Who gave this heretical practitioner permission to cook?

Chapter 184 The ancient technique of disassembling the carp head is revealed; Xia Ming advances with a perfect score and becomes the champion (5K, second update)
Viewers in the live stream who witnessed the conversation between the two finally realized what was happening.

[This is a case of food being copied! Hahaha~]

[Zheng Zeqian, face the fear of the Great Demon King Xia Ming!]

[It has to be said, in this comparison, Zheng Zeqian and Han Tianyan are worlds apart; this is truly the kind of character a chef should have!]

I heard that a Borneo Indian restaurant has invited Han Tianyan to be their head chef!

That matches the impression netizens have of him. By the way, has anyone noticed that this year's chef exam was a little different?

What's the difference?

[This refers to the exam dates for Hua 5, Hua 6, and Hua 7. A blogger said this year is a dream year for those aiming for Hua 4; whether they succeed or fail will soon be clear.]

[Oh, you mean the video Shi Pingdao posted? I watched it too. Basically, the three levels' timelines just happen to coincide. If you're exceptionally strong, you could clear them all by the end of this year and enter "Hua 7th level."]

【!! Isn't this practically a special passage reserved for Xia Ming? This is outrageous!】

[The timeline was set last year, what does it have to do with Guan Xiaming? Besides, the Huazhong Level 7 exam isn't easy. Many people in Huazhong Level 6 have already passed it, but they're still stuck because there are too few places available.]

[That's true. Formal grading exams don't have age restrictions like the "New Chef Competition," so it wouldn't be surprising to see opponents who are grandfathers.]

Just as netizens were praising Zheng Zeqian and criticizing Han Tianyan,

The two had already chosen their fish and were about to begin their duel.

Xia Ming chose a 18-jin (approximately 9 catties) bighead carp (also known as silver carp or bighead carp), whose head was as long as an average man's elbow and middle finger.

In contrast, Zheng Zeqian, after weighing the options, chose a 15-jin (7.5 catties) bighead carp, whose head was slightly smaller than Xia Ming's.

This is actually related to the nature of the silver carp itself.

The common saying that "the bigger the silver carp, the tastier it is" is actually not accurate.

Regardless of whether it is wild or farmed, the flesh of silver carp becomes noticeably tougher after it has grown for more than 8 years.

Furthermore, the earthy smell intensifies, a smell that comes from algal metabolites and decaying matter. Even if the fish blood is completely cleaned, it is difficult to remove that natural fishy smell.

Therefore, silver carp weighing over 27 jin (approximately 18.5 catties) generally need to undergo special, skillful processing to bring out their best flavor.

Of course, farmed silver carp will generally not reach this weight; they can be sold once they weigh 10 to 20 jin (5-10 catties).

Xia Ming and Zheng Zeqian received animals that were normally raised, and their weights were all within the appropriate range.

Within this range, the greater the weight, the larger the fish head, and the more difficult it is to prepare "braised silver carp head".

In other words, Xia Ming chose the heaviest item in the menu within a reasonable range, which meant facing the greatest challenge head-on.

Zheng Zeqian chose the second tier, which is weaker, but easier to control, and can make up for it if the team performs well later.

Most importantly, the difficulty level of 15 kilograms is easy for Zheng Zeqian to control. At this moment, seeking stability is far more practical than seeking risk.

The two were busy cleaning the fish and scraping off the scales in front of the camera.

The judges then realized that the two had made the same dish.

Looking at the different ways the fish heads were handled on both sides, Yin Shengjiang turned his head and asked Sui Wubai a question.

"If I remember correctly, Lao Sui, you've made this dish before!"

Sui Wubai chuckled.

"Yes, this dish looks simple to make, but it's actually quite difficult to prepare."

"Whether it's the 'whole fish method' or the 'half-slice method,' this dish requires high skill."

"My technique wasn't very precise when I disassembled it, and it ended up looking a bit messy. I still need to practice more, haha~"

Sui Wubai did not try to hide his dark past. After all, even if you replaced anyone else in the room, you couldn't guarantee that you could remove all the bones while perfectly preserving the external condition of the fish head.

Because this involves more than just dissecting bones.
The head of a silver carp contains approximately 150 skeletal structures, distributed in the gills, throat, brain cavity, and around the eyes.

To dismantle things bit by bit, patience alone is not enough.

It requires an accurate understanding of the fish's anatomy and the ability to extract bones from the inside as much as possible.

Of course, if it's the "whole fish method", you don't need to be too demanding about the fish head's appearance being intact. As long as the fish is removed and two "white flowers" are visible from the inside out, that's enough.

The so-called "white flower" is actually the "walnut meat" inside the fish head.

This is the most prized part of the silver carp head; if it's damaged, the dish is basically a failure.

Of course, keeping only these two pieces of meat is not enough; the other parts need to be handled with as little damage as possible to the fish head skin.

Ultimately, the "whole fish method" presents the fish head as if it has been turned inside out from under the mouth and chin, while the "split method" requires the chef to remove all the fish bones from behind the split fish head, without damaging the skin at all.

Neither method is superior to the other; other methods may be similar or have variations that have been passed down through generations.

Therefore, even Sui Wubai at this moment could not be sure what the two sides were doing.

It took quite some time before he saw that both sides had made cuts on the fish head.

Based on the final angle, he determined that both sides used the "whole fish method," which means deboning the fish while preserving the internal meat, and flipping the fish head over as much as possible.

The two soups look similar in terms of preparation, but the ingredients may be slightly different.

Therefore, in this case, the final scoring standard basically depends on how well the fish is handled overall.

Back at the stove, Zheng Zeqian carefully began operating the equipment with his bare hands.

If you choose the "whole fish method" and want to avoid damaging the fish's outer skin at all, that's just wishful thinking.

At most, we can preserve as much of the surrounding area as possible after cheek reduction.

And you have to be extremely careful when removing the fish skull.

Because if you're not careful, you might break the connection point on the fish's forehead. If you break it, the dish is ruined and you can't complete the flipping process.

"Hoo hoo. I wonder if Xia Ming also uses the 'whole fish method'."

"We need to be careful. We're at the very last step; we can't afford to lose everything because of one mistake."

Just as he was feeling nervous, Xia Ming had already begun to dismantle the bones.

Unlike Zheng Zeqian, Xia Ming was holding the cleaned "Blood Opening" blade in one hand and using the other to assist.

The fish skull is carefully removed from the inside out through a small opening in the fish's chin.

"The skull of this silver carp is quite different from that of the Soul River fish. Although the internal structure is similar, the connection between the bones is not accurate."

If it were a Soul River Fish, Xia Ming was confident he could finish the battle within 5 minutes.

However, the silver carp skull was still too fragmented. In order to ensure stability, Xia Ming used Blood Surgery to assist in dismantling the bone, and also used Blood Soul to continuously explore from the inside.

In order to ensure the perfect integrity of the entire fish head under the "whole fish method", he put in more effort than Zheng Zeqian.

At first, viewers in the live stream didn't think much of it, but as they watched further, some began to sense something was amiss.

[Something's not right. After both fish heads were boiled to set their shape, the methods used to dismantle them were different. Zheng Zeqian even dismantled them faster than Xia Ming!]

Could this guy pull off an upset? Could he overturn Xia Ming's lead and ascend to the throne?

[You're being too naive. Haven't you even assessed Xia Ming's skill level after watching this much of the competition? There must be a reason why he's moving slower now.]

[I think I'm starting to see something. Xia Ming might be using a fish head that's only had its jaw cut open to debone the whole fish head!]

Is there any explanation for this? I'd appreciate a clarification.

[Xia Ming only removes the fish bones from the inside of the fish head, leaving the outside perfectly intact. Zheng Zeqian removes the fish heads from both the inside and outside, as long as the fish meat doesn't fall apart when flipped over.]

The viewers in the live stream all noticed, so how could the judges not have noticed?

Seeing Xia Ming's actions, Sui Wubai was worried for him.

You should know that even his master couldn't always successfully disassemble the fish using the "whole fish method" back then. The operation was too difficult, and he originally thought that this skill would be lost after his master passed away.

I was even thinking that when I reached a certain level of skill, I could restore this technique using my master's notes.
Unexpectedly, he saw Xia Ming using this technique in the final match of the New Chef Competition.

Of course, he didn't mean for Xia Ming to steal his master's techniques, because the so-called "method of disassembling the whole fish" was actually first recorded in the ancient Qing Dynasty book "Tiao Ding Ji".

There, the dish is called "Braised Bighead Carp," as recorded.
"Debone the fish head, add it to a fresh broth, and braise it with soy sauce, wine, ginger, and scallions."

The world only knows its description, but not its specific techniques. It was a master fish chef who first proposed the concept of internal disassembly, and other chefs followed suit.

After years of research and combining the experience of various chefs, this dish, "Braised Silver Carp Head," was finally created. As for his master's technique, it was also improved from that of a master of Huaiyang cuisine.

In other words, this thing itself has no lineage; as long as the answer is correct, there can be many ways to solve the problem.

His master, Zheng Susheng, was nothing more than a "restorer of ancient book techniques".

After staring at Xia Ming for a while, Sui Wubai suddenly realized that Xia Ming's technique was not only different from his master's, but also incredibly ingenious in many ways.

He had previously thought that Xia Ming had relied on his understanding of fish and his knife skills to disassemble the fish.

But looking back now, it's clear that Xia Ming has already developed his own methodology.

"No way, did he really develop the internal dissection of the fish head into his own 'skill'?"

"If these steps can be perfectly executed, it would definitely be worthy of being included in the 'New Huaiyang Cuisine Recipe'."

Thinking of this, Sui Wubai stared intently at the "Blood Opening" knife in Xia Ming's hand on the screen.

He had seen Xia Ming use this knife more than once during the competition, but even now, he still didn't understand the knife's limits.

Compared to Xia Ming's other tools, which have obvious specific uses, this knife seems to have many variations depending on the way it is used.

Sui Wubai was certain that he had never seen a knife like this in the kitchen before he met Xia Mingyong.

"In other words, if this knife has never appeared before, then it may be Xia Ming's original creation."

"Creating an original tool doesn't mean anything, since its use cases are limited."

"But if someone like Xia Ming creates an original multi-functional tool with a unique driving method, then the situation is completely different."

Sui Wubai understood that Xia Ming's current apparent level was low. If Xia Ming were at the same "Hua 7 level" as Wei Yan, he could very well create a completely new school of swordsmanship with just a "sword".

What he found even more unbelievable was that there was no indication in Xia Ming's background information that he had received formal "chef training".

This means that he could use his own surname to name a school of thought independently.

Thinking of this, Sui Wubai felt a thin layer of cold sweat break out on his forehead despite the early chill of November.

An absurd idea even popped into his mind.

"If this kid keeps going like this, he might reach the level of a culinary master before me. That would put a lot of pressure on him."

As time passed, ten minutes after Zheng Zeqian finished processing the fish meat, Xia Ming finally removed all the bones from the fish head.

At this moment, lying in front of me is a boneless fish head, rich in collagen and with the internal fish meat structure perfectly preserved.

Compared to "boneless chicken feet," this term is indeed extremely niche.

Xia Ming slowly exhaled, carefully placed the fish head aside, and then quickly began to process the remaining steps.

Actually, 90% of the difficulty in this dish lies in deboning the fish head. The subsequent preparation of the fish soup and the addition of side dishes do not have a particularly fixed method.

Xia Ming also prepared a recipe with ham on the spot based on the plumpness of the fish head he received.

The salty and savory flavor of the ham slices is used to highlight the tenderness of the "Braised Silver Carp Head".

Just as Xia Ming's fish head and soup were blending with other ingredients, Zheng Zeqian generously presented his "Braised Silver Carp Head" to the judges.

The judges couldn't help but admire the beautifully prepared fish head in the fish soup.

Then the judges began to taste the food.

It must be said that Zheng Zeqian had a very good grasp of the seasoning of this dish. Although the fish was slightly broken up, the overall presentation was absolutely praiseworthy.

Even Wei Yan couldn't help but take an extra bite.

Not long after he finished his presentation, Xia Ming took to the stage with his "Braised Silver Carp Head".

A close-up shot from the AI ​​camera revealed a whole, soft fish head soaking in fish soup on the plate Xia Ming had brought out.

Seven slices of ham were neatly arranged on its body.

Upon seeing Xia Ming's finished product, the judges also showed expressions of delight.

Judging from the appearance, Xia Ming did remove the fish head from the inside without damaging the exterior, and judging from the appearance, he did so as little as possible without harming the fish head itself.

Smelling the fish with its ham-like aroma, the judges all picked up their chopsticks.

Unlike Zheng Zeqian's dish, Xia Ming's dish was completely scraped clean, along with the soup, after it was poked open.

To put it politely, the judges need to taste the food carefully and meticulously to ensure that there are absolutely no bone residues.

To put it bluntly, even the judges themselves were tempted.

After all, this is the last match. After this match, if you want to eat Xia Ming's cooking, you'll probably have to go through some trouble to invite Xia Ming or find some excuse to have a conversation.

Yin Shengjiang even hoped that Xia Ming could join the Chefs Association directly. He could guarantee that Xia Ming would be able to absorb and digest most of the Chefs Association's documents in just 3 years.

At that time, the culinary world will welcome the youngest "Hua 8th level" in history.

Of course, that's all after the competition. Right now, all they have to do is enjoy Xia Ming's "Braised Silver Carp Head".

As the boneless fish head meat was placed into Yin Shengjiang's mouth.

He couldn't help but hum a contented hum.

The fish head retains its collagen, the fish meat is cooked to perfection, and the entire dish fully absorbs the essence of the broth.

In the blink of an eye, Yin Shengjiang arrived at a tranquil little pond.

There are no unnecessary or complicated constraints here, only the pure sensory experience brought by saltiness and umami.

Eating the boneless fish head in his bowl without any restraint, Yin Shengjiang felt as if he were lying on a small boat on a pond, surrounded only by the wind and the smell of fish, undisturbed, and free from all thoughts.

Only when the moon rose and the bowl was empty did he slow down, savor the moment, and leave from that tranquility.

"There are no complicated techniques involved in making this soup; it simply offers pure beauty."

"The fish head was cleaned so thoroughly that I couldn't even taste any traces of fish bones being removed in many places. Even geniuses are tired of saying that."

"It can only be said that China is about to welcome a master. An incredibly young master."

Tan Zhifeng's gaze towards Xia Ming was incredibly ardent; he had already planned how to invite Xia Ming to his shop after the event.

Regardless of whether they are apprentices or not, they can have an extra meal under the guise of exchange!

As for why the Chinese Level 7 students need to communicate with the Chinese Level 4 students.
That's not important.
After all, the people on the judging panel didn't consider Xia Ming a "Level 4 Hua" at all.

Seeing the judges' performance, Zheng Zeqian in the audience smiled with relief.

He's done his best anyway. As for how many Xia Mings he gets, let the judges decide.
As the host announced the program, the judges gave their scores.

In the end, Zheng Zeqian gave it his all and scored 80.9 points on the "Braised Carp Head" dish.

Clearly, this score was determined entirely based on Xia Ming's score, since this was the only time, outside of the preliminary rounds, that a cooking showdown had occurred at the competition venue.

As for Xia Ming, he scored 100 points with his amazing performance of completely dismantling the fish head.

It was only towards the end of the competition, when the judges stopped acting and started scoring freely, that they achieved this amazing score.

Amidst the congratulations in the live stream, Xia Ming, Zheng Zeqian, and Bai Heng were among those who congratulated him.

They stood together on the stage behind the judges' panel, where Yin Shengjiang presented them with the championship trophy and the "Hua 4 Level" certificate.

Because there were only them and staff members in the competition venue, and no other guests.

So, after a brief ceremony, this year's "New Chef Competition" came to a successful conclusion.

As for Xia Ming's long-cherished "Eight Treasures Pig".

Yin Shengjiang, who took Xia Ming backstage, said that the competition organizers would deliver the package to the designated location within four days of Xia Ming leaving the address.

"However, the Eight Treasures Pig is extremely precious, and its diet and living environment require special attention. We will leave a technician to help you through the week-long adaptation period."

"Of course, if you don't want to keep it, you can make your own arrangements after you receive it. Just let the staff know."

Xia Ming wasn't too worried about not being able to raise them, but just to be on the safe side, he accepted Yin Shengjiang's suggestion.

Just as the two finished exchanging pleasantries, and Tan Zhifeng was about to come over to talk to Xia Ming about the upcoming itinerary, Xia Ming's phone suddenly rang.

Upon taking a look, he was surprised to see that it was his father, Xia Minhui, calling.
(End of this chapter)