From selling box lunches to becoming a famous Chinese chef

While everyone was praising Feng Zhengming, Chef Kofman from England found him alone to have some discussions.

"Feng, your cooking skills are really great. If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, it would be hard for me to imagine that someone could use a big sea bream like that to make such a beautiful dish."

Feng Zhengming smiled and said, "Thank you for your compliment, Chef Kofman. I was also inspired to design such a dish. In fact, I learned all the cooking techniques of that dish from chefs all over the country."

Coffman had a gentle smile on his face: "I am really inspired by your cooking skills here."

Feng Zhengming thought about it and became curious: "Mr. Kofman, as a top chef with three stars, do you think the organization that rated you is really professional enough?"

This made Kofman stunned.

He thought seriously about what Feng Zhengming said.

He organized his words again.

“In the past, they would pay more attention to the customers’ dining experience in the restaurant when rating stars, but they are undergoing some changes and are slowly moving towards a more demanding attitude towards restaurants.
I think that according to their increasingly bizarre star rating standards, many restaurants that are really popular with diners may not be able to get stars in the future. "

Hearing what Kofman said, Feng Zhengming laughed.

"So, once their standards are too rigid, some restaurants will specialize in following their rigid standards instead of spending more time on cooking."

Coffman nodded immediately: "Yes, Feng, you are right, that's it."

Then Kofman said seriously: "A chef should cook the delicious food he can think of and let the diners taste the food he cooks.

When customers smile happily after tasting the delicious food, it should be the greatest recognition for the chef."

He paused for a moment, perhaps because he felt that what he said was too idealistic.

Coffman added: "If you make your guests feel comfortable and enjoy themselves, they will be willing to pay."

"Hahaha." Feng Zhengming couldn't help but burst into laughter.

Coffman also laughed out loud.

"Mr. Kofman, you are absolutely right. We chefs should use our skills to let customers enjoy the food, so that they will be willing to pay us."

Coffman looked at the map of the sea bream continent that had been eaten up.

"I think, Feng, if you open a restaurant and cook that dish in the restaurant, there will definitely be a lot of people who are willing to pay a high price to eat your dish."

Feng Zhengming smiled and nodded: "You are right, I also know that dish will be liked by many people, but it is too troublesome to make, and may not be suitable for promotion in the restaurant."

"You can break it up and make several different dishes," Kaufman continued. "Instead of using this big sea bream, you can use smaller ones."

Next, Feng Zhengming and Kofman seriously discussed how to improve the dishes.

While Feng Zhengming and Kofman were talking and chatting, almost no one disturbed them.

On the one hand, the map of the continent of true sea bream made by Feng Zhengming is indeed too shocking.

Everyone's eyes were on the dish.

I also understand that it is very hard for Feng Zhengming to make such a dish, so I feel embarrassed to disturb him and let him have a good rest.

On the other hand, Kaufman can be regarded as a top chef with considerable status.

He has always been known for his gentleness and good temper.

So foreign chefs respect him very much and feel embarrassed to disturb him.

Feng Zhengming and Kaufman are two of the top chefs from China and abroad.

There was quite a big age gap between them, but at this moment they achieved a certain harmony.

Kofman became happier and happier as the conversation went on, and he even got up to look for the hotel owner.

When Kofman came back, he took the initiative to invite Feng Zhengming to go to the kitchen with him.

As Coffman left, a group of media then surrounded him for interviews.

When Feng Zhengming saw Kofman coming back, he invited him to the kitchen again. He decisively apologized to the media and followed Kofman to the kitchen.

Arriving at the kitchen, Kofman took out the ingredients that he had asked the hotel owner to help prepare.

What surprised Feng Zhengming was that Kofman actually took out five or six pig's trotters.

"Pig's trotter?"

Kofman smiled and nodded: "Yes, pig's trotters, Mr. Feng, how do you make pig's trotters?"

Feng Zhengming did not hide anything from Kofman and told him the recipe of the popular five-spice braised pig's trotter in his store.

After listening to Feng Zhengming's narration, Kofman's eyes lit up.

"Oh, Feng, we have so many similar practices."

Feng Zhengming walked forward with a smile and took the pig's trotters that Kofman had asked the hotel to prepare.

"When we process pig's trotters, we usually burn them first. After the surface is burned black over the fire, we soak them in warm water and wash them clean. This can better remove the hair and odor on the trotters."

Coffman nodded. "That's a good idea."

The pig's trotters in the hotel kitchen were prepared in advance. Kofman took out his kitchen knife and started to debone a pig's trotter.

Feng Zhengming took a look and had to admit that Kofman's method of deboning the pig's trotter was very authentic.

He simply picked up a pig's trotter and a kitchen knife from the kitchen, and demonstrated to Kofman how to debone the pig's trotter using the Shandong cuisine's Kongfu style of deboning.

When Coffman saw what Feng Zhengming was doing, he couldn't help but exclaimed: "Oh, you are really amazing. You can do it with someone else's knife."

Feng Zhengming laughed: "Hahaha, our Chinese chefs have top-notch knife skills. They can use just one kitchen knife to meet all their needs."

Coffman gave Feng Zhengming a thumbs up.

Apparently this top chef from England recognizes Feng Zhengming's cooking skills.

The two of them were processing the ingredients together in the kitchen while communicating with each other.

For example, carrots, celery and onions are mostly used to remove fishy smell in Western cuisine.

In Chinese cuisine, onions and ginger are used to remove fishy smells.

The two people have made some fusion, which can be regarded as a combination of Chinese and Western cultures.

As for the fillings put into the pig's trotters.

Kofman taught Feng Zhengming a way to beat the chicken puree with ice and keep it at a low temperature.

Not only does Coffman add ice cubes, he also puts ice cubes under the bowl where he purées the chicken.

The resulting chicken puree, which was beaten by Coffman himself, had the texture of ice cream.

This also made Feng Zhengming feel very interesting.

Feng Zhengming used the Confucius Mansion's method of imitating bear paw.

It uses a portion of chicken puree combined with beef puree, and adds some tendons.

When Kofman saw the fillings prepared by Feng Zhengming, he gave some suggestions.

"Feng, you can try adding some mushroom ingredients instead of filling it all with pureed chicken and pureed beef. This will give it a variety of different textures."

Feng Zhengming thought about it and felt that Kofman’s suggestion was indeed good.

But he also has his own ideas: "I think we can actually add some pork skin jelly or something like that. During the steaming process, more oil will seep out and add more oil flavor."

Coffman nodded: "That's fine."

Feng Zhengming did not do it, after all, the conditions today did not allow it.

There was no prior preparation, so he used the most traditional method, chicken and beef paste with tendons. At this moment, Feng Zhengming and Kofman were in the kitchen, cooking pig's trotters in their own way without paying attention to the people around them.

In addition to the chicken mousse, the other fillings of Kofman are really quite unique.

According to Coffman, the ingredients he used abroad are not easy to buy in Hong Kong.

"This is a dish that incorporates the rural flavor of my hometown, so in my restaurant, in addition to morels, I usually prepare the thymus or pancreas of sheep or calf."

Feng Zhengming was a little surprised to hear such a combination and was curious about its flavor.
Kofman carefully explained to Feng Zhengming what he should do.

After cleaning the pancreas, fry it in boiling hot oil.

Kofta is usually fried in clarified butter to create a crispy crust and then filtered and cooled.

Since the hotel kitchen was unable to prepare it, Kofman did not use anything else as a substitute.

However, he invited Feng Zhengming to go to England if he had the chance and taste the authentic preparation of this dish in his restaurant.

Feng Zhengming naturally agreed.

The two people made the pig's trotters in their own way.

What the two did not expect was that when they were quietly busy in the kitchen, they met Luo Qing and Mrs. Kofman.

They all came to look for their husbands, but met by chance outside the kitchen.

The two talked for a while, and Mrs. Coffman was a little surprised.

"Oh, you are the wife of that young top chef."

Luo Qing was also surprised after listening to Mrs. Kofman's self-introduction.

"You are actually the wife of Mr. Kofman."

Then, as if out of the two women's keen sixth sense, they almost guessed at the same time that Feng Zhengming and Kofman might be sparring in the kitchen at this time.

Soon the two ladies walked into the kitchen together.

"Oh, I knew you were here."

Coffman heard the voice and looked at his wife: "Hahaha, come on, our food will be ready soon."

Mrs. Coffman smelled the aroma: "Let me guess, it's your pig's trotter, isn't it?"

Kofman nodded and introduced Feng Zhengming to his wife.

He also told his wife Feng Zhengming that he was cooking pig's trotters in the same way as he did, using the Shandong cuisine method.

"Unfortunately, there is no pancreas here, so the flavor will be a little worse."

Mrs. Coffman laughed: "Hahaha, so you are actually secretly exchanging cooking skills?"

Feng Zhengming also reached out and pulled Luo Qing to his side.

He also introduced his wife Luo Qing to Kofman.

At this moment, the two couples formed a very harmonious combination in the kitchen.

As the aroma wafted from the kitchen, Mrs. Kofman and Luo Qing went out together, and soon they each came back with a bottle of wine.

The two of them smiled at each other.

Mrs. Kofman introduced various wines to Luo Qing.

After listening to it, I feel that I should learn this knowledge specifically.

Mrs. Coffman smiled and said, "If you want to study, Mrs. Feng, I can introduce you to some teachers and recommend some books. You and Mr. Feng can even come to our place to study carefully when you have time."

Luo Qing smiled and thanked him: "Thank you so much, we will discuss it and make a decision later."

Mrs. Kofman still agreed to help Luo Qing collect some books suitable for introductory studies.

When Mrs. Kofman and Luo Qing came back, Feng Zhengming and Kofman's dishes had already entered the final stage.

After Kofman stuffs the filling, he then stews it.

Feng Zhengming steams it first and then blanchs it.

Because of the arrival of Luo Qing and Mrs. Kofman, Feng Zhengming and Kofman happened to do two each.

"Oh, the food you cooked is so delicious. I didn't eat enough in the banquet hall, so I can just try your pig's trotters."

Kofman was somewhat helpless: "Unfortunately, there is no thymus and pancreas here, so my dish is not perfect."

The lady immediately stepped forward to comfort him: "No, I think all the dishes you cook are perfect."

Seeing the intimacy between Kofman and his wife, Feng Zhengming and Luo Qing were also very happy.

In particular, even though they knew Feng Zhengming and Luo Qing were next to them, the couple still kissed each other.

Seeing this scene, Luo Qing felt a little embarrassed.

Wait until Feng Zhengming and Kofman’s pig’s trotters are ready.

The two sides exchanged portions and tasted each other's dishes.

Paired with the red wine prepared by Mrs. Kofman, this moment in the kitchen, without anyone disturbing them, is a rare peaceful moment belonging only to the two chef couples.

After tasting each other's pig's trotters, both sides felt they were quite amazed.

Although Kofman's pig's trotter lacks the flavor of the thymus and pancreas.

But the chicken mousse, paired with the charred morels and onions, still tasted delicious.

Feng Zhengming's braised pork trotters also have a unique flavor.

Although Feng Zhengming's chicken and beef puree are not as delicate as Kofman's, after adding tendons in the middle, the tendons are steamed until soft and then braised in red sauce to make them tasty.

The collagen in the pig's trotter skin, combined with the different textures of the chicken and beef puree inside, as well as the tendons.

It’s really a very delicious dish too.

The pig's trotters of each person had different flavors.

The key point is that both sides reached a consensus, that is, it turns out that Chinese food and Western food are actually very similar. This similarity in cooking methods and flavors would not be appreciated if there was no such communication.

The Kofmans had a very happy communication with Feng Zhengming and Luo Qing.

The Kofmans repeatedly invited Feng Zhengming and Luo Qing to visit their restaurant if they had the chance.

"When the time comes, I will make the most authentic pig's trotter to entertain you."

Feng Zhengming smiled and nodded in agreement: "Okay, we will definitely visit you when we have the chance."

Mrs. Coffman also said to Luo Qing: "I will go back and help you collect various wine and beverage information. I will send it to you when the time comes. I believe it will be useful when you open a restaurant in the future."

Luo Qing also quickly expressed her gratitude: "Thank you."

In the hotel banquet hall, there is always some gap between chefs from all over the country and overseas chefs.

A lot of the communication seemed irrelevant.

But in the hotel kitchen, in a quiet corner.

Feng Zhengming and Kofman, however, have a mutual admiration for each other and both feel that they regard each other as a close friend.

In particular, the wives of the two men also talked very well and became good friends. (End of this chapter)