The Spirit of Gourmet

Chapter 245 Teaching Cao Dongdong a New Dessert
"Mr. Zog, you..."

Qin Lang shook his head, both amused and exasperated. Then, as he turned his head again, he met two pairs of resentful eyes.

"Qin Lang...we only got a little bit." Cao Dongdong pointed to his clothes, which were scattered in the chaos of the looting. "You'll take responsibility, right?"

Zhao Qian didn't have Cao Dongdong's thick skin, but she still nodded repeatedly in agreement and support for Cao Dongdong's words.

What the hell do I have to take responsibility for?!
Qin Lang's face darkened. "I'll make it for you again when we get back."

One fish is only so big, it's not enough for so many people to eat.

So before cooking, Qin Lang secretly told Danbao and Lala that he would make it for them again when they got back, and this time he would let the others try it first.

This is why Danbao and Lala, who didn't get a single bite, have been able to remain calm.

"Yay!" Cao Dongdong and Zhao Qian gave each other a high five.

"I'm going to cook. Although I don't have much of a chance, I still have to give it a shot." Zhao Qian waved her hand and turned to walk towards the cooking station.

She liked that pretty little fish just as much.

As for Cao Dongdong, he gave up completely.

After all, he only knows how to make desserts. If he were to make a fish, that fish would die a truly unjust death.

"Next, we just wait for the others." Cao Dongdong and Zuo Ge stood together beside Qin Lang, watching the others begin cooking one after another.

"Since we're just killing time anyway, how about I teach you to make a new dessert?" Qin Lang glanced at Cao Dongdong and said casually.

Well, it's definitely not because Cao's father gave him a benefit that he had a change of heart.

"Huh?" Cao Dongdong's eyes lit up. "Really?"

Since teaching him how to make dragon beard candy, Qin Lang hasn't taught him anything new. During this time, Cao Dongdong has been researching new desserts on his own.

However, his expertise was ultimately limited, and the various desserts he researched were actually just adjustments based on egg yolk pastries and lotus flower pastries.

"Why would I lie to you?" Qin Lang smiled and gestured towards the club members who were cooking enthusiastically. "I'll share it with them when we're done."

This was the first time Qin Lang had ever experienced so many people liking him, so he wanted to prepare a small gift for these club members.

A new dessert is just right.

"Let's get started!" Cao Dongdong rolled up his sleeves. "What will I do? I'll be your assistant!"

“I can do the work of assisting!” Zuo Ge raised his hand.

Although he has no talent for cooking, he is good at physical labor.

“There are indeed some things I need your help with.” Qin Lang chuckled as he took out a few premium eggs, then some ordinary eggs. After separating the egg whites and yolks, he handed the egg whites to the two men. “Help me whisk the egg whites.”

"No problem, just egg whites..."

Cao Dongdong and Zuo Ge took the basin and were about to begin when Qin Lang added, "Make it into a foamy consistency, enough to support chopsticks upright and prevent the basin from tipping over when turned upside down."

"…What?!"
-
"Done!"

Di You breathed a sigh of relief, looking at the whole cooked silver carp in front of him, a look of anticipation appearing on his face.

Perhaps it was because tasting Qin Lang's fish belly stuffed with mutton that inspired his enthusiasm, but he performed a bit beyond his usual level today.

This dish is presentable enough.

I can finally fulfill my wish to cook for my idol!

With that thought in mind, Di You picked up his tray and strode towards the two judges. Before he even got there, he caught a whiff of a sweet aroma in the air.

What's going on? Has anyone made sweet fish?

Immediately afterwards, Di You saw other club members gathered together, each holding a round, snow-white food the size of a fist. They ate and chatted happily with each other.

At a table not far away, Qin Lang's two friends were red-faced and visibly agitated, each holding a bowl and stirring a creamy substance inside.

What's the situation?
Di You tilted his head, feeling as if he had missed a lot of things while he was cooking a dish.

However, when Di You saw Qin Lang chatting with the two judges, his eyes lit up again.

"My two seniors and idols, this is the cold-fried silver carp I made."

"Di You, you've finally arrived! We were just talking about you." Zhuo Hong laughed. "All the other members have finished, only you are left."

"You've been cooking for so long, it must have taken a lot of effort, right?"

Upon hearing this, Di You puffed out his chest. "Yes! Please try it!"

"Great!" Zhuo Hong was the first to pick up his chopsticks, take a piece, and put it in his mouth. Then his eyes lit up, and he nodded approvingly. He smiled and looked at Li Yuantu beside him, "Come on, you should try some too."

Li Yuantu remained silent, picking up a piece and chewing quietly. Then, a strange look appeared in his eyes. "This taste..."

After the two seniors finished tasting, Qin Lang, who was standing to the side, picked up his chopsticks with a smile and said, "Let me have a taste too."

To be honest, he was indeed very curious about Di You's cooking skills.

After taking a bite of fish, a hint of surprise flashed in Qin Lang's eyes.

His first sensation was warmth.

Normally, dishes cooked over a fire will be piping hot when they come out of the pot without being cooled, but this fish is just the right temperature and can be eaten directly.

However, this warmth doesn't seem to be the result of cooling down, because its internal and external temperatures are almost the same, as if the fish and meat were cooked at this temperature.

In addition, the freshness of the fish exceeded Qin Lang's expectations. Its delicate yet slightly chewy texture was somewhere between cooked and raw fish. With each chew, it released a rich umami flavor without any fishy taste.

The names of the dishes that Di You mentioned flashed through his mind instantly.

Cold roasting...

Slow cooking?

Seemingly noticing Qin Lang's confusion, Li Yuantu slowly explained, "The so-called cold roasting is a cooking method that involves cooking away from the fire."

"The fish is not in direct contact with the open flame. It is positioned about one meter above the flame, and the fish is cooked at the same temperature in every corner using even heat. For this purpose, there is a specially designed off-flame cooking device."

“This cooking method is very popular in Mingjing Prefecture and is often used to process seafood, but it is rarely used for river fish.” Li Yuantu paused for a moment and looked at Di You.

How do you deal with problems such as parasites in river fish?

“Hehe, I do know the answer to that question.” Zhuo Hong chuckled. “Di You’s culinary skills are somewhat special; they’re called [Ingredient Purification].

Li Yuantu and Qin Lang both showed expressions of sudden realization.

Food purification is a culinary technique that can be used to remove potentially harmful substances from food, including but not limited to parasites, viruses, bacteria, and the toxic side effects of the food itself.

It's no exaggeration to say that with this culinary skill, you can eat any ingredient raw without getting sick.

In this way, cooking methods can be unrestricted by conventional wisdom, allowing for more imaginative and unconventional approaches.

(End of this chapter)