The Cheat Emperor of the Culinary World

Chapter 354: Chapter 353: Truly Let My Guard Down

The recipe provided by Qiu Jingxiu included a photo of the finished golden crispy pork arranged on a plate.

With the sample to refer to, Fu Yu easily recreated the plating of the entire dish.

The host, ever mindful of his duties, eagerly guided the cameraman with an excited tone to give a close-up of this traditional specialty five-spices crispy pork as soon as Fu Yu’s dish was ready.

There’s no denying it, Qiu Jingxiu is a chef with a deep foundation and exceptional aesthetic sensibility.

The plating of this traditional specialty five-spices crispy pork, after her skillful and meticulous design, was extraordinarily beautiful.

At first glance, it was mouthwateringly enticing, making you eager to dig in.

But Fu Yu did not pause; he turned around and continued making walnut buns.

He ground the walnuts into walnut powder using a mortar and pestle, then poured it into a large bowl.

He then added sugar powder and lard, stirring it into a paste with a spatula.

He divided the well-mixed filling into small portions of about 15 grams each and rolled them into balls for later use.

Once the dough had fermented well, he carefully kneaded it into a smooth mass.

He divided the kneaded dough into pieces of about 30 grams each and kneaded them smooth.

He flattened the dough, with the smooth side facing down, wrapped the walnut filling inside, sealed it, and gently rolled it into a round shape.

First, he made a cut on the surface with a spatula, then used a flat clip to pinch along the cut.

He then used a toothed clip to pinch both ends, pinching evenly all over, and the walnut bun’s shape was finished.

Fu Yu’s hands were incredibly attractive, not the fair-skinned type, but with long, distinct joints and well-groomed, clean nails.

Watching the exquisite walnut buns slowly take shape at his fingertips, as the camera zoomed in for a close-up, that sharp and crisp aesthetic was very captivating.

Fu Yu only responded if someone spoke to him while he cooked.

And Qiu Jingxiu, watching Fu Yu’s operation, was utterly speechless.

She hadn’t expected Fu Yu to be so skilled!

Even if she were to personally cook, she couldn’t guarantee she would be faster than Fu Yu.

In fact, she’s certain that Fu Yu had far surpassed her speed.

However...

Fu Yu only encountered these two dishes for the first time today.

To be immediately able to apply new cooking methods so proficiently.

He’s truly one to be reckoned with!

The host diligently strived to maintain the atmosphere on stage.

Seeing nobody was speaking, he desperately searched for topics to discuss.

He noticed the walnut filling that Fu Yu had prepared and suddenly thought of something, so he asked, ”I noticed there was brown sugar in the ingredients for these walnut buns? The flavor of brown sugar is rather unique; people either really love it or simply can’t accept it.”

”Teacher Qiu, if a customer doesn’t like brown sugar, is there any other way to cook these walnut buns?”

Qiu Jingxiu was taken aback, showing a look of surprise.

Don’t like the taste of brown sugar?

Then you don’t have to eat the walnut buns!

Knowing full well the walnut buns are made with brown sugar and still ordering them is just asking for trouble!

Qiu Jingxiu looked at the host with a warm smile, internally rolling her eyes.

What kind of nonsense question is this!

How is she supposed to answer?

The walnut buns are made this way, with ingredients and proportions determined after many trials.

Now suddenly want to change the formula?

When shopping for clothes, if you find the fabric unsuitable after trying it on, why not ask the store to find a different fabric for you?

Qiu Jingxiu internally vented, then turned to Fu Yu, who was seriously cooking, naturally passing the topic over: ”Xiaofu, what do you think?”

Fu Yu said, ”I do have some thoughts. Apart from its unique shape, the filling inside the walnut bun is crucial.”

As he spoke, Fu Yu casually picked up a ball of filling and showed it to the host.

The photographer, needing no cue this time, skillfully zoomed in the camera on the perfectly round filling in Fu Yu’s hand.

”For example, when making walnut filling according to Teacher Qiu’s cooking methods, lard is used, but considering that some people may not like or be able to eat it, we might consider using butter instead.”

”Additionally, baking powder can provide rapid expansion, reducing dough fermentation time to enhance the walnut bun’s softness. If omitted, fermentation time needs to be slightly extended to achieve the same effect.”

At his words, the host exclaimed cooperatively: ”Indeed! Lard has a distinct taste that some people just can’t accept, so substituting butter would be ideal. Also, the faster the dough ferments, the better. This method is simply brilliant.”

Fu Yu nodded and continued, ”As for brown sugar, everyone may not realize that there are actually two types of brown sugar available in the market.”

”One is regular brown sugar, and the other is traditional brown sugar.”

”Traditional brown sugar offers a finer texture, while regular brown sugar can be overly sweet.”

Qiu Jingxiu nodded affirmatively: ”Exactly. Personally, when I cook walnut buns, I prefer traditional brown sugar. But this time, due to a tight schedule and performing for the school anniversary focusing on showcasing culinary skills, I didn’t particularly specify the ingredients and proportions.”

”Switching regular brown sugar for traditional brown sugar would definitely improve the walnut buns’ taste.”

The host remarked, ”However, whether regular or traditional brown sugar, if one doesn’t like the taste, they genuinely can’t tolerate it. What should we do then, Chef Fu? Do you have any good suggestions?”

Fu Yu nodded slightly: ”There is indeed a solution. Since traditional brown sugar generally has a deeper color, almost blackish-brown, using a little bit can significantly enhance the dough’s color.”

Stopping here, Fu Yu turned his head: ”And to mask the taste of brown sugar, we could add a moderate amount of cocoa powder. Cocoa powder has a strong cocoa aroma that can effectively balance the unique taste of traditional brown sugar while not affecting the overall flavor of the walnut bun.”

Upon hearing this, everyone around had a sudden revelation!

Of course!

Cocoa powder not only fulfills the walnut buns’ coloring needs but also perfectly conceals the brown sugar’s flavor.

Gao Chao, who had been intently watching the steaming pot, suddenly became excited upon hearing Fu Yu’s words.

Absolutely!

This modification method is indeed viable!

Why hadn’t he thought of it?

Qiu Jingxiu, whose eyes also brightened, felt the same.

Yes!

Both butter and cocoa powder are ingredients readily available everywhere.

Therefore, incorporating them would not affect the walnut buns’ flavor profile.

Qiu Jingxiu couldn’t help but attentively gaze at Fu Yu.

Why hadn’t she realized sooner?

Fu Yu is so handsome!

His cooking skills must be impressive!

She had really underestimated him!