Abandoned the Immortal Cultivator, returned to his hometown to farm and sing

Chapter 1223, page 1212: The Learning Was Abandoned

Old Liang licked the bowl, not for the greasy bits.

He was pondering it.

"This dish created by Chef Xu is interesting. He actually put cured pork and lemongrass together. Both of these are ingredients with distinct flavors, but they actually go very well together."

Upon hearing this, a round of applause erupted at the door.

This time, the waiter who served the dishes stayed behind; it seemed like he was there on purpose.

Hearing this, I clapped softly.

"Sir, you are truly amazing. May I ask if you were able to discern any specific interesting aspects in the taste?"

Wow, there's an exam component too?

Master Liang burst into laughter upon hearing this. He was always the one testing others, but rarely would anyone test him.

"You think I'll just say it because you tell me to? Isn't there any benefit to it?" Old Liang joked.

The waiter was prepared: "Mr. Liang, Chef Xu heard that you were visiting Jiweilou today, so he specially asked me to stay and listen to your, and other guests', comments on this lemongrass and cured pork rice."

She first explained why she stayed.

Then, as if he had been prepared in advance, he directly offered benefits, "How could I let you speak for nothing, Mr. Liang? Master Xu instructed that for the five tables of guests today, whichever table of guests speaks the most complete list will have their next dish, 'One-Pot Tofu,' replaced with a dish he modified. Because the ingredients are hard to find, only two portions have been prepared today."

Wow, this is good.

Even Jiweilou says the ingredients are hard to find, so what kind of good stuff must they be?

but……

Old Liang insisted on having them all, saying, "No, you have to give me the premium tofu too. Don't waste it if it's all cooked properly. Right, everyone? One piece of tofu is enough to eat."

This idea was even better, and it received unanimous approval and applause.

The waiter smiled and shook his head. "I'm sorry, esteemed guests. Today's Feast of the Ultimate Flavors menu has twenty-four dishes, which are derived from the four cardinal virtues of propriety, righteousness, integrity, and a sense of shame. Adding one dish would diminish the artistic conception, so we have to make a substitution."

After explaining, before anyone could object, he quickly whispered to Old Master Liang, "Don't worry, the premium tofu is reserved. After the banquet, Chef Xu will invite you to the kitchen for a private meal."

Upon hearing this, Old Liang repeatedly praised it and even declined the premium tofu.

Eating together with everyone is nothing compared to the satisfaction of having a private meal cooked in the kitchen.

Amidst everyone's pleas, "Count me in!", "Old Liang's not being fair, what's our relationship?", "Grandpa Liang~~", "Uncle~~~"

In heartfelt calls.

Old Liang remained unmoved, awkwardly laughing as he changed the subject, "Today's feast is called the Ultimate Flavor Banquet, it's very good, very good."

“That… the cured pork is interesting, it’s not from an ordinary pig; the rice is interesting too, it’s not just simply baked or stewed; and the lemongrass is also not quite right, I’ve never seen lemongrass with such an authentic flavor.”

Upon hearing this, Seventeen was completely dumbfounded.

Huh? You can say that?
There are only three ingredients in total, and all three are interesting?
What's so interesting about it?

It's just that the cured meat has a nice texture, the rice is more fragrant, and the lemongrass... it's really fragrant. Some people don't like the taste of lemongrass and think it has a strange smell, but the lemongrass in this rice is surprisingly easy to eat and they actually think it's quite delicious.

Uh... it's quite interesting.

The waiter applauded again.

"This lemongrass and cured pork rice uses cured pork made from Rongchang pigs raised in Tianhan Ping'an Gou, carefully selected from marbled rib meat with a good balance of fat and lean."

Liang Yue and the others thought to themselves, "Just as I thought. It really is the cured meat from Ping'an Gou Cat Head. I've seen it in Little Fatty's unboxing video. It's the main item in Cat Head's annual party gift package every year."

I've only seen it, never eaten it. Apart from the inside of the cat head, outsiders have no chance to see it and can only look on with envy.

So this is what it tastes like.

"The rice used for the rice is Tianhan's specialty fragrant rice."

Liang Yue had heard of this too. It was the local specialty they wanted to buy but couldn't find at the last Flower Sea Food Festival. They only saw it in the super topic. A lucky person who didn't even know that Tianhan was holding a food festival received a bunch of "local specialties" sent home by their mother and cooked a big pot of rice with fragrant rice.

There was also stewed chicken, ribs, and a big bowl of vegetables with dipping sauce. There was no room in the refrigerator, so we ate them. I wonder if that lucky child experienced some "fiery maternal love" after his mother came back.

"The lemongrass is selected from wild lemongrass from the back mountain of Ping'an Gully in Tianhan."

Liang Yue didn't know either.

Actually, the cat didn't know that at first.

Lemongrass looks similar to ordinary weeds, but it is also a medicinal herb and spice.

Nobody eats it in Ping'an Ditch, and nobody knows it.

It was discovered by Mr. Shi, who had just returned from Dubai, while he was searching for medicinal herbs in the mountains.

And that's how this lemongrass and cured pork rice dish came about.

But this is just because the ingredients are of good quality. All the other dishes had very good ingredients, so what's so special about this baked rice?
What's special is what the waiter said afterward.

"The cured pork is sliced, steamed, and then boiled. The rice is cooked in radish soup beforehand and left overnight before being baked in a clay pot. During baking, the cured pork slices are pressed on lemongrass stalks or stacked with them, allowing the flavors to blend under high temperature. The baking time is just right, so that the lemongrass doesn't rot and the flavor is perfectly infused into the rice, and at this point, the rice forms a crispy crust."

After explaining how to make lemongrass and cured pork rice.

The group of people were still confused, but also somewhat respectful.

They had previously thought this was like making claypot rice, where you just put rice, cured pork, and lemongrass into a clay pot and simmer it over low heat. Turns out there are so many details involved!

Even a blade of grass can't be overcooked, and the rice must have a crispy crust at the bottom. That takes incredible skill in controlling the heat.

And the rice was actually served as a simmered rice dish.

Doesn't scooping rice result in rice water?

No one asked. If they had, the waiter would have been very happy to say that the rice porridge was incredibly delicious, sweet even without sugar, and even sweeter with sugar, both sweet and smooth, with a refreshing radish aroma.

Yesterday, the rice was devoured as soon as it came out of the pot, and she drank two bowls.

But after listening to the waiter's story, Mr. Liang fell into deep thought.

He frowned and pondered it carefully for a long time.

Suddenly, a lightbulb went off in my head: "Radish! The finishing touch is the radish soup with the rice."

"Radishes absorb flavors, are inclusive, and can blend with ingredients that have strong flavors."

"When baking, it's not just about letting the lemongrass and cured meat flavors infuse into the rice, but also about bringing out the flavor of the radish soup used to cook the rice, blending it with the cured meat and lemongrass."

"I've learned something new! I've really learned something new! You can do that?!"

Master Liang's admiration grew as he spoke.

The more others listened, the more amazing it seemed.

Oh, so using radish soup to cook rice has this effect too?
Using radish soup to cook rice allows the radish flavor to infuse into the rice.

It can also bring out the radish flavor in the rice.

I've learned it all, I've learned it all.

It sounds simple, but it's definitely difficult.

It requires very precise control of heat; you definitely can't make it at home...

"Clap clap clap clap~~~" The waiter applauded for the third time. "Mr. Liang, you are truly remarkable. You even discovered the hidden clues. Please wait a moment while we serve your food."

Not much.

It was the same waiter.

They brought over a dish that even Jiweilou could only get two portions of.

what is this?
fish?
flower?
Or fish and flowers...

(End of this chapter)