The Cheat Emperor of the Culinary World

Cooking stewed dishes is Fu Yu’s specialty. The previous worries about ingredients were resolved, so Fu Yu was in a good mood, and his cooking gestures were noticeably more relaxed.

In the pot with the fish head soup, add the cabbage hearts, MSG, and bring to a boil.

Thicken with cornstarch, drizzle in white vinegar, and cooked pork lard, then stir-fry evenly.

Remove from heat and plate, sprinkle with pepper, and top with ham slices.

The dish, with the fish head tenderly cooked until the bones could be easily removed yet still intact, had a sticky, silky fish skin and tender fish meat. The soup was thick and rich, with a fresh and delightful flavor.

Carried to the table by the waiter, it was a bowl of creamy white fish head stew.

In the private dining room, the three old friends leaned forward to get a better look at the stewed silver carp head on the table.

Setting aside other aspects, just the presentation alone earned silent approval from the three.

The entire dish was presented on a large plate, with the head intact, half-submerged in a fragrant, rich broth, surrounded by green cauliflower. Upon closer inspection, there were pieces of winter mushrooms, bamboo shoots, and ham atop the fish head, giving it a festive and enticing appearance.

Tang Luzhang, with a benevolent, wealthy face, displayed a satisfied smile: ”How about it? Doesn’t this dish look good?”

The presentation alone made it look quite upscale, but the taste was yet to be determined.

Each of the three picked up their chopsticks to have a taste.

With one bite, they were surprised to find that, despite being a fish head stew, there were no bones or spines, only delicious flavor.

Tang Luzhang, very pleased with the dish, turned to his old friends: ”How about it? I told you, this stewed silver carp head is a specialty of their restaurant. Didn’t I?”

The dish indeed had a fresh, delicious flavor, with tender, rich fish meat, sticky, silky fish skin, and a thick, mellow broth—it was quite distinctive.

Especially since the gelatinous texture of the silver carp head was delightful, but the abundant fish bones often left diners wishing they could enjoy it fully without fuss.

In this stewed dish, all bones and spines had been meticulously removed from the fish head, allowing diners to enjoy the meat and soup without any hesitation.

The other two, after tasting it, also thought it was good. As food entered their mouths, they didn’t hold back on a few words of praise.

It’s said that when three old friends gather for a meal, their relationship is already quite close.

They say old folks are like kids, and after a disagreement, they’re quick to turn around and make up.

The dining atmosphere in the private room was harmonious.

Back in the kitchen, Fu Yu began to prepare the final dish, sweet osmanthus peel fried pork skin.

The pork skin had already been soaked until it turned white and became very fluffy.

Fu Yu instructed Sun Qingning to take out the pork skin and drain off the excess water.

Zhao Meng always eats quickly, finishing a large bowl of rice in about ten minutes, though this time he took a little longer because Fu Yu had given him a few pieces of pork rib to chew on.

Hearing Fu Yu say that the pork skin was ready, Zhao Meng put down his bowl and came over to take a closer look.

Preparing the pork skin is quite labor-intensive and troublesome, and most people don’t get it right.

Once the pork skin is dried out and fried, it’s challenging to get it evenly prepared.

If not done properly, it can affect the texture of the dish during cooking.

Zhao Meng picked up a piece of pork skin and rubbed it.

During the immersion in warm water, Fu Yu added a little bit of alkali to thoroughly clean the grease from the pork skin.

This trick was taught by Liu Yunong.

Zhao Meng didn’t know the trick, but he could tell that the pork skin was nicely prepared.

The difficult part of this dish is the words ”soaking and preparation”.

Now that the pork skin was prepared, cooking was significantly easier for Fu Yu.

After rubbing the pork skin, Zhao Meng glanced at the prepared broth and asked, ”Using old hen soup?”

Fu Yu nodded, ”Yes.”

The classic old recipe specifically highlights that during the cooking process, it’s imperative to use a good broth.

Just like an actor’s weapon, a chef’s broth.

Fu Yu remembered this point and specially chose the old hen broth, carefully simmered at Qianlima’s kitchen.

Softened pork skin was cut into fine strips, and stir-fried over high heat with seasonings, a beaten egg poured over, sprinkled with minced ham before finishing.

A flower-shaped plate was used for serving, and without much need for arrangement, the presentation was already very delicate.

Sun Qingning looked and couldn’t help but curiously ask, ”This dish is clearly fried pork skin, what does it have to do with osmanthus?”

From ingredients to appearance, it had nothing to do with osmanthus, so how was this dish named?

Casually, Fu Yu explained while wiping off the oil and broth from the edge of the plate, ”The so-called ’osmanthus’ refers to the scrambled eggs in the dish, golden like osmanthus petals. It’s like the ’wooden bark meat’, which also has scrambled eggs; hence, it’s named after the scientific name of osmanthus, ’wooden bark’.”

Sun Qingning: ”...”

Wow, so knowledgeable!

And it makes sense.

Isn’t that how it is?

Many dish names are derived from their appearance or flavor, with the actual ingredients having no connection to the name.

Sun Qingning looked on with admiration. Chef Fu knew so much!

Zhao Meng also looked at Fu Yu.

Fu Yu had dropped out of high school and didn’t have a high education level, yet when he spoke about culinary skills, he was well-versed and had a broad knowledge base.

I guess it was due to being influenced by spending time with Liu Yunong.

Now Fu Yu had a reputable master chef, so no matter what surprising things he did, to those unaware, it wasn’t much of a thought.

To those familiar, it was all credited to a good teacher and guidance.

Over time, Fu Yu actually encountered fewer troubles.

Finally finishing the order in the back kitchen, Fu Yu washed his hands and squeezed next to Zhao Meng to chat leisurely.

Zhao Meng was having a smooth and successful life.

Dai Li was considerate and empathetic, and although they hadn’t registered or held a ceremony yet, they were living together and enjoying life.

With his own life going well, Zhao Meng started pondering about Fu Yu’s love life.