From selling box lunches to becoming a famous Chinese chef

Feng Zhengming selected all the materials, took them back to his desk, and began to prepare them attentively.

The first thing to do is to gut the fish and clean the entire gut.

The scene was also specially prepared for the chefs in the competition.

Allow them to do the washing work at the counter.

Feng Zhengming cleaned the fish chamber completely.

Next, use the paper towels provided on site to wipe off all the water inside and outside the entire fish.

Then cut the fish below the head, accurately cut through the fish bones, then hold the fish head, keep the knife horizontally close to the bones, and slice off the entire piece of fish with one clean stroke.

Then slice the fish on the other side in the same way.

After cutting the two slices of fish meat, Feng Zhengming cut off the fish head and tail separately.

After cutting the remaining fish bones into sections, add lard to the pot next to it. After heating the oil, add onion and ginger to stir-fry, then add the fish bones to fry.

Wait until the fish bones start to color, then add the hot water prepared in advance into the pot.

As the soup in the pot boiled over high heat, it soon began to turn white.

This method of preparing white soup is not considered a clever technique.

While letting the soup boil, Feng Zhengming started to process the fish meat.

For the sliced ​​half of the fish, Feng Zhengming sliced ​​off the red fish on the inner wall of the fish.

Then we started filleting the fish.

Feng Zhengming slices the fish fillets at an angle.

The first cut does not cut the fish fillet, the second cut cuts the fish fillet.

The fish fillets cut in this way will be flat and larger when unfolded.

Moreover, the fish slices sliced ​​by Feng Zhengming can be said to be quite thin.

In addition, he was very skillful in cutting the fish, so the process of slicing the fish took almost no time.

Feng Zhengming also placed the sliced ​​fish fillets in clean water and put some ice cubes under the bowl of water.

This keeps the fish fillet as fresh as possible.

Feng Zhengming also placed the fish meat on the other side in clean water and did not touch it for the time being.

Then Feng Zhengming cracked the conch open and took out the conch meat.

Then clean the conch meat carefully, slice the conch into very thin slices, and place them in ice water.

Then Feng Zhengming cut off the heads of all the fresh prawns he selected and peeled off most of the shells from the tails, but kept the tails.

Then carefully trim the shrimp tail.

Then make a cut on the shrimp tail, but do not cut it off completely. Unfold it and remove the shrimp thread.

Use a knife to flatten it gently on the chopping board and cut it twice in the middle.

The next step is to chop all the shrimps into shrimp paste.

Add some fat to the shrimp paste and beat it into shrimp paste, then spread it on the flattened shrimp tail.

Very carefully smooth it out into circles, and then add some small carvings to make each shrimp tail look like a bird.

Then put the shrimp tails into the oil pan and fry them until they are shaped.

While the fish was being fished out and the oil was being drained, Feng Zhengming quickly processed half of the fish.

Cut the fish into small pieces, coat with flour and fry in a pan.

The fish meat looks like chrysanthemums.

Take out the chrysanthemum-like fish meat and set it aside to drain the oil.

Then Feng Zhengming took out the chilled fish slices and gently wiped the water off the fish slices.

Next, apply some dry starch, then roll in the conch slices, shrimp paste, shredded carrots, shredded bamboo shoots, and shredded mushrooms. Lightly tie the rolled fish rolls with green onions.

Then blanch it in fish soup pot until cooked.

In this way, the fish on both sides are basically cooked.

Feng Zhengming was served on a large plate separated by a carved cucumber in the middle.

On one side are fish fillets and conch rolls.

On one side, a bird made of chrysanthemum fish fillets and shrimp tails is arranged into the shape of a hummingbird playing with flowers.

Next, Feng Zhengming seasoned the fish soup, still with the traditional vinegar and pepper flavor.

At the same time, on the stove next to it, fry the shrimp heads in the pan to produce shrimp oil.

Then add tomatoes to the pot, and finally some fish broth to cook a sweet and sour shrimp and tomato sauce.

Finally, pour the two soups onto the fish plates on both sides.

Then coat the fish head and tail with flour and deep-fry until they are shaped, then place them at the head and tail of the plate respectively.

In this way, Feng Zhengming’s dish is completed.

When he raised his hand, he saw that a chef had already finished it.

It took him more than half an hour to complete this dish.

Feng Zhengming does not have an advantage in terms of time, but he still has certain advantages in the presentation of the entire dish.

When he raised his hand, a judge immediately came forward to confirm.

At the same time, the live camera also gave a close-up of him and his dishes.

In the close-up shot, many people in front of the TV exclaimed.

"It's really amazing."

“It’s beautifully done, like a work of art.”

"It's really beautiful. I never thought a fish could be made like this."

“This dish is amazing.”

In the Feng family's living room, Zhang Hongwei and Feng Shengnan were already cheering. Both children felt that Feng Zhengming would definitely win.

Feng Jiandong couldn't help but sigh: "In such a short time, he was able to cook the dish so quickly and finished it so well, which shows that he is really amazing."

The whole family agreed with this and felt that Feng Zhengming's dish was indeed too good.

Grandpa Feng said: "I didn't expect that he had made some new improvements based on the last young chef competition."

Feng Shengnan immediately said, "Grandpa, my brother is really good at making this. He even made a bird this time. It's so beautiful with shrimp."

"This should be because he listened to the advice of Chef Lin Bosheng, so he paid more attention to the presentation of the dishes during the competition." Luo Qing gave his judgment with a smile.

Grandpa Feng also nodded in agreement with Luo Qing's statement: "Yes, he listened to the advice of that Lin Bosheng."

At the scene, Master Su also whispered similar words to Master Sun.

"Zhengming really listened to my advice. He made some improvements based on the original whole fish two-meat dish, especially in the design of the plating. He really put a lot of thought into it."

Master Sun nodded and responded in a low voice: "Old Su, do you think this dish of his can get the highest score?"

Master Su thought for a moment and whispered, "I'm not sure, but it feels about the same."

Both chefs felt that a dish like this one from Feng Zhengming was indeed worthy of the highest score for this fish dish.

Perhaps the fish Feng Zhengming chooses is not as good as the fish some other chefs choose.

But the design of his dish is probably far better than that of other chefs.

Of course, Feng Zhengming was not the only one who paid attention to the plating design on site.

Jiang Chengzhe used grouper, combined the fish fillet with the other half of the fish, to make a very special dish. He placed the whole fish in the shape of a dragon on the plate.

A small dragon gate was also specially carved.

Then I used the fish fillet to make a small fish on the other side of the dragon gate.

Combined together, they created a shape of a fish leaping over the Dragon Gate and turning into a dragon.

I have to say that Jiang Chengzhe's design is really not much worse than Feng Zhengming's.

The Zhejiang cuisine chef who chose grass carp on the spot did make half of the West Lake vinegar fish.

At the same time, he made the other half of the fish fillet into a crispy fried fish fillet sandwich, stuffed it with some shrimp paste and lotus root, mixed it together, coated it with flour and fried it, and then drizzled it with a sweet and sour sauce.

The two dishes were also placed on one plate, and the fish head was cut into two halves and placed on both sides.

Zhang Quande, a chef of Huaiyang cuisine, used the fish meat from both sides to make a pagoda on one side. He made the fish slices into small butterflies and surrounded the pagoda of fish meat.

Zhang Quande processed a fish in two ways and finally made it into a dish, which is also a unique way of doing things.

Paired with the small lettuce balls he carved, it becomes a unique green pearl fish flower dish.

So when Zhang Quande’s dish was finished, it received considerable attention.

In front of the TV, the Feng family members saw his dish.

Suddenly the whole family was worried about Feng Zhengming.

Lin Yun couldn't help but say, "They are all masters. Each of their dishes is more beautiful than the other."

Feng Suying said: "After all, the chefs who can participate in the competition are all top chefs from all over the country, so their cooking skills must be good."

At this time, Zhang Zhigang said: "It seems that it is hard to say whether Zhengming can win in the end."

The whole family really began to worry about Feng Zhengming.

Because it’s not just Zhang Quande’s green pearl fish flower.

Jiang Chengzhe's leap over the dragon gate was also very unique.

There were other chefs on the scene, all with different looks, reflecting the uniqueness of their dishes.

I have to say, after such a comparison, although Feng Zhengming's dishes are not inferior, they don't seem to be particularly outstanding either.

The two masters, Su and Sun, who were present at the scene, looked at each other and gave a bitter smile.

Other Shandong cuisine chefs also performed well, but overall, Feng Zhengming's whole fish in two ways was more outstanding.

But there are not only Shandong cuisine chefs on the scene, there are also excellent chefs from other places.

Such as Huaiyang cuisine chef Zhang Quande and Gangcheng chef Jiang Chengzhe.

There are also some other excellent chefs, and the fish dishes they make are also unique.

After such a comparison, Feng Zhengming obviously does not have an absolute advantage.

Master Sun whispered, "We still underestimated the skills of other chefs from all over the world. They made too many different dishes out of this fish dish."

Master Su nodded: "Yes, it seems that everyone has brought out their real skills in this fish dish."

Through the on-site competition, the two chefs Su and Sun found that they might have underestimated the other participating chefs.

Perhaps Feng Zhengming's craftsmanship is indeed among the best, but he has not yet achieved an overwhelming advantage.

The national competition is truly a gathering of top players.

No one dares to say that they can have an overwhelming advantage.

As the saying goes: When masters fight, victory or defeat is decided by a hair’s breadth.

Now even the two master chefs on the scene didn't dare to say that Feng Zhengming must have gotten the highest score for this fish dish.

After finishing the dishes and obtaining confirmation, Feng Zhengming still left the venue and entered the rest area first.

Seeing Feng Zhengming walking towards the rest area, Jiang Chengzhe, who had finished first this time, took the initiative to step forward.

"Amazing, Brother Feng, you cook fish really well."

Feng Zhengming smiled when he heard this and bowed to Jiang Chengzhe: "It's the same for you."

Jiang Chengzhe immediately shook his head helplessly: "I was confident about this fish dish, but when I saw your dish, I suddenly lost my confidence."

Feng Zhengming immediately laughed: "Not really, brother."

Jiang Chengzhe said: "Brother, should I say it or not, just based on the presentation of your dish, am I already defeated?"

"No, that dragon shape you made out of fish is already better than my dish."

As soon as Feng Zhengming finished speaking, Zhang Quande's voice came from behind him.

"Yu Yue Long Men, the name alone is enough to add points."

Seeing Zhang Quande appear, Feng Zhengming and Jiang Chengzhe were full of respect for his dishes.

Zhang Quande has made some innovations and improvements based on the traditional Green Pearl Fish Flower, which is really amazing.

More and more chefs finished their work and walked over one by one. Some of them looked a little lonely and not very confident in themselves.

Some of them were smiling and looked confident in themselves.

It can be seen that everyone is aware of their own performance and knows whether their fish dish is good enough.

The on-site judges also conducted a careful evaluation.

Some fish dishes can be described as very delicate.

For example, Chef Dai Long from Gangcheng used salmon to make a sashimi platter, and one part of it was fried in oil. Both methods are very trendy.

The judges tasted the food carefully and gave a comprehensive score based on the five aspects of color, aroma, taste, shape and texture.

The judges were also amazed when they saw Feng Zhengming's fish.

In particular, Feng Zhengming's two cooking methods for the same fish were combined quite well on one plate.

On one side are chrysanthemums and birds, and on the other side is vinegar and pepper fish with soup, as if they are chrysanthemums and birds by the water.

The presentation alone impressed the judges.

When tasting it, the judges were also amazed by the taste.

Even though it was a little cold when I tasted it.

However, Feng Zhengming’s seasoning does not have any fishy smell even when eaten cold. Instead, it has a unique flavor when eaten.

The judges really liked Feng Zhengming's fish dish.

In particular, a gourmet named Cai from Hong Kong felt that Feng Zhengming's fish dish was of quite high quality.

“This fish dish is truly stunning in color, aroma, taste, shape and texture.”

Mr. Cai's words were unanimously recognized by the judges.

The judges quickly gave Feng Zhengming's fish a very high score.

When everyone was worried about Feng Zhengming's performance, no one expected that Feng Zhengming's unique way of cooking fish would earn him the highest score in fish cooking.

The chefs on site were waiting anxiously, and the audience watching the live broadcast on TV were probably even more anxious.

Master Yan was also watching the live broadcast on TV with his family. He was quite satisfied with the improvements his young apprentice made on the dish of whole fish with two different dishes.

"Zhengming is making rapid progress. He listened to Lin Bosheng's advice and made some adjustments to the presentation of the dish, making it look more gorgeous. His fish dish should get a high score."

Yan Jianxing agreed with his father: "Zhengming is really good at cooking fish and shrimp."

Finally, after an anxious wait, the score for the second fish was given on the spot.

Feng Zhengming was ranked first. (End of this chapter)