The Cheat Emperor of the Culinary World

Liu Yunong arranged the scallions neatly and turned to say, ”Compared to leeks, they have a fresh aroma.”

Fu Yu had never really noticed this before.

He thought to himself that he would also take a good taste later.

With the scallions arranged, Liu Yunong started to place the ginger.

”Put the ginger underneath, bury it at the bottom.”

After arranging the scallions and ginger, she then placed the meat.

”When placing the meat, remember that the skin must be facing down. This way, when it’s cooked, it’ll come out looking neat and nice.”

”For this dish, use Huadiao wine. It brings out an authentic flavor and makes the taste richer.”

”There’s a standard measure for Huadiao. For a dish like this, you should use about 750 to 1000 grams. The exact amount is up to your judgment.”

Actually, in this kind of cooking, the proportion of seasonings is very crucial.

If there’s too much, the flavor is too strong; too little, and the taste is too weak.

But it’s not very practical to insist on a precise ratio.

Therefore, cooking is a skill that gets perfected through practice. A teacher can guide you, but the progress depends on how diligent you are in your practice.

To excel in cooking, having talent isn’t enough.

Only by doing it more and practicing often can you gradually grasp the essentials of cooking.

Extensive experience is key to cooking delicious dishes.

Liu Yunong had never taken on an apprentice before, so when teaching Fu Yu to cook, she taught exactly how she did it herself.

She followed the same steps her father and grandfather had used to guide her back in the day.

Her instructions were detailed, and she taught diligently.

It was completely different from how Wang Yulong and Liu Zhangpeng learned in the kitchen, starting from odd jobs and slowly exploring and figuring things out on their own.

This was practically hands-on, one-on-one cooking guidance.

No wonder Fu Yu was learning it so smoothly; after going through a dish once, he could basically handle it independently.

After all, cooking is essentially something that, once you get one thing, the rest follows.

Once you’ve got the basics right, learning anything else isn’t difficult.

”The Huadiao must thoroughly soak the meat, then add a bit of rock sugar.”

”For Dongpo Pork, it needs to be sweet, so use more rock sugar. For a table serving ten, this amount should be about right.”

Liu Yunong finished, then asked Fu Yu to come forward and have a look.

After looking, Fu Yu got a general idea and committed this step to memory.

Liu Yunong picked up the soy sauce: ”When adding this, it’s best to use a measuring cup at first—about 75 grams is sufficient. If there’s too much, the taste overpowers and easily overshadows the pork’s natural aroma.”

”After the soy sauce, add dark soy sauce. Both the rock sugar and dark soy sauce are for coloring. But no need to stress too much about it, a little more or less doesn’t matter.”

Fu Yu nodded: ”Mm, I’ve noted it down, Master. Actually, for this dish, the Huadiao plays the biggest role, right?”

Liu Yunong casually bundled a few scallions, tied them into a knot, put them on the meat, and said, ”Mainly the Huadiao and rock sugar—both are indispensable.”

”Oh, yes, and the scallions!”

”Here, pass me the water.”

Fu Yu hurriedly handed the flask: ”Master, to what extent should the water be added?”

Liu Yunong poured while watching the water level: ”Just cover the meat. When bubbles start forming, switch to low heat.”

”Using a pressure cooker has this advantage—it’s less worrying in terms of time. This pot of meat should be about ready in half an hour.”

Lifting the pressure cooker, Liu Yunong couldn’t help but add: ”Actually, this meat would be better stewed in an iron pot, but if you really use an iron pot, this dish would take two hours to serve. It’s fine for home dining, but in a restaurant, it’s really not feasible.”

No wonder.

Previously, when Fu Yu heard Liu Yunong say that they were going to use a pressure cooker, he was quite surprised.

After all, typically, for stewing meat like this, it would definitely taste better if cooked over a wood fire in an iron pot.

Like at the music restaurant, they have separate stoves.

However, at Shangshi Private Kitchen, the kitchen space is indeed limited, and while the food supply seems limited, it’s actually not small.

After all, the operating hours are short, and customers eat within just a few hours.

If the speed of serving from the kitchen can’t keep up, it would greatly affect the customer’s dining experience.

During the time the meat was stewing,

Liu Yunong instructed Fu Yu to start cooking, following along with her to continue preparing this dish.

With the previous demonstration by Liu Yunong, Fu Yu was now able to mimic her step-by-step and was doing quite decently.

Liu Yunong multitasked, preparing the pork in her hands while watching Fu Yu’s actions.

After observing for a while, she was inwardly impressed.

Even the slight resentment she originally had about her unspeakable aversion to outsiders eased gradually.

The desire to nurture talent is universal.

Especially someone like Liu Yunong, who had reached her current standing, with wealth and fame.

What she needed was a capable assistant to help her amplify the Liu Family Cuisine.

If that person were Fu Yu, she would actually be quite satisfied.

However, this satisfaction, once involving her own sister, immediately diminished.

Ultimately, it’s true that nothing compares to one’s own sister, no matter which young man she’s paired with, it feels like the family is at a loss, and the other party is getting the world’s greatest bargain.

No one in this world is truly worthy of their good sister.

Once Fu Yu’s pot of meat was simmering, Liu Yunong’s pressure cooker was also ready.

”It’s done!”

Liu Yunong announced loudly.

Even Wang Yulong and Liu Zhangpeng came over.

Several people gathered around the pot to watch Liu Yunong open the lid.

Liu Yunong released the pressure valve, and Fu Yu squeezed forward: ”Let me open it, step back a bit.”