The Cheat Emperor of the Culinary World

Not only Yao Shi, but also Liu Yunong and Zhao Meng were stunned by Fu Yu’s ability to control the degree of frying the fish fillets to such minute precision.

Not a second was wasted; every operation during the frying process was controlled with precision and planning.

This step of the operation was truly impressive!

Even though emotions were surging, filled with countless thoughts.

However, no one dared to speak up and interrupt.

Such precise and meticulous operation, no one dared to interfere.

Even Liu Yunong quickly raised her hand to cover her mouth.

She was really full of admiration and praise she wanted to express.

This was already the last batch of fish fillets.

Once fried successfully, this step, which was originally supposed to be the most time-consuming and difficult, would be accomplished.

At this moment, who would still doubt Fu Yu?

Today, he didn’t use fancy culinary techniques.

It was all the most basic cooking operations.

From knife skills to basic shaping, and then to frying, they were all common operations in daily cooking.

But precisely because he used basic operations, it showcased his solid and exquisite fundamental skills even more.

Oftentimes, the more traditional something is, the more impressive it feels when completed.

With the fish fillets fried, Fu Yu began the plating artistry.

This step is also crucial; as the saying goes, wrapping a basket and closing it is the essence.

The reason this Peony Fish Fillet dish became famous was partly due to its excellent taste, and the other part was due to its exquisite presentation.

Fu Yu followed the classic old flavor recipe for the plating presentation.

Three peony flowers of varying sizes were placed sequentially on a white shallow large round plate,

With everything prepared, he began to arrange the flowers.

Small pieces were inserted first.

The yam paste was very soft, making it easy to insert, and it was very stable.

Right from the moment he began inserting the first fish piece, Fu Yu suddenly realized that he had a very rigorous and proficient sense of arrangement.

Even though it was his first time plating this dish, when he reached out to pick up the fried fish fillets, he clearly knew which piece to pick and where to place it.

When referring to the classic old flavor recipe, he merely followed the pictures to plate the dish.

But when he truly got to work, he realized that he already had a complete setup in mind for the size and exact positioning of the fillets in the Peony Fish Fillet arrangement.

This setup was a difficult-to-describe tactile feel and an ability to discern artistic shapes and colors.

Watching the fish fillet peony in his hands grow larger, Fu Yu was belatedly aware that when he was tapping and trimming the fish fillets, he was already unconsciously setting every fillet’s position.

For instance, this fillet in his hand, being large and perfectly shaped, was used as the penultimate large petal for decoration.

Moreover, those seemingly indistinguishable small pieces in the tray were already casually divided into three piles, serving as the outer three layers of petals surrounding the bloom used for arranging the flowers.

Realizing his profound achievement in plating, Fu Yu was inwardly delighted.

He had always known he possessed advanced skills in painting techniques and color discernment.

But he never realized the great assistance these skills could bring to his everyday work.

Now, he deeply understood and felt the strength of these skills.

The three peony flowers were quickly completed in form.

The stamens were made with carved carrot strips.

For a pleasing color, Fu Yu used three carrots, taking out the core and flesh, layering the colors gradually, perfectly matching the layers of the stamens.

In the classic old flavor recipe, cilantro leaves were used for green leaf garnish, but Fu Yu happened to see that tonight’s ingredients included basil leaves.

Compared to the overly common cilantro leaves, basil leaves were certainly more fitting for the peony flower’s leaf effect, and they looked more high-end.

As for the placement of the leaves, Fu Yu had a lot of ideas; whether it was the angles at which they were placed or the choice of basil leaves, he had his own judgments.

After completing the shaping, Fu Yu began sauce preparation.

This time, he did not operate according to the classic old flavor recipe but followed the recipe given by Liu Yunong.

Previously, during the fish fillets’ shaping and frying, Fu Yu almost entirely followed the operations of the classic old flavor recipe.

Because those were improvements on basic culinary operations and wouldn’t raise suspicions.

But if even the sauce was directly changed, it really wouldn’t be easy to explain later.

Besides, Fu Yu carefully reviewed the recipe provided by Liu Yunong; the method for preparing the sauce was quite good, and at least the taste should pair well with the fried fish.

Fu Yu started a new pan, fried tomato sauce, added a bit of water, sugar, vinegar, and water starch, turning it into a sauce.

He slowly drizzled the sauce over the fish fillets.

This step was not elaborately described in the recipe provided by Liu Yunong, while in the classic old flavor recipe, a specific note was made.

When pouring the sauce, one must take care; the action must be cautious, and the speed must be slow.

Pouring too fast would shift the fish fillets’ position, affecting the overall presentation.

With the sauce poured, this Peony Fish Fillet dish was considered completed!

This dish was not only crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, tart, aromatic, crisp, and refreshing, but its plating was so lifelike, it could be a work of art!