When Su Qingluan put the fish into the pan to fry, she specifically emphasized that one side of the tail must be lifted up for frying, so that the "tail curled up" effect could be achieved.
When frying the fish, you cannot turn it back and forth like other dishes, otherwise the two pieces of fish fillets that have just been glued together with water starch and shaped will easily fall apart.
After a while, Su Qingluan placed the fried fish head on the "fish neck", picked up the whole fish fillet, drained the oil and placed it on the big plate. In this way, the fish head was raised and the fish tail was curled up, as if it was about to jump out of the water.
People around couldn't help but admire: "This shape is really unique!"
"It's so lifelike, it's almost as if the fish is coming alive!"
"Leaving aside the taste, the aura of this dish is a cut above the rest!"
Su Qingluan couldn't help laughing when he heard this: What a fucking aura! Why didn't he talk about bloodline suppression?
After secretly complaining, Su Qingluan poured out the oil: "Next, the sauce can't be poured directly on the fish. We have to give it a bright layer and thicken it to make the sauce brighter."
As she spoke, Su Qingluan added the starch to the previously prepared sauce. As the starch gradually absorbed the liquid, the bubbling soup gradually became crystal clear and thick, transforming into fine bubbles.
Su Qingluan glanced at the length of the fish, then glanced at the amount of soup. Su Qingluan took the soup out of the pot and poured the thick soup evenly on the fish body and tail from top to bottom.
In an instant, the "fish scales" that were originally fried golden yellow were covered with a layer of bright red crystal sauce, exuding a sweet and sour aroma, which made people unable to resist their appetite.
"The amount of sauce is also very important." Ignoring the faint sounds of swallowing around her, Su Qingluan pointed at the sauce, "It can't be too much or too thin, otherwise it won't be able to wrap the fish and lose its rich texture. It will also easily make the crispy outside and tender inside of the fish become soft, affecting not only the taste but also the appearance."
He held up the plate and let the young chefs come closer to examine it. "The ideal state is that the sauce is evenly coated on every inch of the fish, without leaking the fried part below. At the same time, there is no excess sauce on the bottom of the plate that can't hold the fish. The bottom of the plate is kept clean, and the food on the plate cannot be contaminated or discolored."
As she spoke, she pointed to the peony leaves carved out of a cucumber, which were very close to where the fish head was.
Su Qingluan said, putting the plate on the table and breathing a sigh of relief: "This fish is well cooked, everyone try it! I'll go wash the pot!"
Seeing that the young chef was about to come over, she stopped him this time: "Everyone can enjoy the best taste of this dish while it's fresh. If you wash the pot again, the taste will not be as good as when it was fresh out of the pot. Go and try it."
Seeing that Su Qingluan had gone to wash the pot, while a bunch of kitchen helpers were still standing there in a daze, Xu Yuanwei said with a smile, "Miss Su asked you to try it, so go and try it!"
As he said this, he took the lead in handing a pair of chopsticks to Shopkeeper Liang, and then he also picked up a piece of fish with the chopsticks.
As the tip of the chopsticks pierces the crispy skin, everyone can clearly hear a slight "crunching" sound, and then the white fish meat with a moist luster appears before people's eyes.
"Slurp!" Someone couldn't help but sip, earning a glare from Xu Yuanwei: "Look at how little you've accomplished!"
Although he said so, he also put the piece of fish that he was holding with his chopsticks into his mouth.
Liang Youdao was in a good mood, but his hands were no slower than Xu Yuanwei's. He looked neither hurried nor slow, but his movements of picking up the fish were very precise.
When the kitchen helpers around saw that the shopkeeper and the head chef had already started to eat, they also started to eat.
At this time, Su Qingluan came back after washing the pot.
Although the fish Su Qingluan caught today was quite large and almost half a meter long, there were many people in the kitchen, so even if each person only took one or two bites, half of the fish was almost eaten up.
Su Qingluan looked at the "leftovers" that had been eaten in an instant and asked with a smile, "Master chefs, is this fish delicious?"
"Yeah, yeah!" Everyone immediately nodded like chickens pecking at rice and responded one after another.
Su Qingluan grinned—a smile that looked a bit like the look of a teacher setting a question during an exam and seeing that the student couldn't answer it—and then asked the fatal question: "Where is it delicious?"
Why, why do I have to take an exam just to eat?!
A bunch of kitchen helpers looked terrified.
Xu Yuanwei looked at his group of subordinates and apprentices, furious at their lack of fighting spirit. "You usually look quite smart, but why are you standing here like wooden stakes? I'm asking you a question, are you mute?!"
As he spoke, he added another piece of fish from a different part to taste.
Su Qingluan understood at a glance that Xu Yuanwei was indeed the most experienced chef here, and he immediately saw the difficulty of this "squirrel fish".
Every time he picks up fish, he carefully observes the part where the fish meat and the skin are connected, and he deliberately dips each piece of fish in a little more sauce so that he can taste the flavor more carefully and control the thickness and cooking time.
Compared to those young chefs who ate a mouthful of fish and could only praise "It's so delicious" and "It's so tasty", Su Qingluan could see that Xu Yuanwei was probably the only one who really learned the key points.
But this is normal. These young kitchen helpers have not yet officially started their apprenticeship, and their basic skills are not that solid. Naturally, it is difficult for them to see the real key steps and tricks of a dish.
However, Su Qingluan also understood that although Xu Yuanwei was strict, he was not the kind of person who would keep secrets. If necessary, he would definitely learn this dish and teach it to someone who could truly inherit his legacy.
Su Qingluan was sighing in her heart, but she saw the person who was muttering in his heart walking towards her.
The feeling of "secretly praising others but being caught in the act" was so strong that Su Qingluan took a step back feeling guilty, and then was speechless - she hadn't really said anything, so why should she feel guilty?
"Master Xu, do you have any advice for me?" Although Su Qingluan was smiling, her tone was still a little weak.
Xu Yuanwei stared at Su Qingluan intently, making her hair stand on end. "Could this guy have some kind of mind-reading ability? Did I say anything bad about him just now?" Su Qingluan muttered to herself.
Unexpectedly, Xu Yuanwei suddenly bowed and clasped his fists towards Su Qingluan, saying, "There's no need to continue the competition today. I admit defeat."
Su Qingluan quickly shook her head: "How can you say that? Master Xu hasn't even made a move yet..." And the most important thing is that she spent half a day hoping for the "food exchange" session!
But now, it's gone! Who can she talk to?
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