From selling box lunches to becoming a famous Chinese chef

Although this national competition is a banquet cooking exchange, classic dishes from all over the country are cooked publicly.

However, some steps cannot be completed on site.

For example, some dishes need to be prepared in advance or take a long time to cook.

Basically, chefs from all over the country prepare the ingredients the day before, and then make the final processing into dishes on site today.

So in terms of the on-site effect, Huaiyang cuisine is probably the best presented on-site by chefs from all over the world.

A piece of Wensi tofu shows the ultimate knife skills.

Although chefs from other places also demonstrated some wonderful skills on the spot.

It’s a pity that whether it’s the big flipping of the Shandong cuisine or the equally exquisite knife skills displayed by the chefs of local and Sichuan cuisine.

Or maybe some of the premium ingredients on display by Cantonese cuisine and Hong Kong chefs.

Still, they are unable to overshadow the chefs of Huaiyang cuisine.

Especially after Wensi tofu, Zhang Quande, with the cooperation of other chefs, made a three-set duck.

A triple duck is a domestic duck with a wild duck inside, and there is also a pigeon inside the wild duck.

The skill of deboning domestic ducks, wild ducks and pigeons alone surprised many people at the scene.

However, this time, the Huaiyang cuisine chefs were not the only ones to shine.

Because in Shandong cuisine, they also have several boneless dishes.

Including whole chicken deboned from bag chicken.

The whole Fulu duck is deboned.

And the deboned pig’s trotters for the Confucius Mansion imitation bear’s paw dish.

The deboning of whole chickens and ducks is done on site by other chefs.

Feng Zhengming took over the task of deboning the pig's trotters.

In order to make this Confucius Mansion imitation bear paw dish, Feng Zhengming also specifically asked Xia Mingye for advice on how to debone pig trotters.

The skill of deboning pig's trotters is considered a unique skill of the Xia family of Confucius Mansion cuisine.

At first, Xia Mingye did not dare to teach it directly to Feng Zhengming.

He still called home and got his grandfather's consent before teaching Feng Zhengming.

When this dish was added to the menu, everyone was worried that without a chef from Confucius cuisine, would it be difficult to complete the step of deboning the pig's trotter?
Feng Zhengming naturally volunteered and said that he had learned the bone-removing skills from the Xia family.

Feng Zhengming just happened to show this trick at the scene today.

While Feng Zhengming was deboning the pig's trotter, the camera also gave him some close-ups.

Many people watching at the scene saw that he was able to remove the bones of the pig's trotter completely without breaking the skin.

This also made many people at the scene amazed.

Mr. Situ couldn't help but sigh when he saw it: "It seems that Zhengming has learned new skills and his craftsmanship has been further improved."

In fact, in addition to the Huaiyang cuisine chefs and Shandong cuisine chefs, they also perform on-site bone removal.

The chefs from Cantonese and Hong Kong cuisines had already completed the equally delicate process of deboning and meating the pigeons the day before.

Chefs from both places will prepare a very famous Cantonese dish, the Crane Needle.

However, after the chefs from the two places remove the bones and meat of the pigeon without breaking the skin, there are some differences in the subsequent cooking methods.

The Cantonese chefs use a clear stew method.

Alternately steam the pigeon stuffed with shark fin ham with clear soup.

Let the pigeon and the shark fins in its belly continue to absorb the flavor of the soup.

The final dish also has the pigeon in clear broth.

Chefs in Hong Kong have a slightly different approach to preparing this dish.

They made the Magic Crane Needle by stuffing the stomach of a pigeon with shark fins and then stewing and steaming it.

The pigeon should also be served separately, placed on a plate, and drizzled with the prepared abalone sauce.

Cantonese chefs and Hong Kong chefs have similarities not only in this dish, but in many other dishes.

Or it should be said that many dishes made by Hong Kong chefs are actually slightly improved upon Cantonese cuisine.

For example, the dishes prepared by the chefs of both sides include steamed flower crabs.

After the Cantonese chef processes the flower crab, it is simply steamed and finally drizzled with some soy sauce and sprinkled with chopped green onions.

After the chef in Gangcheng removed the crab meat, he beat the crab roe and eggs together and steamed a boiled egg to serve as the base.

Then spread the remaining crab meat on top of the egg custard.

After the steamed flower crab is out of the pot, the egg underneath is very tender and even trembles when the plate is gently shaken.

Of course, Cantonese chefs will not easily lose to Hong Kong chefs.

They then cooked a dish on the spot that required great skills with the spoon and the fire, "Searching for Dragons in the Snow".

This is a dish that really tests the chef's skills.

Because the lobster meat and egg white in this dish must be cooked in low oil temperature.

If the oil temperature is too high, the lobster meat and egg white will no longer be tender.

The Cantonese chefs on site also worked together well on this dish.

Remove the lobster meat and, just like the chef from Gangcheng did when steaming flower crabs, mix the lobster brain with eggs and steam an egg custard as the base.

Next, cut the lobster meat into sections and then slice it all into thin slices.

Soak the lobster slices in 20% oil.

As the oil temperature rises, the lobster meat is slowly cooked.

Almost as soon as the lobster meat turns white, it should be removed from the pot.

Pour the oil back into the pot, when the oil temperature is about 50%, pour the egg white into the oil.

Also use low oil temperature to slowly cook the egg whites. During this process, gently use a spatula to slide from the bottom of the pan.

Allow the egg white to coagulate and float up on its own, and pour out the egg white before it is completely coagulated.

After draining the oil, put the egg white directly into ice water to cool.

Then use clear chicken soup, add the blanched choy sum, lobster meat slices and egg whites.

Simmer slowly over medium-low heat. During this process, the Cantonese chef did not use a spatula or spatula, but just gently shook the pot to allow the egg whites, lobster meat slices and choy sum in the pot to blend with the chicken soup.

Finally, add a thin layer of glass starch sauce.

When done, remove from the pan, place on top of the steamed egg, and put the removed lobster shell aside.

The arrival of such a dish also brings back a lot of face for Cantonese chefs.

Some people at the scene had already started discussing that the dishes cooked by chefs from Hong Kong and Guangdong were similar.

But in terms of sophistication, the food cooked by chefs in Hong Kong is more exquisite.

After this dish of "Searching for Dragon in Snow" was served, it immediately changed the evaluation of the audience.

Everyone also sighed that Cantonese chefs are also very good.

Feng Zhengming has finished deboning the pig's trotter, and the next step is to process it.

Try to remove the odor from the pig's trotters. You also need to prepare beef and chicken puree and add some tendons.

Add the tendons into the mixed meat paste, then add some onions, ginger and cooking wine and steam until cooked.

Then braise the pig's trotter to make the surface and the meat paste inside taste good.

First place the pig’s trotters shaped like bear paws on a plate.

Thicken the braised sauce and pour it evenly on the surface.

When Feng Zhengming was cooking this Kongfu red braised imitation bear paw.

Liao cuisine chefs are also making a dish that imitates bear paw.

This is a more classic dish, created by a chef from Liaoning Province who won the first prize in the first national competition. It is called Orchid Bear Paw.

The method is similar to the imitation bear paw of Confucius Mansion.

The difference is that Liao cuisine chefs use a mold to shape the bear paw, and then steam and roast it.

Finally, place carved plates around the imitation bear paw to make it look like the bear paw is surrounded by orchids.

As the dishes were served one by one, more and more exclamations were heard from the audience.

Everyone who watched on site was amazed by the chefs' superb craftsmanship.

Especially the invited overseas Chinese and foreigners.

In the past, they had a little bit of prejudice against Chinese food.

In the minds of most of them, Chinese food is what they see in Chinese restaurants abroad.

But today we saw a competition among the best chefs in the country.

Let them see that Chinese food is so beautiful.

Lin Moli couldn't help but exclaim again: "It's so beautiful, how can they make the dishes so beautiful?"

As a mixed-race child who grew up in a foreign country and often went to Chinese restaurants abroad.

Lin Moli felt that the dishes she saw at the scene no longer looked like dishes.

“What they make looks like a work of art. Is this really cooking?”

Mr. Situ smiled and responded: "They are just cooking. We Chinese have an old saying that goes 'food should be fine and delicate', which means that food should be carefully prepared before it can be eaten.

It can be said that no one in the world knows how to eat better than the Chinese people.

Do you know why? "

Lin Moli shook her head.

Mr. Situ gave the answer: "Because our food comes from the folks, it is created by hardworking people in their daily lives.

Just like the stir-frying technique, Chinese cuisine is the only place in the world where we have this technique.

This is because for the common people in ancient times, they did not have many resources to make food that consumed a lot of oil and seasonings.

But they pursued the deliciousness of food, so they created the technique of stir-frying, which uses very little oil and seasoning to cook the ingredients deliciously. "

Then Mr. Situ continued to explain: "Because stir-frying is to cook the dishes in a very short time, in order to make the ingredients mature quickly and make them easier to absorb the flavor, less seasoning can be used.

Based on the frying technique, cooks can gradually hone their knife skills.

You can slice the ingredients as thinly as possible, cut them as finely as possible, or make various exquisite cuts.

All of this stems from the people’s desire to make the dishes as beautiful and delicious as possible under limited conditions, and from the pursuit of beauty in the bones of our Chinese nation.”

After hearing what Mr. Situ said, Lin Moli was really surprised.

Even Lin Moli's mother and some other foreigners around were surprised when they heard it.

Of course, after hearing Mr. Situ’s words, the Chinese people who were invited to the scene felt a sense of pride in their hearts.

In today's era, many places abroad seem to be better than those in China.

Many Chinese people always have a little bit of inferiority complex when facing some people and things from foreign countries.

This is a national cooking exchange competition.

The best chefs from all over the country displayed their amazing cooking skills on the spot.

Coupled with what Mr. Situ said.

It amazed foreigners and made Chinese people feel proud again.

Be proud of the brilliant Chinese civilization.

Even if we only talk about the most common food, Chinese cuisine is still ahead of any other country.

"Wow……"

Suddenly, there was another cry of surprise at the scene, this time it came from the Sichuan chef.

Lin Moli couldn't wait to go over and take a look.

Mr. Situ also walked over.

Pushing aside the crowd of surprised onlookers.

Mr. Situ and Lin Moli saw a beautiful peacock on a plate on the table.

Many people were surprised because they didn't expect such a dish to be Sichuan cuisine.

Lin Moli was also incredulous: "What kind of dish is this?"

Mr. Situ vaguely guessed what this dish was.

"It should be the official swallow peacock."

Someone nearby heard what Mr. Situ said and immediately asked curiously: "Is this dish Sichuan cuisine? Isn't Sichuan cuisine supposed to be the kind with lots of chili peppers?"

Mr. Situ smiled and replied: "Sichuan cuisine is not all spicy. There are many non-spicy dishes in Sichuan cuisine."

As soon as he finished speaking, a Sichuan chef brought out new dishes.

The dish served this time was boiled cabbage.

Of course, unlike some boiled cabbages that bloom after being served, this boiled cabbage is more plain.

The cabbage was not made into the shape of a flower.

Instead, the tenderest part of the cabbage is used, cut into long strips, and soaked in light tea-colored soup.

Although the boiled cabbage made in this way is not as beautiful as the one made by shaping the whole cabbage into flowers.

But the boiled cabbage prepared by Sichuan chefs is obviously more convenient to eat.

As chefs from all over the country served their dishes one by one.

The scene really presented a scene of competition and beauty.

It can be said that the dishes on every table have strong local characteristics.

Chefs from all over the world also demonstrated their own artistic pursuits and tried to make the dishes as beautiful as possible.

The busiest audience at the scene were the photographers from all over the country and even abroad.

They walked back and forth in front of each table, using their cameras to take the most beautiful photos of the dishes on each table as intuitively as possible.

The atmosphere on the scene was gradually ignited by the exquisite dishes.

People kept exclaiming in amazement.

Applaud every chef for their superb cooking skills.

It was almost noon and the chefs had not yet finished preparing their dishes.

Someone asked the audience if they wanted to eat first.
But the audience had no interest in eating at all and just wanted to watch the chefs prepare the banquet.

"No need to eat. How can I have the heart to eat now?"

"That's right, I don't want to eat. I just want to save my stomach for the banquet prepared by the chefs on site."

"With so many delicious foods in front of me, nothing tastes good."

"I really just want to eat the banquet dishes on the table in front of me."

Facing the audience saying this, both the event organizer and the sponsor felt a little helpless.

The organizers of the event could only explain to everyone: "Everyone, the dishes prepared for this cooking banquet exchange will indeed be available for you to taste, but it may take some time for all of these dishes to be prepared, so please go and eat first."

With the persuasion of the event organizers and sponsors, the audience finally went to eat some meals.

This also made the event organizers and sponsors feel relieved.

They were somewhat worried that the audience would get hungry.

The guests didn't have to wait long as the banquet tables were served one after another.

Those audience members who had only eaten a little to fill their stomachs could not wait to return to the banquet hall to taste the banquet dishes on the table. (End of this chapter)