The Spirit of Gourmet

Chapter 197 Inspiration for the Semifinals
"Is it just that the taste is good?"

Zhao Qian rested her chin on her hand and tentatively asked, "Is there anything that can be improved?"

"Let me finish this first," Qin Lang smiled, focusing intently on savoring the crab in his hand.

After tasting the crab claws, crab roe, and crab meat one by one, he gained a comprehensive understanding of the flavor of Zhao Qian's dish.

After finishing the crab, Qin Lang looked thoughtful.

Zhao Qian's expression immediately tensed up, and even Cao Dongdong and Yu Zaozao, who were standing next to her, stopped tasting and looked at Qin Lang.

“There are many areas that can be improved.” Qin Lang quickly gathered his thoughts. “First, the details of handling the crabs before steaming.”

"Have you noticed that the Red Jade Crab you made had broken legs?"

“That’s true.” Zhao Qian nodded in agreement, then looked troubled. “I often break off the legs when I steam crabs. Even though I’ve tied the legs to stop them from moving around, I still can’t stop it.”

"Because a crab's broken leg has nothing to do with its erratic movements," Qin Lang explained with a wry smile. "A crab's legs can regenerate, so in natural circumstances, when faced with danger, it will choose to break off a leg to survive."

"To ensure the crab meat is fresh and delicious, the crabs are still alive when they are put into the steamer. Under high temperature, they will feel that they are in danger and will instinctively try to escape by breaking off their legs."

"So that's how it is." Zhao Qian looked enlightened.

"No wonder you said before that an excellent chef needs to have a good understanding of the ingredients themselves." Cao Dongdong shook his head with some emotion. "It seems I still have a lot to learn."

He had thought he was already capable of researching new desserts on his own and that he wasn't far from being on par with Qin Lang, but now it seems there's still a significant gap between them.

"So how do we solve this problem?" Yu Zaozao couldn't help but ask curiously.

"The solution is quite simple," Qin Lang smiled. "It's to let the crabs have a good sleep before putting them in the steamer."

"River crabs have a hibernation habit; they quickly enter a hibernation state when the water temperature is too low." Qin Lang paused slightly. "Got it?"

"Got it!" Zhao Qian exclaimed in sudden realization. "Put the crabs in ice water for a while before steaming them!"

“That’s right.” Qin Lang nodded. “Then, there’s the sauce itself, which is the soul of this dish.”

“Your sauce tastes very good now, but in my opinion, there’s still room for improvement.” As he spoke, Qin Lang took out a pen and paper and quickly wrote down several changes to the seasonings before handing them to Zhao Qian.

"Try this next time."

"I'll give it a try." Zhao Qian's eyes lit up, she called out to Bubu, and then entered the seasoning simulation according to the adjustment plan given by Qin Lang.

When the simulation ended, she opened her eyes again, her eyes filled with surprise. "Although there weren't many changes, the crab flavor is much clearer now!"

"Yes." Qin Lang nodded. "Your current sauce highlights the fruity aroma of grapes too much, which masks some of the crab flavor."

"Red Jade Crab, the main ingredient should be crab."

"I've learned a lot," Zhao Qian nodded. "Any other suggestions for improvement?"

“Yes.” Qin Lang pondered for a moment, “You could consider replacing the freshly squeezed grape juice with wine, not the fully fermented kind, but a semi-finished product that has just started fermentation would be more suitable.”

"This way, the Red Jade Crab has both the aroma of grapes and a hint of wine, which could make the flavor even richer."

"Wine?" Zhao Qian's eyes widened.

She had never thought of this before, but after hearing Qin Lang's explanation, she couldn't help but be tempted.

Having been exposed to brewing since childhood, she still knows the most basic brewing techniques. If she only needs semi-finished products, one or two days is enough.

"Finally," Qin Lang pointed to the crab shells on the table, "don't pre-treat the crab shells; just soak the steamed crabs in the sauce."

"Huh?" Zhao Qian blinked, somewhat surprised. "I specifically optimized this step." If you soak it directly, it takes half a day or even longer for the sauce to penetrate. After she processed the crab shell, it only takes twenty minutes. Not only that, but peeling the shell when eating it is also much easier.

So Zhao Qian was quite proud of this improvement...

"No wonder you said the taste is different from before." Qin Lang shook his head, both amused and exasperated. "There are different kinds of fire, and the same applies to marinating."

"Your method does allow the sauce to penetrate the crab meat more quickly, but this penetration only reaches the surface of the crab meat."

"If the soaking time is increased further, the surface layer of sauce will be over-soaked, resulting in an overly strong flavor and ultimately leading to failure."

"Only by not damaging the gaps and joints of the crab shell, allowing the sauce to slowly seep into the crab meat, and letting it settle over time, can the flavor of the sauce be perfectly integrated into every corner of the crab meat."

Some things can't be rushed.

Hearing this, Zhao Qian blushed and rubbed her head in annoyance, "Looks like I was too clever for my own good."

"But next time, it won't happen again!"

A strong fighting spirit quickly appeared in her eyes.

After Qin Lang's guidance, Zhao Qian was confident that her next attempt at making the Red Jade Crab would taste much better than the first time.

However, if we want to follow Qin Lang's suggestions for improvement, we won't be able to eat this Red Jade Crab for at least two more days.

"Wait here, I'll go brew the wine right now!" Zhao Qian rolled up her sleeves, looking very enthusiastic.

"Wait a minute!" Qin Lang pulled Zhao Qian aside and chuckled, "I also have something I need to ask you for a favor."

“Go ahead!” Zhao Qian nodded without hesitation.

Qin Lang has helped her so much, she will definitely help Qin Lang if he needs anything!

"It's nothing serious, it's just..." Qin Lang swallowed hard, "Where did you get those Leaping Lake crabs? Could you get me some?"

"If you want to eat them, the rest are yours." Zhao Qian waved her hand and handed the remaining Leaping Lake Crabs from the refrigerator to Qin Lang.

"I'll just order another batch."

"No, no, no." Qin Lang shook his head, both amused and exasperated. "I don't want to eat it now; I plan to use it for the competition."

Upon hearing this, the room fell silent.

The next moment, Zhao Qian and the other two exclaimed in unison.

"The semifinals?!"

“That’s right.” Qin Lang nodded. “Thanks to Zhao Qian, I’ve already figured out what kind of food to make for the second qualifying round.”

When it comes to the combination of fruit and crab, there's one dish that absolutely must be mentioned.

That is a famous dish from Suzhou and Hangzhou that originated in the Southern Song Dynasty.

Crab-stuffed orange.

After tasting the Red Jade Crab that Zhao Qian brought out, Qin Lang suddenly felt a bit itchy to cook, and the food he was still struggling with for the semi-finals was naturally decided.

Zhao Qian and the other two exchanged glances, and then all stepped forward.

"What ingredients do you need? I'll get them for you!" Cao Dongdong waved his hand. "Make it for me to try later!"

(End of this chapter)