The Cheat Emperor of the Culinary World

Chapter 310: Chapter 309: No Comparison, No Hurt

So this year during the National Day holiday, even when Yao Shi unusually took leave, no one found it strange.

Even Dong Jun Tian didn’t think much of it.

On National Day, Fu Yu had to participate in a chef competition.

The kitchen staff immediately became short-handed.

Fortunately, Zhao Meng’s tendonitis had significantly improved, although he still couldn’t handle a wok, cooking, stewing, frying, and steaming was all something he could take orders for normally.

Plus, Sun Qingning was on the side handling the wok, with Zhang Jinyu assisting.

The orders on Zhao Meng’s side were not greatly affected.

Like every year, the day before National Day, the entire kitchen staff worked overtime to prepare the ingredients.

By the time all the prepared dishes for the orders were ready, it was already late at night.

Perhaps because the competition was happening the next day, Fu Yu was too excited to fall asleep.

He tossed and turned in bed, and eventually decided to flip through a classic old recipe book.

He initially planned to study for a while, to get tired and fall asleep, but when he unintentionally stumbled upon the ”Three-layered Duck,” Fu Yu suddenly got energized.

Wow!

Even the preparation of the ”Three-layered Duck” is included!

This classic recipe book is simply amazing!

The ”Three-layered Duck” is no simple dish.

It’s said to be especially challenging to prepare.

Precisely because it’s so difficult, this dish has become a private specialty at the old regional restaurants.

Outsiders can eat it, but learning to cook it, it’s impossible to find a mentor.

Fu Yu first encountered the description of the Three-layered Duck in a novel by the great Gu Long.

The best aromatic plump duck was opened, with Gu Long’s favorite fatty chicken inside, which was then carved open with a dagger to reveal a petite squab.

Finally, a lovely lady charmingly lifted the crystalline squab egg from the squab’s belly to offer to the hero, completing the dish.

For Fu Yu, the impression of this dish was immense; if eating it was so complicated, imagining preparing it was even more bewildering.

Just the concept of ”layered” deters many from even attempting it.

In culinary school, during a practical lesson, Fu Yu attempted a preparatory version: deboning without breaking the skin.

In the end, using just one duck, he realized how challenging the dish was to make, and how lacking his cooking skills were.

But now...

Fu Yu felt a bit inflated!

He dared to learn the cooking method of the Three-layered Duck.

This dish, even Yao Shi probably wouldn’t try it lightly, right?

Thinking this, Fu Yu became more and more eager to give it a shot.

He sat up from bed, determined to learn properly.

Fu Yu began to seriously review the cooking method for the Three-layered Duck.

[Three-layered Duck: In the Qing Dynasty’s ”Cooking Collection,” there was an explicit method for preparing the layered duck: ”Deboned house duck, deboned preserved duck, stuffed into the belly of the house duck, steamed until extremely tender, served whole.”

[Later, chefs from Yangzhou restaurants introduced wild duck deboned and stuffed into the house duck, with squab deboned and stuffed into the wild duck, thus creating the ”Three-layered Duck”. Its unique flavor soon became well-known nationwide.]

Fu Yu realized, Gu Long’s description had some errors, the authentic Three-layered Duck uses a domestic duck wrapped around a wild duck, then stuffed with a squab, three birds nested inside each other.

Such a challenging operation also requires maintaining a flawless appearance, which demands mastery of the highest difficulty level in deboning ducks and chickens while keeping the skin intact!

And the tool used for deboning this dish is just a kitchen knife.

Fu Yu’s eyes lit up.

He might not excel at many things, but wielding a kitchen knife is his forte!

Fu Yu barely slept a wink that night, staring with wide eyes as he repeatedly watched and learned the cooking method of the Three-layered Duck, committing it to deep memory.

The next day.

Zhao Meng intentionally woke up early, thinking of checking the pickling status of some small dishes and reviewing the stewed braised meat from the night before.

But as soon as he entered the kitchen, he saw Fu Yu already busy at work.

Zhao Meng was moved and a bit heartbroken, jokingly saying, ”What, nervous about today’s competition and couldn’t sleep?”

Fu Yu wasn’t worried about the competition; his culinary skills were already remarkable, and after previous trials, he was confident in himself.

He had come to the kitchen specifically to ease Zhao Meng’s workload as much as possible.

Since he wouldn’t be there today, Zhao Meng would be left to manage on his own, and Fu Yu planned to do whatever he could in advance to help.

Zhao Meng, understanding his intentions, gratefully made him a light and tasty breakfast of millet porridge and zucchini pancakes.

After the two finished eating, the others gradually arrived for work.

Zhao Meng urged Fu Yu: ”Alright, go freshen up and get going to the venue. It’s good to be early for everything, not late.”

Seeing it was already 7:30, Fu Yu didn’t dawdle any longer.

He went back, changed into a new set of clothes he had bought earlier, tidied his hair, and set out, ready for action.

Fu Yu left through the main entrance, and as he passed the lobby, he happened to encounter Jiang Mo who was arriving early for work.

Jiang Mo looked at Fu Yu with a face full of amazement and sincerely praised him: ”Chef Fu, you look amazing today! Best of luck in the competition!”

Fu Yu nodded with a smile: ”Thank you!”

It’s said that clothes make the man, just like a saddle makes the horse.

The feeling of wearing new clothes really is different.

With such a compliment, he felt light on his feet as if he were the most handsome guy in the world!

The competition was scheduled for 10 a.m.

However, all participants needed to arrive by 9 a.m. to complete their preparations in advance.

Fu Yu took a taxi to the location, arriving just on time.

He wore a seasonal brand men’s outfit, a standout among a sea of middle-aged chefs, standing tall and looking striking.

Although it was still early, due to vigorous publicity from the city, many tourists had come to the Sanjiang Tourism Festival to watch the chef competition.

To attract crowds, the city’s propaganda department even specially invited a cake shop to join the event, planning a unique cake-sharing activity after the chef contest.

They reportedly would provide a massive cream cake, 15 meters long and 2 meters wide, for tourists to taste for free.

However, to get a piece of cake, one must have a ticket from watching the chef competition.

Tickets were to be distributed uniformly starting at 8:40 a.m.

With these two attractions combined, when Fu Yu and his group arrived, the scene was already teeming with people.

Staff members came over to organize the contestants to change into their competition attire.

Queued up, the surrounding onlookers quickly took notice.

Seeing this group of contestants varying in height, size, and shape, more and more people gathered, eager to catch a glimpse of the chefs.

”Hey! Isn’t that rough and fat guy the head chef of Ju Feng Garden? I’ve seen his picture!”

”I don’t know, but who’s that handsome young guy behind the fat guy? He’s so young, must be part of the staff, right?”

”That handsome, he could be the host, couldn’t he? They say chefs all have big heads and thick necks.”

Arriving late, standing at the back of the line, Liu Yunpeng unintentionally overheard this discussion and subconsciously reached to touch his neck, then quickly let go.

Damn!

That’s just offensive!

What’s wrong with having no neck!

A big head means I’m smart!

It’s all filled with intelligence!

Liu Yunpeng muttered internally, then turned his head to see the contestants ahead, all with big heads and thick necks.

And standing in the middle, the tall and gracefully poised Fu Yu.

Liu Yunpeng: ”...”