Although there is still an hour before the opening, in the restaurant business, there are many things that need to be processed in advance, so all the chefs are already in the kitchen.
When everyone saw Gu Zheng entering the kitchen, they were a little curious while saying hello. At this time in the past, Gu Zheng would not have entered the kitchen. They would take care of the ingredients that needed to be processed.
Reading Network
"The difficult guest last night has already arrived. I was impressed by the food he wanted me to cook, so I want to cook for him now." Gu Zheng said with a smile.
"Oh? What kind of dish can impress the head chef?"
Huang Ying spoke curiously, and the eyes of the other chefs were also full of curiosity.
"The dishes are relatively ordinary dishes, 'Mountain Bitter Melon Stewed with Bacon' and 'Steamed Dried Fish', but what he wants to taste is the taste in his memory." Gu Zheng said.
"The taste in memory? This shouldn't be difficult to cook, right? After all, the taste in memory may not be good, and if the chef cooks something different from the taste in his memory, will it be a loss of his own brand?"
Huang Ying frowned.
Gu Zheng shook his head: "The taste in his memory is actually very similar. As long as the taste reaches a certain level, it will overlap with the taste in his memory. You can rest assured about this."
"By the way, chef, we don't have all the ingredients for these two dishes in the kitchen!" Huang Ying said again.
"It doesn't matter. He provided most of the ingredients used to make these two dishes."
While Gu Zheng was talking, he took out the three main ingredients provided by Nanchen: bitter gourd, bacon and dried fish.
"It's a bit interesting that you actually provide the ingredients yourself!" the chefs laughed.
"Bitter gourd is good. I have never seen such a juicy ingredient. It should be of medium grade, right?" Huang Ying asked.
During the time when people like Huang Ying were learning cooking from Gu Zheng, Gu Zheng also taught them the skills of judging the grade of ingredients. Although they sometimes were inaccurate in judging the grade of ingredients because they did not have the Tao Eye, most of them
In most cases, nothing will go wrong.
"Yes, this is indeed a mid-level mountain bitter melon." Gu Zheng nodded.
"The grade of bitter gourd is good. I don't know what kind of meat this bacon is. But judging from the quality of the meat, the original grade of the ingredients should be medium. However, his method of making bacon is not good, so that the grade of this bacon is reduced to
Inferior!”
Huang Ying looked and smelled the bacon, shaking her head as she spoke.
"You're right, look at this dried fish again."
Gu Zheng gave Huang Ying an appreciative look. When Jixiang Xiaozhu was still full of customers, Huang Ying was the head chef of the full house. She was able to be the head chef of the full house, not all because of her relationship with Bai Bai.
The more important reason is that her cooking skills are indeed better than other chefs, and after learning cooking skills from Gu Zheng, her understanding is also the best among the chefs.
"I don't know what the fish used to make dried fish is."
Huang Ying smiled sheepishly at first, then picked up the dried fish, smelled it, and observed it carefully.
"The original grade of this fish's ingredients should have reached excellent, right? Due to improper handling, its grade of ingredients has also been downgraded, but it should still be of medium grade!" Huang Ying said.
"Bah bang bang!"
Gu Zheng applauded Huang Ying, and the other chefs immediately followed.
"Learn from Chef Huang, she is very accurate in judging ingredients!" Gu Zheng said with a smile.
"hey-hey!"
Although she was several decades old, Huang Ying was still a little embarrassed when faced with this situation.
"Put aside what you are doing first. It's rare to cook high-grade ingredients today, so you all should keep an eye on it."
Gu Zheng first dealt with some of the auxiliary ingredients for the two cooking methods, and then started to deal with the three main ingredients provided by Nanchen.
Bitter melon is smaller in size but contains more seeds. Its processing is relatively simple. Gu Zheng washed it, cut it into sections, removed the seeds, and put it into a pot of cold water aside.
"Bitter melon tastes bitter, and mountain bitter melon tastes even worse. People who don't like this bitter taste find it difficult to swallow. People who like this bitter taste will find it more bitter and fragrant when eaten. It can cure polydipsia and eye problems.
Red pain, carbuncle erysipelas and malignant sores. Bitter melon is also called a gentleman's vegetable. No matter how bitter it is, when cooked with other ingredients, the taste will only be its fragrance, not its bitter taste! Bitter melon
Among them, bitter gourd has a stronger fragrance and is more popular among those who like bitter melon. However, if you want to make bitter gourd more delicious, just cleaning it is not enough."
As usual, when handling the ingredients, Gu Zheng would teach Huang Ying and others about the medicinal properties of the ingredients.
"Put the processed bitter gourd into a pot of cold water. When the water is 30% hot, stop the fire. Then stir it for 300 times like this."
Gu Zheng took a pair of kuaizi and quickly stirred the balsam pear in the pot. Three hundred rounds took about three minutes.
"This is a special processing method for bitter gourd. Through this method, some invisible substances in the bitter gourd can be separated from the bitter gourd, so that the bitter gourd has a better taste after cooking.
and taste.”
Gu Zheng is also helpless. He does not have the Eye of Tao now, and he has not yet turned the source of his natal true water into the spirit of his natal true water. Otherwise, it would be so troublesome to deal with the bitter melon. He can directly see the bad substances in the bitter melon with the eye of the Tao.
Where, then use the Water Control Technique to condense those substances together, and then discard the part of the bitter gourd meat that condenses the bad substances.
Rinse the processed bitter gourd and set it aside, and Gu Zheng starts processing the bacon.
"The cured flavor of bacon is its unique flavor. It is inevitable that the appearance will look a little dirty. I have told you many times before about the method of processing bacon. I will not say more today. Who of you will give this piece of bacon to me?
Deal with it?"
Gu Zheng is now very hands-off with some of the food in the kitchen. In similar situations, he often leaves it to other chefs to increase their experience and practice their cooking skills.
"Chef, let me do it!"
A chef named Zhao Wu spoke.
"Remember what I said before, how to deal with this kind of bacon with a lot of mold?" Gu Zheng asked.
"Remember, put vinegar in the rice washing water, wash the bacon well, then boil it in cold water until it boils, take out the bacon, and wash it well with wormwood water."
Zhao Wu's answer received a nod from Gu Zheng. The happy Zhao Wu asked curiously: "Chef, what kind of meat is used to make bacon? Why does raw meat have a strange aroma?"
"This is the meat of a spiritual beast, its name is Xiang Deer."
Gu Zheng explained to Zhao Wu and then handed the bacon to him to handle.
The last ingredient Nan Chen provided was dried fish. Because the fish used to make dried fish was quite special, Gu Zheng did not let the chefs handle it. He personally put the dried fish in ginger water and washed it over and over again.
When I got up, I did not forget to tell the chefs why the dried fish was processed in this way and what should be paid attention to during the processing of the dried fish.
All the ingredients have been processed and Gu Zheng is ready to start cooking.
Put the sliced bacon into the pot, add an appropriate amount of water and auxiliary ingredients, and use the fire control technique to stimulate the fire and start stewing.
Under the fire control technique, the water in the pot boiled quickly, and the peculiar smell of meat wafted out of the pot.
"Smell, it smells so good!"
"It has the aroma of bacon, and also has the unique meat aroma of fragrant deer. It's really unique!"
"That's right, the aroma is so strong right after it's boiled. This is really because of the special ingredients!"
"Don't just sigh with emotion. With such a big fire, this preliminary stew only takes a short time."
Gu Zheng interrupted the chefs' sighs and asked them to pay attention to the simmering time.
In about two minutes, Gu Zheng poured out the soup in which the fragrant deer meat was cooked, and then added water and ingredients again.
"The first soup is a treasure, and it has the strongest flavor. Usually, the first soup is reluctant to throw away. However, the fragrant deer meat is different from ordinary meat. Even if it is made into bacon, the first soup will not be thrown away.
It cannot be used, otherwise the aroma of the ingredients added later will be completely overwhelmed by it, and most people cannot stand this aroma. When you really eat it, you will have that fragrant and greasy feeling in your mouth."
While Gu Zheng was talking, the Fire Control Technique had already boiled the newly added water. He put the previously processed bitter melon into it. After turning on the fire for a minute, it was changed to medium heat and simmered slowly.
"Now there is no need for me to use the fire control technique to stimulate the fire. First, simmer it on medium heat for three minutes, and then change to low heat and simmer it for two minutes."
Gu Zheng turned an hourglass next to the stove upside down. When all the quicksand entered from one end of the hourglass to the other, it was exactly five minutes in the past.
Let the 'Mountain Bitter Melon Stewed Bacon' simmer slowly, and Gu Zheng started to cook the second dish, 'Steamed Dried Fish'.
The fish used to make dried fish is called Qiaoyu. This fish has a lot of cartilage on its body. Gu Zheng has changed the knife after cleaning it.
After telling the chefs what kind of sauce was suitable for steaming this special dried fish, Gu Zheng poured the prepared sauce on the dried fish and spread some auxiliary ingredients such as onions and ginger on the dried fish.
above.
"This dish is more of a test of heat. You cannot memorize this heat. You must judge it according to the aroma of the steamed fish. Initially, boil the water over high heat. When the aroma of the fish reaches the first stage, change the heat to medium heat.
This process of medium heat lasts relatively long. During this process, the onion, ginger and sauce are combined with the fish, and the aroma is no longer just fish. This is the second stage of the aroma of this dish.
What kind of fragrance is suitable at this stage can only be understood but cannot be expressed in words. Only when you really smell it can you understand how unique that fragrance is." Gu Zheng said.
"Chef, do you need to use the fire control technique to cook this dish?" Huang Ying asked.
Huang Ying and others are very envious of Gu Zheng's Fire Control Technique. Due to the emergence of the Fire Control Technique, the original process of cooking food has been greatly shortened, and the food cooked is more delicious. This is what Gu Zheng was doing last night.
After the Fire Spirit was trained, many chefs have seen its magic.
"No, the same effect can be achieved by using traditional methods to stimulate fire, but it is more laborious and the taste is not as good as using the Fire Control Technique." Gu Zheng said.
"Chef, when can we get involved in cultivation?"
Huang Ying smiled flatteringly. After witnessing the control of flames with the Fire Control Technique, the chefs became more eager to learn how to practice it.
"Tomorrow I will go out to purchase another batch of ingredients. When I come back, I will teach you the initial cultivation techniques."
"Very good!"
“Thank you Chef!”
After hearing what Gu Zheng said, all the chefs immediately cheered and thanked him.
"Okay, don't just focus on being happy, the first stage of fragrance will appear soon."
Gu Zheng smiled. At this time, the water in the pot was already roasting, and the aroma of steamed fish was already appearing.
After a while, Gu Zheng said: "The aroma at this time is the aroma of the first stage of steamed fish. Please note this aroma carefully."
"Very strange, indescribable fragrance."
“I’ve never smelled such a fresh fragrance!”
“It’s very special, you will never forget it for the rest of your life after you smell it!”
The chefs expressed their feelings and communicated with each other.
"In the second stage, use medium heat. This process is to allow the fish to absorb the ingredients of the soup and accessories, so as to make up for the deficiencies of some dried fish."
Gu Zheng reduced some of the fire control techniques and continued to stir the pot over medium heat. As the process continued, the aroma of the auxiliary ingredients also rose from the cage.
“The scents are starting to blend!”
Huang Ying was the first to speak out. The aroma of the ingredients was completely integrated with the aroma of the fish, making people want to spit.
"It smells so good. After the fragrance has reached this level, it has completely overshadowed the fragrance of the 'Mountain Bitter Melon Stewed Bacon' over there." A chef said.
"Chef, is this dish almost ready? It's really delicious!" Huang Ying asked.
"No, this is just the second stage of the aroma of this dish. It will soon enter the third stage!"
When Gu Zheng said this, there was a hint of excitement in his eyes.
"Ah? There's a third stage?"
Huang Ying was very curious. Gu Zheng had not mentioned this before. It seemed that this third stage was unusual.
"The third and final stage, this stage will allow you to see the phenomenon I mentioned before!"
When Gu Zheng's words fell, Huang Ying and others' eyes widened, and a word popped up in their minds.
"Extremely fragrant transformation!"
Huang Ying and others exclaimed at the same time. They had heard from Gu Zheng that when the taste of food reaches a certain level, there will be a magical landscape of extremely fragrant food, but they have never been lucky enough to see it. Is it possible that they are going to see it today?
Arrived yet?
"That's right, it's Jixiang's transformation!"
Gu Zheng's voice paused, and then he added: "Remember the fragrance at this moment, it will soon enter the third stage. If you miss the recognition of the fragrance at this time, this dish will not have a very fragrant shape!
"
Following Gu Zheng's reminder, everyone concentrated their attention. They smelled a different kind of fragrance. This fragrance was different from the previous fragrance, but the difference was not in the concentration of the fragrance, but in the fragrance it gave people.
A feeling similar to being dizzy and wanting to be immersed in it.
"Now, change the medium fire to a big fire!"
Gu Zheng's voice was like spring thunder. He woke up Huang Ying and others who were a little distracted. The fire control technique also strengthened, and the originally stable flames suddenly jumped up.
The extremely fragrant form is a relatively elementary manifestation of the Tao of Food. It is an inevitable phenomenon that occurs after the taste of food reaches a certain level. Although when Gu Zheng reminded everyone, the extremely fragrant form had not yet appeared, but it
It has reached the brewing process! As a manifestation of Tao, it itself has magical power. This is the first time for Huang Ying and others to experience it. It is inevitable that they will be distracted by it.
"In the end, this process didn't last too long, and the magic has already appeared."
Just as Gu Zheng said, the magic has really appeared. Just when he turned medium fire into high fire, the original fragrance suddenly improved, so that Huang Ying and others could clearly smell the fragrance.
change.
"Smells, it smells so good!"
"Yes! This scent is so fragrant, so good that it makes people want to swallow their saliva. It makes people want to open the lid and have a taste now!"
"The fragrance at this time has subverted my previous understanding of fragrance. I thought that the fragrance I knew before was already the most fragrant, but I never thought that the fragrance could be even better!"
Huang Ying and others sighed again, and Gu Zheng also said at this time: "There is no limit to fragrance, and there is no end to the Tao!"
After a while, white mist condensed on top of the steamer and never dispersed. When the white mist gathered and became thicker, Gu Zheng opened the lid, and the white mist instantly poured into the steamed fish, and Gu Zheng was trapped on top of it.
Added a cover.
At this time, both dishes had been prepared and plated, and Gu Zheng motioned to Huang Ying to deliver them to Nan Chen.
"Chef, can we follow you and take a look?"
Although they have seen Ji Xiang transform, what the chefs saw was not the entire process of Ji Xiang's transformation, so they appealed to Gu Zheng.
"Can."
Gu Zheng smiled slightly, agreed to everyone's request, and led them to the hall.
Both plates of food had been placed on the table by Huang Ying, and Nan Chen was already intoxicated by the aroma he could smell through the plate covers.
"It smells so good, so familiar!"
Although Nan Chen was intoxicated, there was also a hint of sadness in his expression.
"Does it taste like what you remember?" Gu Zheng asked.
"Like, they all smell so good!"
Nan Chen sighed and took off the lid on the 'steamed dried fish', and his eyes immediately opened wide.
The white mist that had already entered the food immediately began to transform into an extremely fragrant form after Nan Chen removed the lid.
I saw a mist-like fish flying vividly above the coiled fish. It was swimming and beating happily, and it looked really magical.
"Extremely fragrant transformation!"
"I saw Ji Xiang transformed!"
The chefs cheered like children waiting for the Chinese New Year.
"Okay, you guys go back to the kitchen!"
Now that he had seen what he wanted to see, Gu Zheng let the chefs do what they were supposed to do.
After the chefs left, Nan Chen asked: "Fellow Taoist, is this called the extremely fragrant transformation?"
