บท 15: Chapter 15: Praise for Zhou Qing
Zhou Qing didn't mind the chef watching him from the side.
Many Spirit Chefs in Dongxia City knew that he had a penchant for tasting fish dishes cooked by other Spirit Chefs.
There were quite a few Spirit Chefs who tried to please him, hoping to get a Food Recommender Badge from him.
But he had his own judging criteria, and would never be influenced by others.
The reason he came here was simply because last night, an outstanding chef named Li Hong told him that there was a special fish dish here with a unique cooking method.
So, he came.
As simple as that.
Zhou Qing first slowly moved the plate, observing the Steamed Bass from all angles while getting a sense of the dish's aroma through sniffing.
"The color is good, the simple addition of shredded vegetables gives it a layered color." He calmly started, "There's no fishy smell, only a rich fragrance."
One of the keys to cooking fish dishes is to remove the fishy smell.
So far, this dish did an excellent job in this regard.
This piqued Zhou Qing's interest.
He served himself a bowl of rice then picked up his chopsticks ready for the steamed bass.
For his first bite, Zhou Qing picked up the shredded vegetables on top of the fish, dipped it in the brown sauce of the fish dish, and put it in his mouth.
Upon the moment of tasting, he experienced the salty and fresh flavor of the fermented bean sauce, which was also slightly sweet.
Sugar was added to the savory sauce?
This was somewhat unexpected because such a method incredibly resulted in a good flavor.
The fine carrot shreds tasted crisp and fully flavored in the sauce.
Zhou Qing slightly nodded in approval.
Many Spirit Chefs presented dishes merely for the sake of appearance, gaining some approval from Food Recommenders, but to Zhou Qing such practices were pretentious and lacked substance.
But this steamed bass dish in front of him did not have this issue. Even the simplest side ingredient was prepared perfectly by the chef.
After a bite of rice to cleanse his palate, Zhou Qing's second bite was from the skin of the fish belly.
Most people think that the belly and cheek of a fish are the best parts, but Zhou Qing differs.
He likes to eat fish skin.
And this is also a part that is easily overlooked in the cooking of fish dishes.
Artfully using his chopsticks, he separated a piece of fish skin from the fish belly, dipped it in fermented bean sauce, and put it in his mouth.
Hmm?
Zhou Qing's eyes widened.
The fish skin was soft and tasty, normally, this part should have a stronger fishy taste, but at this moment, he couldn't detect the slightest bit of it.
But none of these were the point.
From the moisture of the fish, he could deduce that this dish was prepared using a method similar to boiling.
With this method, the skin of the fish would soften first, and would overcook easily.
But the fish skin in his mouth was surprisingly firm and chewy!
This was something Zhou Qing admitted that he could not achieve.
After another mouthful of rice, Zhou Qing finally reached for the flesh of the fish belly.
With a gentle pinch, the flesh of the fish belly perfectly separated from the rib of the fish.
Zhou Qing dipped it into the fermented bean sauce and placed it in his mouth. With slight smacking, the fish flesh melted in his mouth.
"Such tender fish flesh." He couldn't help but exclaim.
To achieve such tenderness, where the whole piece of flesh could be lifted with chopsticks yet melts upon tasting, required a very high level of control in the cooking process.
And in terms of flavor, the rich salty and fresh flavor of the fermented bean sauce didn't overwhelm, the original taste of the fish flesh was the star, the unique fresh sweetness gave the fish-loving Zhou Qing a refreshing feeling.
He slowly put down his chopsticks.
At this moment, what captivated him was not the steamed bass, but the Spirit Chef whom he hadn't paid much attention to before, the one who cooked this steamed bass.
"What's your name?"
Upon hearing Zhou Qing voluntarily asking for Qin Lang's name, a smile spread across Luo Hui's face.
Being able to leave an impression on the Food Recommender ahead of time had achieved their goal.
Qin Lang reacted just as swiftly, "Sir, my name is Qin Lang."
"I'll remember that." Zhou Qing nodded solemnly, "If you have fewer than three badges, you're welcome to take my test."
With that, he turned his attention back to the steamed bass in front of him.
If previously he had been appraising it out of professional habit, then now, it was time to purely enjoy the delicious food.
Qin Lang did not disturb him any further, quietly following Luo Hui into the kitchen.
"That went well." Luo Hui was all smiles, "Having left an impression on him, it will certainly be easier to obtain the Food Recommender Badge."
"As for the addresses of the Food Recommenders in this city, you can find them on the Association's official website."
Qin Lang nodded in understanding.
After tomorrow's Food Fight ends, he would visit Mr. Zhou Qing first, then gradually pay visits to the other Food Recommenders!
After a conversation, Qin Lang bid his goodbye and left the restaurant to return home.
"Gulu!"
Dan Bao followed Qin Lang into the kitchen, its eyes filled with eager anticipation.
The oxtail dish for the Food Fight!
It, having skipped lunch, had already begun to drool!
Seeing its adorable greedy appearance, Qin Lang couldn't help but smile.
"Then let's start preparing for the Food Fight!"
...
The two steamed bass dishes at dinner time also received unanimous praise from the food guests.
The ten for tomorrow were quickly reserved, and those who weren't able to do so would have to come earlier to reserve for the day after tomorrow.
This made Luo Hui feel increasingly sure that giving Qin Lang a 90% profit share was a wise decision.
After cooking the steamed bass, Qin Lang, with Dan Bao following him, left for home to continue learning more about the Spirit Chef.
As for the dish he prepared for the Food Fight, Qin Lang believed that this dish would surely surprise the girl named Du Weiwei tomorrow.
In a blink of an eye, it was the next day.
After finishing the lunch business cooking, Qin Lang left the restaurant.
Instead of going home, he went straight to the Food Material Market certified by the Spirit Chef Association.
"Back for more meat?"
The butcher recognized Qin Lang at a glance and greeted him with a hearty laugh, "We've just got a few new cows, the oxtail parts are right here. What kind of meat do you want today?"
Although he didn't understand why this young man had a special preference for oxtail, since he would buy meat worth thousands each time, the butcher didn't mind tacking on a few oxtails that weren't worth much.
"No, I'm not buying meat today." Qin Lang smiled, "I'm only buying oxtail."
Butcher: "???"
Are you not following the routine?
"Then you might as well buy some meat, and I'll give you the oxtail for free!" The butcher waved his hand generously.
"No can do." Qin Lang spoke helplessly, "I need it for the Food Fight, and it's a Food Fight item with a limited ingredient value."
Each Food Fight event had its clear stipulations.
In a Food Fight with a limited ingredient value, it's required to purchase ingredients from the Food Material Market certified by the Spirit Chef Association.
Not to mention being given away for free, not even the exclusive discount for Spirit Chefs is allowed.
Otherwise, it could violate the principle of fairness.
Knowing that it was for a Food Fight, the butcher could understand Qin Lang's request.
No, he still couldn't understand.
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