir-fry the flavor. After thickening, before taking it out of the pot. Wouldn't it be better to use a large spoon and push it completely into the plate, plus carvings around it?"

Feng Zhengming's idea suddenly inspired his third senior brother Yang Bin.

"Okay, Zhengming's idea is very good. I think that maybe when we slice the mutton, we can cut each piece in the middle and connect a little bit at the bottom. Then add the sea cucumber slices and push it down the pan to grill. , grill the slices with the open side facing down, turn the ladle over before taking it out of the pot, turn it over and thicken it, drizzle it with oil, push it into the plate and take it out."

After Master Yan heard this, he smiled and asked, "Okay, who of you will demonstrate?"

Feng Zhengming and his third senior brother Yang Bin looked at each other again.

In the end, it was third senior brother Yang Bin who took the initiative to try.

"Okay, I'll do it."

The sea cucumber and mutton were handed to the third senior brother Yang Bin.

Yang Bin first cut the mutton into large pieces, slightly thicker.

Then slice the sea cucumber vertically into thinner slices.

After that, Yang Bin sliced ​​the large piece of mutton from the middle, but did not cut off the mutton piece, but left only a little bit.

Then stuff the pieces of sea cucumber into the mutton slices.

Add the sea cucumber slices to the mutton slices one by one.

Arrange the mutton slices neatly on the plate.

After everything is done, Yang Bin heats the pot and heats up the oil.

Next is the very common grilling method.

Yang Bin used red steak and first fried the sugar color in the pot.

When the sugar color turned red and the chicken became red, Feng Zhengming helped stir-fry the green onion and ginger shreds until fragrant, and also added an aniseed wedge.

Stir-fry the shredded onion and ginger in the wok, and pour the prepared stock into the wok.

After the soup boiled, Master Yan said: "Punch out all the aniseed pieces and green onion and ginger shreds."

Yang Bin immediately followed the master's instructions, quickly took it and knocked out the contents of the soup.

Master Yan added: "Taste it and adjust the taste."

Yang Bin also followed the master's instructions.

After the flavor is adjusted, add the mutton slices and sea cucumber slices on the plate and push them into the pot.

Then slowly simmer to reduce the juice, so that the soup in the pot can simmer into the mutton and sea cucumber.

Simmer slowly over medium-low heat until the soup thickens and the mutton has basically absorbed the soup.

Yang Bin first thickens the soup. The soup should be slightly thicker and can almost hang on the mutton, even in the gaps between the meat slices.

After thickening, there will be almost no soup in the pot.

At this time, Yang Bin shook the pot to make the dishes in the pot blend together. Suddenly, he exerted force on his wrist and turned the ladle outward.

Continue to shake the vegetables in the pot, pour in the oil, turn off the heat and take out a ladle.

When the mutton in the pot is mixed with sea cucumber, it is pushed onto the plate.

The rich fragrance really makes you salivate.

The whole cooking process of Yang Bin also made Xia Hui and Sun Hai a little stunned.

Master Yan was quite satisfied with the food on the plate.

"That's right. Yang Bin didn't lose his skills. The big turn is still very good."

Yang Bin looked at Sun Hai with a smile: "How is it? Xiao Sun, do you think you can cook this dish on site?"

Sun Hai was somewhat confident at first, but now that he saw such an operation process, he felt a little nervous.

When it comes to the preparation of mutton and sea cucumber, including the grilling process, Sun Hai feels that he can still master these steps.

But Yang Bin's last big turn was indeed quite difficult.

Especially in an environment like a live game.

Seeing Sun Hai's hesitation, Feng Zhengming gave him an idea.

"If, Sun Hai, you are worried that you won't be able to turn the spoon on the scene, you can just grill it without turning the spoon. You can put the mutton with the sea cucumber with the mouth facing up, collect the juice, and finally thicken it and serve it out of the pot. But you must remember Be patient and without turning the spoon, you must keep pouring the soup on the mutton and sea cucumber to help absorb the flavor."

After Feng Zhengming gave the method, Sun Hai immediately carefully wrote down the method taught by Feng Zhengming.

(End of this chapter)