Who gave this heretical practitioner permission to cook?

Chapter 27: Time is almost up, and we haven't even started talking yet!

Chapter 27: Time is almost up, and we haven't even started talking yet.
Seeing Xia Ming leisurely handing out chairs to the two members of his team, Chen Xiaodong across from him almost burst out laughing.

He was now certain that the Sichuan-Chongqing "Ice and Fire Chef" across from him had never cooked banquet dishes before.

It's important to understand that there's a world of difference between 100 mouths and one mouth. If you want to fill so many mouths in 2 hours, then product selection is absolutely crucial.

Turning his gaze away, Chen Xiaodong began to solicit everyone's opinions, and Jin Hongnan suggested making beef.

“We can make enough beef cubes for 100 people, then serve them with sauce and control the texture and layers of the meat, which will give us more time.”

After hearing his words, Yang Yanbin frowned slightly.

"However, the requirements for marinating and cooking the beef cubes are very high. If we were to make this, the portion for each person would probably be very small."

Chen Xiaodong, who was standing to the side, also nodded.

"Yes, if the portion is too small, you need to add side dishes or other sauces, otherwise the overall presentation will not be harmonious."

Jin Hongnan still insisted on his point of view.

"Side dishes are always easier to make than main dishes. If that doesn't work, Xiaodong, what do you suggest we do?"

Chen Xiaodong pondered for a moment. Actually, he was also conflicted. If he had to cook each dish separately for a banquet of 100 people, and also control the taste and temperature, there would definitely not be enough time.

unless
Prepare cold dishes.

Chen Xiaodong raised his eyebrows slightly. He suddenly thought of a way that could both control the time and fit the theme.

"I think we should make beef sashimi."

Upon hearing Chen Xiaodong's words, the other three members of the team were stunned.

"Beef sashimi, that's indeed easy to make, but isn't it too unskillful? That might affect the judges' scores!"

Chen Xiaodong shook his head.

"No, I'm not talking about the raw beef salad from 'Yi Bing,' but a French dish full of endless possibilities, 'Beef Tartare,' or you can call it 'Beef Tartare.'"

Upon hearing this, Jin Hongnan raised an eyebrow. That's right, he knew how to make "Beef Tartare".

This dish was originally called "Tarte Tartare," a dish that originated from the "Tartars," spread to Europe, and eventually took its full form in France.

The dish itself is not complicated to make. It involves taking high-quality raw beef, combining it with onions, pickles, herbs, and other ingredients, then adding olive oil, mustard sauce, and other seasonings to make a flavorful minced meat dish.

Finally, add an egg yolk, then serve with spirits and bread.

In terms of preparation, this dish is indeed not complicated; the more important thing is whether the seasoning can bring out the aroma of the meat.

Of course, Chen Xiaodong also explained that he did not intend to make traditional "Tartar beef".

"We can take 'Beef Tartar' as a prototype and modify it to better suit the tastes of Chinese people. For example, we can replace the mustard with chili peppers from Hunan province, and use lemon to address the issue of the beef's monotonous flavor."

“We could even make the beef flavor richer, like a hot and sour one.”

"Yes, for example, we can use lemon peel, wampee, passion fruit, finger lemon to give it more layers of flavor."

Seeing Chen Xiaodong getting more and more excited as he spoke, Yang Yanbin finally couldn't help but speak up.

"No, let's put the texture aside for now. If I remember correctly, raw beef needs to be from a very good cut to be eaten raw without any processing."

"That's not a problem. I just saw some fresh beef over there that meets the required standards."

"Can"

"There are no buts, time is of the essence, we need to determine the sauce ratio quickly."

Just as the two were chatting, Huang Qiyun spoke up.

“I think Yanbin was probably trying to say that the judges come from all over the country, and that eating raw food might make some of the judges uncomfortable.”

Chen Xiaodong felt that this was not a big problem.

"Professional judges won't care about these things. Besides, raw beef is the perfect way to showcase the purest flavor of the meat. Paired with a layered sauce, it's an absolutely unique dish."

Upon hearing Chen Xiaodong's words, Huang Qiyun pondered silently for a moment.

From a competition perspective, there aren't many ways to satisfy all the judges with a single dish, add points for creativity, and manage time effectively. Using fresh beef to make a raw dish can indeed save a lot of time.

Using this time to adjust the flavor of the meat, allowing the judges to experience more layers of taste, is also a viable option.

Moreover, Chen Xiaodong has made localized improvements to suit Chinese tastes. As long as the proportions are right, it can indeed be considered a creative new product that combines Chinese and Western elements. But even with all these reasons, Huang Qiyun still doesn't think this is a good direction, and Yang Yanbin, who is standing next to him, clearly thinks so too.

After about ten seconds, Yang Yanbin finally spoke.

“I still think it’s too risky. How about we keep the sauce the same and make barbecue instead?”

Chen Xiaodong frowned slightly upon hearing Yang Yanbin's words. He was used to being the head chef at home, and being rejected repeatedly made him somewhat irritable.

"Barbecue won't work. Do you know that's for 100 mouths? By the time you get to the last one, the ones before that will be cold."

"If all else fails, let's compromise. We'll still make 'special tartare' with the meat, use a warm plate, and warm bread slices too, so that the first bite is warm. Is that alright?"

"The problem is, where will we get the bread? If we make baguettes the standard way, it'll probably take until tomorrow!"

"Then let's skip the baguette and use a hamburger bun with a richer wheat flavor!"

"Ahem, let me interject. Actually, you can use fried potato chips instead, which would make the texture even thicker."

"Then it's better to use thin crispy crackers."

"You only have two and a half hours, you don't have time to make fermented dough from scratch!"

Listening to the argument between the four people opposite him, Xia Ming smiled calmly. This was the first obstacle between the chef and the contestant.

[Status Difference]

The chefs are either culinary geniuses or have developed their own set of theories after years of hard work.

In this situation, putting four chefs together could cause problems if they disagree on something.

In this situation, either one person will forcefully suppress the others, or the four people will have to strive for a relative balance.

Clearly, after arguing for a while, Huang Qiyun also realized the problem.

"We can't keep arguing like this. Listen to me, from now on, no matter what opinions you have, please don't speak."

"Xiaodong, now, based on your own ideas, and considering the time constraints and our characteristics, tell me directly what we should do!"

Upon hearing this, Chen Xiaodong let out a breath and then spoke.

"Okay, now, we'll make a marinated raw beef dish based on 'Beef Tartare,' served with a 'spicy and sour sauce' and fried 'thin potato wedges,' accompanied by green peas and chopped carrots. The overall presentation is quite simple."

After listening to Chen Xiaodong's words, Huang Qiyun nodded and then turned to look at the remaining two.

"So, Yanbin, Hongnan, do you have any other opinions about this dish?"

Hearing Huang Qiyun's words, Yang Yanbin was about to say something, but after seeing the countdown on the big screen, he swallowed his words.

"I have no opinion."

"I don't have any objection either."

Seeing that the two of them nodded, Huang Qiyun also nodded.

"Alright, now that everyone agrees, let's get started on dividing the tasks!"

Across from Xia Ming, the bald cook who had been sitting with him for about 10 minutes couldn't take it anymore.

"Hey Ice and Fire Chef, say something! Time's almost up, and we haven't even started talking yet!"

The graduate students at the banquet also looked up at Xia Ming.

Seeing the two people's gazes, Xia Ming finally spoke.

"Alright, I've already figured out what we're going to cook this time."