The story begins in Food Wars, when Alice took him home.

A chef who can easily create dishes of the "glowing" level must be at least a Special Grade Five-Star chef, and it's impossible for a Special Grade Three-Star chef to defeat them!

"What do you mean? Although Father is very powerful, Teacher Bai Yuan is not without a chance of winning. The gap between Special Grade is not that big. Maybe he can perform exceptionally well."

Li Wanwan frowned slightly, thinking that Kikuchi Sonoka was badmouthing Bai Yuan, so she immediately spoke up for him, since this trouble was brought about by her father.

However, she also knew in her heart that the chances of Bai Yuan winning were really slim.

After all, her father was a veteran Hunan cuisine chef.

"Um... you'll find out as you watch."

Although she wanted to explain, she didn't know how to say it. Was she supposed to explain that Bai Yuan had made dishes that glowed?

A single glance is more effective than a thousand words! Let the dust settle for a while!

The cooking continues.

Li Xiang deboned the whole chicken, then removed each part, and cut the cooked chicken meat into equal-sized small pieces with a sharp knife, then put them in a large bowl for later use.

Heat peanut oil in a wok, sauté dried chili peppers until fragrant, then add plenty of shredded scallions and ginger and stir-fry until fragrant. Next, add the cooked and chopped young chicken pieces to the wok.

Add the original chicken broth to the pot, season with Shaoxing wine, MSG, and salt, then add a large spoonful of vinegar and simmer over low heat.

As the sauce gradually thickened, Li Xiang added pepper powder and red, yellow, and green bell pepper strips to the pot, then tossed the ingredients to ensure even flavor distribution.

Add vinegar, a little cornstarch slurry, ground Sichuan peppercorns, and sesame oil. Continue tossing the wok until evenly mixed, allowing the seasonings to blend perfectly with the ingredients.

Thus, the Dong'an Chicken is complete.

"Enjoy the most authentic Dong'an chicken!"

Li Xiang scooped the food from the wok and placed it on a pristine white porcelain plate, then looked calmly at the girls who were discussing the relative strengths of the two.

It's truly pathetic that even his own apprentices don't trust him; you can imagine how mediocre his skills are.

Perhaps it was because the exam happened to be on a topic I was good at, and there weren't any particularly outstanding people in my group, so I passed. These things happen occasionally.

Thinking of this, Li Xiang looked at Bai Yuan. In front of him were several clay pots, which were bubbling and simmering. Judging from the aroma, it must be a seafood hot pot!

Hunan cuisine, seafood hot pot?

This guy must be trying to be funny!

"Don't worry, you'll know how it tastes after you try it. You definitely won't be disappointed. This is the most authentic Hunan cuisine!"

Turning his head, Bai Yuan met Li Xiang's slightly complicated expression. He raised his hand, shook his finger, and spoke in a rather cheeky tone.

"I look forward to your masterpiece."

Although she was somewhat dissatisfied, Li Xiang wouldn't easily lose her temper at this point; she simply silently brought her dish to the judging panel.

Kikuchi and the others brought over several wooden tables from somewhere and sat neatly in a row, looking just like a judging panel.

"Try Dong'an Chicken."

Looking at the makeshift judging panel in front of her, Li Xiang's expression didn't change much; she simply divided her dish into five portions.

Wang Wanqing hasn't arrived yet, but that doesn't matter. As long as these four people are on his side, he will still win the competition in the end.

How to make seafood hot pot in the style of Hunan cuisine?

"This isn't a joke..."

Wait, this one's spicy!

When Li Xiang presented the dish to the judges, a rich aroma suddenly wafted to her nose, with a particularly pronounced spiciness that perfectly matched the standards of Hunan cuisine!

Maybe it tastes pretty good?

Suddenly, Li Xiang swallowed hard, and a thought popped into his head that startled him. How could he have such a thought?!

"It's cooked to perfection. Let's take mine and critique it together."

Bai Yuan's voice came from not far away. Looking over, one could see a confident smile on his face, full of youthful arrogance and unbridled spirit.

As he spoke, he even raised his hand and tossed the Hunan-style Cantonese seafood hot pot on the stove.

Bai Yuan's movements, though seemingly rough, ensured that each pot landed precisely in front of the judges, placed alongside Li Xiang's Dong'an Chicken.

"Of course, there's also some reserved especially for you."

Bai Yuan placed the casserole on a tray in front of Li Xiang, and put his other hand on the lid.

As a crack appeared, dazzling golden light burst forth uncontrollably, illuminating the entire kitchen.

Li Xiang witnessed all of this, and at that moment, he completely lost his composure, replaced by an expression of utter shock.

"The food is glowing?!"

At the same time, Li Wanwan opened the casserole in front of her. The dazzling golden light made her close her eyes and murmur to herself in disbelief.

"Really... this is glowing cuisine! Isn't it said that only top-level five-star chefs can make glowing cuisine? Why can someone who just became a top-level chef do it?"

Miyoko Hojo was equally shocked, and also very puzzled.

The scene before her eyes was truly beyond her comprehension. Who had told her that only a top-tier five-star chef could create a dish that glowed?

"Because Teacher Bai Yuan's strength is not just Special Grade, saying he is Special Grade Five Star is an understatement. You should know that even the skillful old lady from the Four Heavenly Kings of the Cantonese Culinary Alliance praised his cooking!"

"This guy is much more capable than you think! He can't be judged by the standards of an ordinary chef, or you'll suffer a great loss."

Seeing the three's shocked expressions, Kikuchi Sonoka and Kakuzaki Taki, who had expected this, each spoke up. Because they already knew Shirobuchi's strength, they were actually the calmest people present.

After seeing their expressions, Li Wanwan finally understood what they meant when they said that her father was destined to lose!

"Alright, stop worrying about the star rating. The important thing is the taste of the food. The star rating is meaningless. Hurry up and pick up your chopsticks and try it!"

Bai Yuan clapped his hands to stop their argument, and without him saying anything more, the group had already dipped their chopsticks into the Hunan-style Cantonese seafood hot pot in front of them.

Li Xiang was the fastest among them.

"The tenderness of fresh shrimp, the bouncy texture of squid rings, the sweetness of scallop meat, and the delicacy of abalone slices—these seafood flavors intertwine on the tip of the tongue, creating a refreshing and elegant seafood taste."

With one chopstick, Li Xiang gathered all the seafood, closed her eyes, and savored the flavors. Like waves crashing on the beach, the freshness unfolded layer upon layer on her tongue!

"The spiciness of Hunan cuisine is cleverly incorporated into this dish. There must have been chopped chili sauce and fermented bean paste added to this seafood hot pot! The spicy flavors brought by the two not only enhance the overall taste of the dish, but also make the freshness of the seafood stand out even more."

Li Wanwan exclaimed in surprise, the unique spiciness of Hunan cuisine blended perfectly into this seafood hot pot, complementing the ingredients beautifully.

Taking into account that people in Guangzhou are not good at eating spicy food, the spiciness of this seafood hot pot is just right, allowing you to taste the spicy aroma without being too spicy.

Chapter 74 My ambition is to reach the pinnacle of culinary skills!

"Moreover, the spiciness here is not just a simple stimulation, but more of a mellow aroma, which blends with the sweetness of the seafood to create a unique and wonderful taste experience!"

Kikuchi Sonoka breathed heavily and groaned softly. After a few bites of food, she felt her body getting warmer. What a wonderful feeling!

The use of Cantonese seasonings also adds a touch of warmth and delicacy to this dish.

The salty and savory flavors of seafood soy sauce, the mellow aroma of rice wine, and the umami-enhancing effect of a touch of sugar make the overall flavor of the dish more full-bodied and complex.

These seasonings intertwine with the seafood and the spiciness of Hunan cuisine, like a well-woven fabric, tightly woven yet without any overlapping or chaotic patterns, but rather in a state of perfect order!

Looking at Bai Yuan, Li Xiang's eyes no longer held the initial disdain, but instead were filled with deep respect.

To be able to blend Hunan cuisine and Cantonese cuisine so perfectly, one must first have a deep understanding of both cuisines, at least to the highest level.

It's unimaginable what he went through. Was prenatal education some kind of gourmet recipe?!

"Let me try yours next."

"please."

Although she knew perfectly well that she had no chance of winning, Li Xiang's expression remained unchanged.

Upon hearing Bai Yuan's request, she silently handed him the Dong'an chicken that Li Wanwan was about to eat.

"I might say something unpleasant next, about the shortcomings of this dish. Do you want to hear it or not? If you don't want to hear it, I won't say it."

As soon as the dish entered his mouth, Bai Yuan frowned and put down his chopsticks.

The dish is of exceptional quality in terms of taste, but one detail was not handled well, which means that the dish can only reach the level of exceptional two stars at best.

"Please tell me, I won't be angry, and I'll even thank you for your guidance."

Because Bai Yuan just made a luminous dish, and because Kikuchi and Sonoka said that the other party is highly regarded by the skillful old lady.

At this moment, Li Xiang no longer dared to act like an elder, and showed a humble expression in response to Bai Yuan's probing words.

Do you know what "double-pouring ginger" means?

Bai Yuan didn't rush to point out the shortcomings, but instead asked a question. Seeing Li Xiang's slightly puzzled look, he understood.

"The so-called double-adding of ginger means adding ginger shreds at the beginning and then adding them again when the dish is almost done cooking. This way, both raw and cooked ginger flavors will be present in the pot, making the overall taste richer."

"You haven't learned this, either your teacher held back some secrets, or you haven't mastered the technique. I'll cook it for you using the same method."

Looking at the remaining ingredients on the cutting board, Bai Yuan thought for a moment and went over to clean the pot with a cloth and water.

"Adding ginger a second time gives the dish both the flavor of raw and cooked ginger..."

Muttering to herself, repeating Bai Yuan's words, Li Xiang stood in front of the stove, watching intently. Opportunities to learn from a master like this were rare.

I never expected that such a young boy would have such superb cooking skills!

"By the way, not only the ginger, but also the scallions, you have to stir-fry them later, otherwise the taste will be much worse. The aroma of the scallions cannot stand out on its own. If they are mixed with the original ingredients, the flavor will be messed up."

As Bai Yuan spoke, he re-stirred the food according to Li Xiang's method, and the control of the heat and the addition of seasonings made him sweat profusely.

There's no way around it; Bai Yuan's control of the amount was just too precise. If it were him, he would be at least a few seconds slower. That's the difference between the two.

A few seconds' error doesn't actually have a big impact on the taste of a dish, but if the difference is slight from start to finish, the quality will gradually decline.

This is why, when cooking the same dish using the same method, some people can create a luminous dish, while others can't even reach the top grade.

However, the key to this dish is not the timing or the addition of seasonings, but the second addition of ginger that Bai Yuan just explained to him!

This allows the dish to have both the flavor of fresh ginger and cooked ginger...

The so-called "double-adding of ginger" is actually quite simple: just divide the prepared ginger shreds into two portions, add one portion before stir-frying the dish, and add the other portion before serving.

Just one extra step, and how will the overall taste differ?

At this moment, Li Xiang no longer had any thoughts of comparing herself to Bai Yuan. She regarded herself as the young apprentice who used to do odd jobs for her master, and diligently absorbed new knowledge.

"Actually, even if I say it a hundred times, it's better to actually taste it once. You're a master chef, so you should be able to experience the dish more directly with your tongue!"

Bai Yuan didn't offer much explanation. Instead, he scooped the food from the wok and placed it on the white porcelain plate that Li Xiang had prepared in advance.