1984: Starting from a bankrupt Sichuan restaurant

Chapter 160 Is this what it feels like to be a genius's master? (Seeking monthly votes!)

Zhou Yan really didn't expect his master to shift the blame onto him. He had been hoping to see his master show off and make him look good.

I never expected that Master thought the same way.

There was nothing he could do; the atmosphere had reached this point, so he could only face it with a smile.

Zhou Yan pulled a kitchen knife from his bag, stepped forward, cupped his hands in greeting, and said, "Gentlemen, uncles, and fellow disciples, please excuse my poor skills."

"Okay, let me see if you've mastered the knife skills after two and a half years of study," Kong Qingfeng nodded.

Zhou Yan first washed his hands and the kitchen knife, then took the last piece of pig liver from the basin next to him.

This piece of pig liver was left after it had been cut once. The part near the middle had a lot of fascia and blood vessels, making it the most troublesome to cut.

Everyone gathered around, eager to see how Zhou Yan would handle the situation.

Even the apprentices who had been scolded like grandchildren squeezed to the front row, their faces full of anticipation.

This junior apprentice is handsome, the youngest, and has only been learning to cook for two and a half years, which is also the shortest. Logically speaking, his cooking skills should be the worst, right?
Chefs compete on their culinary skills.

As long as you're not the worst player on the field, it's not the most embarrassing, and you'll get less scolding when you get back.

Poor junior brother, he's destined to become their scapegoat today.

The senior students' faces already showed pity.

Xiao Lei stood to the side, calmly with his hands behind his back, looking even more relaxed and at ease than the three old men.

Zheng Qiang stood beside him, his expression somewhat subtle.

He thought through all the bad things that had happened in his life before he finally shut his mouth.

It has to be Uncle-Master Xiao! Who knew that Zhou Yan's stir-fried pig liver was actually better than Uncle-Master Xiao's?
During this period, he even went to the restaurant every day to ask Chef Zhou for advice on how to stir-fry pork liver properly, and was often scolded like a grandson.

Today, however, he can casually say: "The last piece of pig liver, I'll give the opportunity to my apprentice."

That's really impressive.

Zhou Yan placed the pig liver on the cutting board, first examining the texture from left to right, his brows furrowing slightly.

This pig liver looks terrible; it's what a group of chefs left over after picking through it. It's full of tendons and fibers, and it's usually just scraps they don't want in his kitchen.

Kong Qingfeng, holding a covered bowl of tea, was about to take a sip when he noticed the man's predicament and said with a smile, "It's alright, cut whatever you like..."

Before he could finish speaking, Zhou Yan had already drawn his knife.

The cleaver flew through his hands, fast, accurate, steady, and remarkably clean and efficient!

Thin, even slices of pork liver land on the cutting board. During the slicing process, the fascia and blood vessels are precisely separated and placed on the other side of the cutting board.

In no time, a piece of pig liver full of tendons was cut into pieces.

On one side are thin, evenly sliced ​​pieces of pork liver, and on the other side are cleanly removed fascia and blood vessels.

The scene suddenly became quiet.

The senior students who squeezed to the front all stared wide-eyed.

Gulu.

Someone swallowed loudly.

"Excellent knife skills!" Kong Qingfeng exclaimed as he placed the lid of his cup on the teacup.

Li Liangcai nodded repeatedly: "It's really good. He didn't stop cutting, and not a single strand of fascia went into the pig's liver. His knife skills are quite proficient."

"After two and a half years of culinary training, his knife skills are already so solid! This kid must have put in a lot of hard work." Qin Kun exclaimed in admiration.

The three old men praised Zhou Yan in succession, their eyes filled with admiration.

The senior disciples were losing face, and the more they thought about it, the angrier they became. They then scolded the disciples who had come closer.
"Look at that person, they can cut pig liver like this after only two and a half years of cooking training. What have you learned in the past ten years?"

"Look at how well they picked out the fascia! They can even cut the pig liver into such even sizes and thicknesses. You picked such a good piece of pig liver, and you cut it so badly it's blinding!"

Disciples: ???

No, junior brother, are you kidding us?

“Master, yours isn’t as good as his…” a disgruntled voice rang out.

"Do I need you to tell me? Go back and clean the kitchen for a month."

"Master, I was wrong!"

Although Xiao Lei tried his best to restrain himself, he couldn't hide the smile on his face.

Zhou Yan remained calm and composed. He had mastered the perfect recipe for stir-fried pork liver. No matter what the pork liver looked like, he could cut it into a perfect shape.

This is not a rule, but it is close to one.

The ability etched into muscle memory.

First, rinse the sliced ​​pork liver with cold water to remove excess blood and foam.

This step was done by some chefs and not others.

Those who made it ended up with mostly watery, soupy dishes, and were severely criticized.

So when they saw Zhou Yan crossing the water, many of the senior brothers breathed a sigh of relief.

It seems that although this junior apprentice has good knife skills, he probably hasn't learned how to cook properly yet.

The three old men didn't say anything, but watched Zhou Yan do his work with great interest.

After two and a half years of culinary training, their knife skills have reached a level that is quite impressive, and they don't make excessive demands on other aspects.

With such perseverance and determination, one will surely amount to something in the future.

After rinsing the liver twice with cold well water, the water became clear. Zhou Yan poured the pig liver into a bamboo sieve, gently squeezed and shook it to remove most of the surface water, and then used a clean gauze cloth to wipe it dry.

Throughout the process, his movements were gentle yet efficient, ensuring the tender pork liver remained undamaged. After drying the surface of the liver, he added scallions, ginger, and cooking wine to remove any unpleasant odor. Only then did he begin to chop green peppers, dried chilies, scallion whites, and garlic slices. He also grabbed a small handful of Sichuan peppercorns and finely chopped a spoonful of fermented broad bean paste, placing them on a plate for later use.

The whole process was orderly and smooth, and it was clear that everything was under his control.

Kong Qingfeng and Qin Kun exchanged a glance and nodded simultaneously.

"Junior brother, let me help you start the fire." Zheng Qiang came forward, opened the stove door, peeked inside, stuffed a piece of wood in, closed the lid, and pulled the bellows twice. The flames immediately roared up.

"Thanks, Senior Brother Zheng." Zhou Yan said with a smile, scooped out the hot water from the pot, waited for the water to evaporate, heated the bottom of the pot, added a spoonful of rapeseed oil, and then half a spoonful of lard.

The two oils mix and blend together quickly, and the oil temperature gradually rises.

Zhou Yan calmly prepared a thickening agent, coating the pig liver with a thin layer of the agent, thinner than any of the previous chefs' preparations, almost just a thin layer on the surface.

The three old men subconsciously took half a step forward, watching Zhou Yan's movements.

Once the oil was at the right temperature, Zhou Yan poured the pig liver from the basin into the pan and quickly spread it out with a ladle.

Heat oil over high heat and cook vigorously. The pork liver, coated with a thin cornstarch slurry, bursts with oil, quickly curls up, and changes color.

Then, add the prepared spices one by one. As the oil heats up, the aroma of garlic, scallions, and fermented bean paste, along with the spiciness, wafts out.

Finely chopped fermented soybeans are stir-fried until they release their red oil, which evenly coats each piece of pork liver. After a few stirs, the mixture is quickly removed from the pan and plated.

The pig liver was served on a plate, still sizzling with oil.

Zhou Yan had already scooped a ladle of water into the pot, causing it to sizzle.

Everyone stared at the stir-fried pork liver on the stove. Its bright red color, coated with a thin layer of sauce, gave it an amber-like sheen.

Scallion whites, green bell peppers, and red chili pepper slices are scattered among the piles of pork liver, which resemble red agate slices, creating such a vibrant color. Sichuan peppercorns are also interspersed among them, and the aroma is irresistible.

The crackling sound of burning firewood from the stove accentuated the quietness of the scene.

Is a dish good or not?

For an experienced chef, a glance is enough to get a general idea.

The stir-fried pork liver that Zhou Yan cooked last was better than the ones cooked by everyone else before him.

Moreover, it's much better!

The pork liver was light and refreshing, not coated with a thick layer of starch and made sticky, nor overcooked and burnt. The thin layer of starch on the surface of the pork liver formed a slightly charred crust in the hot oil, glistening with oil.

There was a small pool of oil at the bottom of the bowl, unlike some bowls where the pig liver is completely submerged in oil, which looks greasy.

Kong Qingfeng looked a little dazed. He stared at the spicy pork liver for a few seconds in silence, then looked up at Zhou Yan and said with some emotion, "Well done! You're quite skilled, kid. I actually see my senior brother's shadow in you back then."

As soon as these words came out, everyone was shocked.

Who is Kong Qingfeng's senior brother?

That must be the late, renowned Jiaozhou chef, Kong Huaifeng!

Kong Qingfeng hadn't even tasted it yet, but he gave it such high praise.

Xiao Lei, who had been standing with his hands behind his back, put them down, a smile playing on his lips, a mixture of pride and satisfaction.

Zhou Yan put down the iron spoon and smiled, "Please enlighten me, esteemed elders, uncles, and fellow disciples."

"Come on, have a taste." Kong Qingfeng invited the two old men to taste it together. He picked up a piece and put it in his mouth first. His brows furrowed slightly, then slowly relaxed, and a look of nostalgia appeared on his face.

"It's bursting with wok hei (wok aroma), perfectly balanced between numbing spiciness and freshness. The thickening of the sauce is superb; the intense heat and hot oil quickly create a slightly charred crust on the surface, but inside, it's incredibly tender. The perfect contrast between crispness and tenderness creates an amazing texture." Kong Qingfeng exclaimed, "This stir-fried pork liver is exceptionally well-made! Better than mine. The only other dish I've ever had that's comparable is the one my senior apprentice made back in the day."

"It's really good! The texture is so smooth and tender, without a single grainy part. The thin sauce holds the spicy and savory flavors without affecting the taste of the pork liver. It truly has the style of Senior Brother Huaifeng back in the day." Qin Kun looked at Zhou Yan and said, "Although I received his guidance, I have never been able to replicate it. I didn't expect that Zhou Yan, at such a young age, could already control the heat and seasoning to such an extent!"

"This is the best stir-fried pork liver I've had today, and also the best I've had in recent years." Li Liangcai put down his chopsticks and said with a touch of emotion, "The Kong school truly produces a wealth of talent."

After the three old men finished speaking, Kong Qingfeng's disciples and grand-disciples all gasped in shock.

That's incredibly high praise!

Master Kong has elevated Zhou Yan's stir-fried pork liver to such a high level!

He can cook better than him and even rival the peak of Grandpa Kong!
Even the notoriously strict Uncle Qin said he had the style of Uncle Kong!
Mr. Li, who once represented the highest level of Feiyan Restaurant, was deeply impressed by the abundance of talented people from the Kong school.

Who is this person?
it goes without saying.

The way everyone looked at Zhou Yan changed.

Is it...

Is this what genius is?!

Kong Guodong and his fellow disciples looked at Xiao Lei with a mixture of envy and twisted jealousy.

Xiao Lei straightened his back, and a smile gradually crept onto his face.

Is this what it feels like to be a genius mentor?

That was definitely a bit of fun!
Hehehe…

Zheng Qiang crossed his arms, looked left and right, his smugness practically written all over his face.

Did you see that?

Zhou Yan!

My junior brother!
For the Confucian school, you still have to look to Huaifeng!

Qingfeng was ultimately just a collateral branch of the family.

Zhou Yan smiled and cupped his hands in greeting: "You flatter me, gentlemen. My meager skills are all thanks to my master's excellent teaching. How could I possibly be compared to you, my master?"

"Don't try to cross the river blindly—we've lived long enough to know the difference in skill just by tasting it," Kong Qingfeng said with a smile, waving his hand. Then he gestured to everyone, "Come and try it, see how top-quality stir-fried pork liver is made!"

(End of this chapter)