Finally, Mingyue decided to go to the library to look for recipes and inspiration.
She asked the "MasterChef" production team to ask if she could use the library of the Oriental Culinary Institute.
After obtaining the school's consent, Mingyue came to the Oriental Culinary College.
As expected of a prestigious school with a long history, the library here is very large, and the number of cookbooks collected in the library is staggering.
These recipes are like magic keys that can open the door to the cuisine of different regions and cultures.
They are carefully classified by region and country and neatly placed on various bookshelves.
From the ancient and mysterious Eastern countries to the passionate Western continent, from the cold Arctic region to the hot equatorial countries, each region carries a unique food culture and historical memory.
In this dazzling world of recipes, Mingyueru had a clear goal and went straight to the area of Chinese cuisine.
Chinese cuisine is the crystallization of the Chinese nation's culinary wisdom over thousands of years and a unique flavor flowing in the blood of every descendant of the Yellow Emperor.
Mingyue walked quickly between the bookshelves, her eyes sweeping over the cookbooks, her fingertips sliding over the spine labels on the bookshelf. From cooking techniques to ingredient encyclopedias, from food culture to historical allusions, she browsed one by one until her fingers swept over a book called "Notes from the Imperial Kitchen". Mingyue's heart moved, and she pulled out the book and began to read.
I gently turned the pages of the book, and the paper made a rustling sound. Mingyue's eyes were fixed on the words and pictures in the book, as if she could smell the tempting aroma of the delicacies through these descriptions and feel the smoky atmosphere of the cooking process.
This "Imperial Kitchen Notes" is not the original, but a photocopy with the original text written on the cover. It is now preserved in the Central Museum.
Mingyue, however, watched with great interest, and would even exclaim in surprise when she saw a special dish she had never heard of before.
The dishes in the imperial kitchen not only focus on taste, but also emphasize the combination of color, shape and nutrition. The book also has illustrations, which allows Mingyue to see many plating arrangements and exquisite carvings.
Among the palace dishes, the most famous one is probably Buddha Jumps Over the Wall.
Buddha Jumps Over the Wall is a soup that combines a variety of delicacies from land and sea.
According to the records in the book, Buddha Jumps Over the Wall requires a variety of ingredients such as shark fin, sea cucumber, abalone, scallops, pigeon eggs, tendons, ham, chicken, duck, etc.
Just processing the ingredients takes a lot of effort, and you need to soak the shark fins and sea cucumbers in advance.
Finally, put all the ingredients into a large jar, add broth and various seasonings, and simmer over low heat for several hours to allow the flavors of the various ingredients to blend with each other, forming a mellow and delicious taste.
This dish is delicious, but if I want to make it in the finals, there won’t be enough time.
The next dish is braised shark fin.
The shark fin needs to be soaked in advance and then stewed with oil chicken, scallops, etc. to allow the shark fin to fully absorb the flavor of the meat. Remove the stewed shark fin and set aside.
Stir-fry the scallions, ginger and garlic in the pot, add the broth and seasonings, and finally add the shark fin. Simmer on low heat. When the soup is thick, turn to high heat to reduce the sauce. Add water starch to thicken it so that the shark fin is covered with rich sauce and has a soft, glutinous and fragrant taste.
This dish is suitable as a main course and can be paired with rice, but there may be some restrictions if you want to combine it with appetizers and desserts, because the red-braised shark's fin has a strong flavor and may feel a bit greasy after eating it, and you may not want to eat a sweet dessert.
Mingyue continued to look through the menu in the book.
This poached pork tenderloin dish looks amazing.
The pork tenderloin is minced and seasoned, eggs are beaten to make egg skin, and then the pork tenderloin is wrapped in egg skin and fried in oil.
The pork loin made in this way is fragrant on the outside and tender on the inside.
There is also Xiangzi tofu.
The tofu is cut into pieces and fried, then the tofu pulp is scooped out and stuffed with pork, dried shrimp, fungus, mushrooms, etc., then steamed and topped with a layer of sauce.
Both of these are suitable as appetizers, so Mingyue wrote them down first.
She also saw a very interesting dish - goldfish duck feet.
This dish is shaped like a goldfish.
Debone the duck feet, chop the chicken breast into minced meat, put them in a bowl, add seasonings and mix well.
Place the minced chicken at the end of the duck's paw, add half a quail egg as the goldfish's head, and use green beans as the eyes.
Finally, steam until cooked and thicken.
Mingyue took a look at the accompanying picture and it really looked like goldfish on a plate, which was very interesting.
She immediately wrote this recipe down. Even if she didn't make it at the finals, she wanted to try it in her spare time.
She also recorded some dessert recipes, such as Palace Rose Pastry, Palace Milk Roll, etc.
These imperial dishes not only have rich ingredients and complex cooking techniques, but are also extremely exquisite in shape and cultural connotations.
Mingyue looked at these records and felt sincere admiration for the profoundness of Chinese history.
In addition to "Notes from the Imperial Kitchen", Mingyue also consulted other related books. From "Suiyuan Food List", she learned the techniques of ingredient matching and seasoning. In "Tiaoding Collection", she discovered many long-lost cooking methods.
These books helped her gain a more comprehensive understanding of the essence of traditional Chinese cuisine and also injected more cultural heritage into her final dish.
Mingyue continued to search tirelessly in this vast sea of books. She firmly believed that after understanding a variety of dishes, she would be able to combine the strengths of all schools to create an innovative fusion dish that would fully demonstrate the charm of Chinese cuisine.
Mingyue was recording the good combinations in the recipes while thinking about what dishes she was going to make.
Three dishes need to be prepared in the finals: starter, main course and dessert.
The production team had told them in advance that each dish would take one hour to cook, so the contestants could plan accordingly.
Mingyue was a thinker, and the pen in his hand unconsciously tapped on the notes, leaving a small hole.
The main course must be a large dish with meat, so she plans to choose vegetables to make the first course.
Should we choose fresh fruit for dessert? Or should we pair fresh tea with fresh flowers?
Or desserts made with chestnuts, yams, and sweet potatoes are also good.
Well, if you are still undecided, just give it a try!
So in the remaining five days before the finals, Mingyue stayed in the kitchen studying cooking.
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