After being persuaded by Li Huan and fanned the flames by Tang Bohu, Zhang Guifu selected some smaller seafood.
Afterwards, Li Huan began selecting ingredients.
Tang Bohu asked quietly, "What dish will you make with seafood?"
Li Huan said, "Seafood spicy hot pot!"
Tang Bohu's eyes suddenly lit up: "This dish's name sounds delicious, it must be amazing!"
Li Huan said no more and got busy.
The secret to making "spicy seafood hot pot" lies in stir-frying the "base sauce".
The quality of the broth determines the degree of spiciness and aroma.
Li Huan was too lazy to use seasonings and condiments to make a "base sauce," so he directly spent three thousand special points to exchange for a "delicious base sauce."
Cut scallions into sections, slice ginger, and crush garlic. Put them in a pot and stir-fry until fragrant.
Next, Li Huan put the "delicious base" into the pot and continued to stir-fry.
At the same time, some "honest white sugar" was added.
After processing the shrimp, squid, sea cucumber, abalone, and crab, Li Huan put them into the pot.
Zhang Fugui was immediately astonished upon witnessing Li Huan's cooking skills.
Unexpectedly, Li Huan adopted a "one-pot" approach.
Zhang Fugui originally thought that Li Huan would use his superb culinary skills and exquisite knife skills to carve various seafood, thus achieving a dish that is both pleasing to the eye and delicious to the palate.
How do you eat this "one-pot stew"?
Zhang Fugui had no time to think. He bent down to make cuts on the squid and sea cucumber, and instructed his assistant to peel the shrimp and crab shells.
Zhang Fugui's assistant was working up a sweat.
On the contrary, Tang Bohu was bored and had nothing to do.
Glug glug...
The large pot in front of Li Huan made a series of light, bubbling sounds, releasing steam and a tantalizing aroma.
Judging from the sound and smell, Li Huan knew that the "Seafood Spicy Hot Pot" was ready to be served!
"Take it off the heat!" Li Huan shouted.
Tang Bohu quickly grabbed a rag to protect his hands and lifted the large pot off the stove.
Grand Tutor Hua exclaimed in surprise, "It's finished cooking so quickly? That's incredibly fast!"
Li Huan said, "Seafood is all about freshness and shouldn't be cooked for too long. Take it off the heat now, it's just the right temperature!"
Grand Tutor Hua stroked his beard and chuckled, "I'm really looking forward to it!"
Seeing this, Zhang Fugui was not in a hurry and carefully cut the jellyfish skin.
Li Huan ordered, "Send the whole pot over there!"
Tang Bohu asked in surprise, "Don't seafood need to be served on a plate?"
Li Huan laughed and said, "I cooked a 'spicy seafood hot pot,' how can I serve it on a plate?"
Tang Bohu immediately complied, placing the large pot on the Eight Immortals table in front of the referee.
Prince Ning, Grand Tutor Hua, and the judges immediately gathered around to watch.
"Damn! This is so rough!" Prince Ning said, frowning.
One of the imperial chefs said, "What about your knife skills? At least make some fancy cuts on the squid, and cut the sea cucumber into some decorative shapes too!"
Li Huan announced loudly, "My dish is called 'Spicy Seafood Hot Pot.' It's not a stir-fry, so I don't need to demonstrate my knife skills! Grand Tutor, Your Highness, and all judges, please enjoy it while it's hot!"
Everyone picked up their chopsticks and took out various kinds of seafood from the big pot to enjoy.
The aroma from the pot filled the air, making Madam Hua, Qiu Xiang, Chun Xiang, Xia Xiang, Dong Xiang, and others almost drool, and their stomachs rumbled involuntarily.
Grand Tutor Hua slurped, "Wow, these prawns are so fresh, fragrant, and spicy! They're absolutely delicious! So good, incredibly delicious!"
Chef Ma said, "It may seem like a big hodgepodge, with nothing particularly outstanding, but each of these seafoods has its own unique freshness, along with a rich and spicy flavor. The more you eat, the more you want to eat, making it irresistible!"
Prince Ning chewed on abalone, his thick eyebrows furrowed.
His expression seemed displeased, but a hint of approval flashed in his eyes.
Clearly, this "spicy seafood hot pot" also won over Prince Ning's taste buds.
The portly advisor said, "Your Highness, Grand Tutor, and all judges, please vote for Li Huan's 'Seafood Spicy Hot Pot'!"
Grand Tutor Hua immediately raised his hand: "I vote for Li Huan!"
The other seven judges also voted for Li Huan without hesitation.
Only Imperial Chef Ma and Prince Ning remained.
Chef Ma glanced at Prince Ning and said, "To be honest, this 'Spicy Seafood Hot Pot' is the best seafood dish I've ever had! I've decided to vote for Li Huan!"
"Nine votes!" Madam Hua exclaimed in delight.
Prince Ning clenched his fists, gritted his teeth, and tried to control his emotions.
Undoubtedly, under the influence of the "honest sugar's" magical effects, Prince Ning also wanted to speak the truth and do things that did not violate his conscience.
But he tried his best to remain calm and refused to raise his hand.
Seeing this, the fat advisor hurriedly asked, "Your Highness, aren't you going to vote for Li Huan?"
Prince Ning gritted his teeth and nodded.
The portly advisor announced: "In the second round, Li Huan received nine votes!"
Just then, Zhang Fugui shouted, "My 'Seafood Feast' is ready!"
Zhang Fugui's assistant struggled to lift a large plate and walked to the referees.
In the center of the large round plate, there is a diamond-shaped porcelain plate.
The diamond-shaped porcelain plate was surrounded by small plates.
Plates of all sizes were filled with different kinds of seafood.
Li Huan laughed and said, "Isn't this just a platter?"
Zhang Fugui peeked out: "Wrong, this isn't a platter, it's a 'Seafood Feast'!"
Li Huan said, "No matter how fancy the name you come up with, it's still just a patchwork."
Zhang Fugui said, "I'm too lazy to argue with you. Please, Your Highness, Grand Tutor, and all the judges, taste my 'Seafood Feast'!"
Zhang Fugui's assistant, carrying a large round platter, was flushed with exhaustion: "There's a 'Seafood Spicy Hot Pot' on the table, why is there a 'Seafood Fortune Gathering'?"
Zhang Fugui quickly came over, attempting to take the "Seafood Spicy Hot Pot" away.
Grand Tutor Hua quickly stopped him: "Don't move! I haven't eaten enough yet!"
Zhang Fugui said with a forced smile, "Grand Tutor, if Li Huan's 'Spicy Seafood Hot Pot' isn't removed, my 'Seafood Feast' can't be served!"
Grand Tutor Hua, his forehead beaded with sweat from the spiciness, slurped again and said, "Wait a moment, let me eat two more shrimp..."
He immediately took action, pinched a shrimp out of the pot, carefully peeled off the shell, opened his mouth and bit into the shrimp meat, eating with great enthusiasm...
Zhang Fugui's assistant struggled to carry the large round platter, his arms trembling involuntarily.
"I...I can't hold on much longer..."
Helpless, Zhang Fugui immediately helped by supporting the large round plate, fearing that the seafood on the porcelain plate would fall.
After finishing one prawn, Grand Tutor Hua took another one out of the pot and slowly peeled it...
Li Huan almost burst out laughing.
Grand Tutor Hua was cunning; he deliberately delayed, making Zhang Fugui and his assistant expend their energy carrying the large round plate.
Finally, Grand Tutor Hua finished the two prawns, wiped the sweat from his brow, and exclaimed, "Delicious and spicy! So satisfying! So satisfying!"
Prince Ning hurriedly said, "Quickly remove Li Huan's 'Spicy Seafood Hot Pot' and put on Zhang Fugui's 'Seafood Fortune Gathering'!"
The two referees stood up and took away the "Spicy Seafood Hot Pot," while Zhang Fugui and his assistant quickly placed the "Seafood Fortune Platter" on the table.
Prince Ning stared intently at Zhang Fugui's masterpiece, praising it repeatedly!
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