The Spirit of Gourmet

Chapter 265 Comparison of the Three

"Try it, this is a delicacy prepared by Qin Lang."

Upon seeing the other two, Li Yuantu cheerfully took out the chicken drumsticks he had just obtained. Clearly, he wanted three portions at once, just to share with the two of them.

"This is spicy braised goose liver prepared by Di You."

Zhuo Hong also took out three large pieces of foie gras with an enticing deep red color and shared them with the other two.

"Crispy Fish, a work by Dai Lan."

Sang Ran also took out three portions of crispy fish and distributed them to the other two.

The three seemed to have a tacit understanding beforehand, and began to enjoy each other's food.

Di You is the best cook among the food and travel club members led by Zhuo Hong, while Dai Lan is the best cook among the food and travel club members led by Sang Ran. As for Qin Lang…

Li Yuantu didn't bring any juniors with him, so he treated Qin Lang as his own junior, since Qin Lang came from Dongxia City.

Sang Ran first tasted the spicy braised goose liver prepared by Di You. After taking a bite, a look of surprise immediately appeared in her eyes.

"The delicate and smooth texture of the foie gras hasn't diminished at all?"

It's important to know that internal organs like the liver are not actually suitable for braising, as prolonged heating and cooking will worsen their texture.

When cooking such ingredients, it is often necessary to minimize the heating time in order to maintain their tender and smooth texture.

But the spicy braised goose liver that Sang Ran mentioned had a smooth and delicate texture like ice cream, which was quite unbelievable.

However, being a Level 2 food recommender, she quickly realized something: "Is it a cold braising method?"

“Not bad.” Zhuo Hong smiled. “Various low-temperature cooking methods are Di You’s comfort zone in cooking.”

“No wonder.” Li Yuantu nodded slightly. “The cold roasting he used last time was also a type of low-temperature cooking.”

"This spicy braised foie gras has a smooth, creamy texture like ice cream, but the flavor is spicy and numbing, which will whet your appetite after you eat it."

"It's a delicious dish."

"Moreover, a lot of portions can be made in one braising process. If I'm not mistaken, Di You must have prepared a very large quantity in advance."

“Yes.” Zhuo Hong laughed. “He probably only needs to do it twice a day, which is enough to supply the tourists.”

"Moreover, the waiting time for tourists is extremely short."

Upon hearing this, Li Yuantu and Sang Ran nodded slightly.

Without a doubt, this is a delicious dish that also takes into account the actual conditions of this food exhibition.

"Making it to the top eight in the cooking competition is indeed a low achievement." After finishing her spicy braised goose liver, Sang Ran calmly said, "Let's try the next dish."

"I have great confidence in Dylan's crispy-boned fish."

"Then let's try the crispy fish first." Li Yuantu smiled, picked up the crispy fish, took a bite, and then a look of surprise appeared in his eyes.

"How should this fish be prepared..."

He looked up and exchanged a glance with Zhuo Hong beside him.

"This is the first time I've ever had fried fish with such a texture," Zhuo Hong exclaimed. "The fish meat is incredibly tender, and the bones are completely crispy, so even the elderly can eat it easily."

Frying the bones to this extent would normally render the fish meat completely mushy, making it impossible to achieve such a tender texture.

This dish is so exquisitely crafted, it's like frying fish bones and meat separately and then reassembling them.

But all three of them knew very well that the other party couldn't possibly have done that.

“It’s the incision and the pre-treatment.” Li Yuantu carefully examined the crispy fish in front of him and quickly discovered the clue.

"The surface of this crispy fish is scored. By scoring deep into the fish bones, Dai Lan allows the hot oil to directly contact the fish bones during frying, which speeds up the crisping process." "In addition, to ensure the tenderness of the fish meat itself, she also performed another treatment before frying, which was to marinate and coat it with flour."

“That being said…” Li Yuantu paused, “It is truly remarkable that the fish meat is kept intact during cooking while the heat is kept so precise.”

"If Dylan hadn't been a year older, I think this year's cooking competition could have been even more exciting."

"Born at the wrong time, what can be done?" Sang Ran shook her head slightly, her eyes also filled with regret for Dai Lan.

"Let's move on to the last dish," Zhuo Hong smiled, "and try our little champion's cooking skills."

"I can smell the aroma from this far away; I've been craving it for ages."

"Who isn't?" Li Yuantu said with a smile, picking up a chicken leg.

Sang Ran, who was standing next to her, also finished eating the crispy fish and took out a chicken leg.

“Crack—”

With a crisp sound, the three of them stopped moving at the same time.

Beneath the crispy golden crust, a rich aroma surges forth, perfectly absorbed by the mashed potatoes. The robust potato flavor perfectly complements the smoky flavor of the bacon and the savory aroma of the chicken, while the salty and savory taste of the chopped vegetables and cheese adds a touch of exquisite flavor.

Chewing on the smooth mashed potatoes, the three of them could clearly discern the other textures hidden within.

The chewy texture of the bacon, the tenderness of the chicken, the crispness of the chopped vegetables, and the creamy texture of the cheese intertwine to create a wonderfully delicious dish.

Take another bite, and the molten cheese filling hidden inside will quietly overflow, releasing an even richer aroma of saltiness and milkiness that gives you an irresistible sense of satisfaction.

Before they knew it, all that was left in their hands were empty chicken leg bones.

Only at this moment did they seem to snap out of their daze.

“This chicken leg dish…” Li Yuantu opened his mouth, then slowly closed it again, “It seems there’s nothing to say.”

“Yes.” Zhuo Hong sighed. “The method is not difficult. I can guess most of it after eating it once.”

"But if you asked me to imitate it, I definitely couldn't do it."

Cheese is a high-calorie ingredient. It may taste amazing at first, but it can become cloying if you eat too much of it, especially when it's deep-fried.

Qin Lang used a lot of cheese in his chicken drumsticks, but it didn't feel greasy at all.

The secret lies in the chopped vegetables that are added.

The wonderful combination of tomatoes and onions perfectly removes the greasiness of cheese while adding a whole new flavor to this dish.

Not a single point more or less would achieve such perfection.

"No wonder it's a dark horse that has emerged unexpectedly." Sang Ran looked at the empty chicken leg bone in her hand. "Simple food can be just as amazing."

"Seeing so many outstanding young people emerge is indeed a gratifying thing at times," Li Yuantu murmured.

The next moment, he caught a familiar figure out of the corner of his eye.

When he quickly turned his head, he saw nothing.

"what happened?"

Noticing that Li Yuantu's expression was different, Zhuo Hong subconsciously asked him.

“No…” Li Yuantu withdrew his gaze and shook his head slightly.

"I just saw a somewhat familiar figure from behind, who looked a lot like an old friend of mine, but I think it's probably just a slight resemblance."

"After all, the person I know shouldn't be in Shinonome right now."

(End of this chapter)