The Spirit of Gourmet

Chapter 533 Full Moon Over the West Tower
"It should be almost done."

At the table, Qin Lang glanced at the time, nodded slightly, and then stepped forward to open the lid of the steamer.

Amidst the rising steam, the contents hidden inside the steamer were finally revealed: two cooking-specific food storage bags, one containing a white substance and the other an orange-red one.

The plastic bag was rolled out beforehand to completely expel the air inside. Now, as the food inside the plastic bag steamed and set, Qin Lang carefully took out two pieces of food that were as thick as paper.

"What kind of ingredient is this?"

Qin Zhongguo's voice rang out at that moment.

He had underestimated them and hadn't paid any attention to their cooking, so he hadn't seen what Qin Lang had done.

At this moment, because of Zhao Qian and Cao Dongdong's performance, Qin Zhongguo also became more curious and expectant about Qin Lang. So when he saw his unusual cooking method, he couldn't help but ask.

“It’s scallops.” Qin Lang paused slightly, then smiled and said, “I seasoned the high-quality scallop meat and chopped it into a paste with a knife.”

"Then use a plastic bag to steam and shape it."

"I added some red pepper sauce to color this orange-red one."

"It's actually a scallop." Qin Zhongguo looked surprised. "Continue."

Qin Lang nodded and used a small knife to quickly cut the two thick, paper-thick pieces of scallop meat, swiftly cutting out tiny petals as if cutting paper.

After cutting and skillfully assembling, Qin Lang gently placed two lifelike flowers, one white and one red, into the soup he had prepared beforehand.

Immediately afterwards, Qin Lang took out a clear broth, as pure as tea, from the pot next to him.

The reason why Cao Dongdong finished making egg yolk pastries but not his dishes is because he spent the time making the broth.

Even with the help of spicy cooking to speed things up, the tedious manual steps in making the broth still take a considerable amount of time.

In the past, the prepared chicken broth could be used directly for cooking.

But this time, Qin Lang's actions didn't stop there.

He reopened the steamer, thoroughly cleaned the inside, and carefully wiped it dry with kitchen paper.

While others were wondering why Qin Lang was doing this, Qin Lang poured the carefully prepared chicken broth into the water tank of the steamer.

Then, various fungi such as morel mushrooms and termite mushrooms were placed on the steaming rack.

"What kind of operation is this?" Song Pan couldn't help but mutter. "Wasn't that soup that was being simmered just now?"

Why did you pour it directly into the steamer's water tank?

"This is too wasteful!"

Qin Zhongguo did not answer Song Pan's question; at this moment, a look of realization and excitement appeared in his eyes.

Such unique cooking steps are really interesting!

"Add the prepared broth to the water tank of the steamer. During the steaming process, the unique flavor of the fungi will quietly infuse into the broth."

"This method is completely different from directly stewing mushrooms, and the effect will also be different. The flavor of mushrooms in the soup will not be too strong and overpower the other flavors."

"But what's incorporated into the soup is the essence of the mushrooms."

"I never expected to see such a inspired way of cooking." As he said this, Qin Zhongguo's face showed a look of admiration and respect.

Even before he had tasted Qin Lang's dishes, he had already accepted him.

Soon, the steaming process was over. Qin Lang collected the chicken broth from the water tank, further purified it to remove any impurities left from the steaming process, and then slowly poured it into the soup bowl with two flowers on it that he had just prepared.

Two flowers, one white and one red, unfurled in the clear soup, creating a graceful and elegant atmosphere reminiscent of a slowly unfolding ink painting, which was truly stunning. Qin Lang gently placed the soup bowl in front of Song Pan, who was swallowing hard, and Qin Zhongguo, whose expression was deeply moved, and gestured for them to "please try it."

"The moon is full over the western tower, please enjoy your meal."

Qin Zhongguo quickly stepped forward, gently scooped up the orange-red flower, and took a bite.

The scallop meat paste has a soft and bouncy texture, somewhat like a firmer jelly, and tastes completely different from eating regular scallop meat.

In terms of flavor, the natural seafood flavor of the scallop meat is fully preserved, and the steaming process, which is sealed in a plastic bag, locks in all the nutrients.

The delicious flavor of chicken broth and mushrooms permeates every crevice of the petals, melting in your mouth as you chew, blending perfectly with the seafood taste.

The three different flavors intertwined, like a magnificent and harmonious symphony unfolding on the tip of the tongue, causing Qin Zhongguo to raise his eyebrows involuntarily.

It's so delicious, it's impossible not to want to eat it.

After finishing the delicate orange-red flower in a few bites, Qin Zhongguo was about to reach for another white flower with his spoon when Song Pan, who was in a hurry, called out to him.

"It's my turn! It's my turn!" he shouted, snatching Qin Zhongguo's spoon without hesitation and scooping up another white flower to put in his mouth.

Taking a bite, Song Pan felt a jolt as if struck by lightning.

this smell...

He suddenly increased his eating speed, finishing a whole flower-shaped scallop in just two bites, and then reached for the soup bowl with his spoon.

However, Song Pan was ultimately a step too late.

Qin Zhongguo had drunk all the soup in the soup bowl.

As the head chef, Qin Zhongguo naturally knew what the most essential part of a dish was, so he wasn't in a hurry when Song Pan snatched his spoon.

After finishing his soup, Qin Zhongguo leisurely wiped his mouth and then gave Song Pan a smile that carried a hint of smugness.

"You, you, you..." Song Pan was so angry that she couldn't say a word.

But then his eyes lit up, and he quickly realized something.

"It's alright, I can still enjoy it when it's time to indulge!"

“Enjoy the moment…” Qin Zhongguo’s smile gradually disappeared.

He had previously thought that Qin Lang and the other two were not qualified to serve dishes to Hai Ba Wang's diners, but now his opinion had changed drastically.

only…

"Aren't these three dishes a bit too wasteful to give away as a free gift?"

"Of course not." Qin Lang chuckled. "I have carefully studied Hai Ba Wang's menu. Zhao Qian's Thousand Flavors Lamb can be served as a cold appetizer, Dongdong's Egg Yolk Pastry can be served as a dessert, and my Full Moon West Tower can be served as a refreshing soup."

“These are all things that are missing from Haibawang’s menu.”

"These dishes are not considered main courses, so there is nothing wrong with giving them away as freebies."

"More importantly, the three of us need the diners' approval and signatures so that the free gifts can be legitimately enjoyed by every diner."

Upon hearing this, Qin Zhongguo immediately stopped saying anything more.

"In that case, you are welcome to temporarily join the kitchen staff."

(End of this chapter)