"Of course, if you are fast, you can raise your hand in advance to signal. Being fast is also an advantage, since it would be a big problem if the judges ate too much and couldn't eat anymore."
Wu Zhengchuan is right, there are 5 judges and more than 200 contestants.
Even if they only eat a little bit of each dish, the total amount of more than 200 dishes is still quite a lot.
The further you go, the fuller you'll get, and the more greasy the food will become, which will reduce the chances of getting a high score.
Therefore, speed is also an important factor to consider.
Of course, if your dishes taste absolutely delicious, then everything above is just fluff.
To ensure fairness, assistants were not allowed to participate in the cooking process, so Lu Rong took the chickens and various ingredients from everyone.
Proceed to cooking seat number 88.
The cooking here is quite simple.
It's a very simple little counter with a gas stove next to it.
All the contestants took their ingredients and went to their assigned spots.
Of course, some were happy while others were sad; those who barely managed to get any ingredients looked quite upset.
Even the surrounding audience couldn't help but burst into laughter when they saw it.
"I'm dying of laughter! Look at that guy in the white shirt, he only managed to grab a few scallions. What do you think he's going to make for the judges?"
"The one you're looking at still has a few scallions left. And look at that chubby kid, he didn't get anything. I bet he's just letting the judges eat nothing."
"Maybe the judges have eaten too much and are tired of the food, and they think the air is nice too, so they might advance."
"You're overthinking it. I think if a judge doesn't like something, they'll spit it out as soon as they put it in their mouth, so it's very rare for them to say they can't eat it anymore."
"Hehe, do you really think these judges are stupid? These judges are nationally renowned gourmets. They've eaten a lot of things, and they'll know immediately whether something tastes good or not. Besides, these guys are known for their huge appetites; this amount isn't enough to make them unable to finish it."
"There are so many newcomers this year. It's hard to tell who's the best. All we know right now is that Tang Haohan was last year's champion and has a high chance of winning again this year. I've heard that many of the others are newly emerging geniuses."
"No rush. After tonight's selection, I estimate that many impressive people will emerge. There are too many people now, and we are all strangers to them. We will only know who is good after watching the cooking process."
"Don't worry, the really capable ones will probably show up soon."
…………
Soon, each contestant arrived at their assigned spot.
Even those who didn't manage to get any ingredients had no choice but to take their assigned seats.
Of course, they didn't just give up like that.
Many people have their own methods.
It's unclear whether the exchange involved money or something else.
Although you can no longer use theft, it seems possible if the other party is willing to trade.
After all, the previous rules did not strictly prohibit private exchanges.
Originally, those who hadn't managed to grab any ingredients were in despair, but then a clever person discovered a loophole they could exploit.
Subsequently, many people began exchanging or buying ingredients privately.
Therefore, those who managed to grab a larger share of the ingredients became highly sought-after.
Of course, exchanging or buying other people's ingredients privately is not so simple.
Since everyone present is a competitor, unless they already know each other privately or have found a factor that benefits both sides.
For most people, getting the ingredients from the other party is not so easy.
The organizers seemed to tacitly approve of this behavior and did not say anything.
Whether it's stealing or exchanging ingredients from others, it's a skill.
It is important to learn how to make good use of the current conditions and rules, which is also an indicator that the organizers want to test the contestants.
For Lu Rong, what he needed to make was sour papaya and old hen soup.
Ma Jiang was really helpful; he got the ingredients he wanted without any problems.
There were even several more items added.
This meant that Lu Rong didn't have to struggle with the same dilemma as some other contestants.
It's important to understand that even if many contestants manage to acquire a lot of ingredients, it can still be quite awkward if those ingredients aren't suitable for cooking together.
After arriving at seat number 88, he immediately washed all the ingredients in his hand without hesitation.
Then he took the whole hen to the chopping board and started chopping it up quickly.
Lu Rong's knife skills are top-notch. Chopping up this old hen is a piece of cake for him. With a few quick chops, he cut the whole hen into countless pieces.
Then he sliced all three sour papayas in his hand.
This type of papaya is very sour, and its flavor is well released during cooking after it is sliced.
Next, chop some scallions, ginger, garlic, and chili peppers; the basic ingredients are now ready.
Because the counter here contains all kinds of commonly used ingredients such as rice, oil, salt, soy sauce, and chicken essence.
So it's very convenient to put whatever you want in.
Lu Rong put the chopped chicken into the pot and immediately turned up the heat to stir-fry.
At times like these, there's no time to procrastinate.
We must make the most of every minute to complete the task.
Before long, the chicken in the pot started sizzling and releasing oil, indicating it was about 70% cooked.
First, stir-fry the chicken until it's about 70% cooked. This will quickly remove any fishy smell.
It also makes the chicken more fragrant, resulting in a better-tasting broth and firmer meat.
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