Food Wars, My Dishes Don't Just Shine

"The Heavenly Phoenix's Escape Technique".

Bai Yuan let out a low shout and then swung his beautifully decorated knife.

The duck, which had been hopping around, suddenly became still, and its feathers fell out of its pores under the influence of internal force.

And it's not over yet.

He raised the Lianzhen Blade in his hand, and then a flash of light appeared.

Surprisingly, the duck's body remained unchanged. However, when Bai Yuan reached out and lifted its claws, the bones inside instantly fell out of the gap in the duck's neck, accompanied by a large amount of blood, piling up into a small, bloody mountain on the table.

Inside the duck's body, there are no bones to be seen, and it feels soft to the touch. When water is added, it is completely watertight.

Such a technique can debone a live bird in the blink of an eye without damaging its skin, and can pour water into it without spilling a drop. It is truly an amazing skill!

"What on earth happened? Such a large live bird was processed in less than a second!? And without even damaging the skin, all the bones inside were dismembered and removed!"

Master Baiyao's mouth gaped open, his mind filled with the three words "impossible," yet the truth was undeniably before him.

Rubbing his eyes, Master Baiyao stared intently in Bai Yuan's direction, and then saw him repeat the process on another smaller wild duck.

In addition, pigeons, quails, and even smaller wild pigeons were all treated in the same way, all while still alive, for twenty seconds.

"Such a trick is absolutely unique in all of China! This kid is truly a genius! If the kitchen utensils in Daxian Temple are indeed the legendary ones, then their owner can only be him!"

At this moment, only this sentence remained in Master Baiyao's mind.

In a large pot, blanch the ducks, wild ducks, pigeons, quails, and wild pigeons (after removing all internal bones) separately, then cool them in ice water.

Then slice the bamboo shoots, ham, and shiitake mushrooms.

Prepare ginger slices and scallion knots.

This dish is actually a famous specialty dish from Yangzhou and Gaoyou in Jiangsu Province: Three-Layer Duck.

Its status is no less than that of Sichuan's boiled cabbage. It is generally made with Gaoyou Ma duck, Gaoyou wild Ma duck, or pigeons born in the same year as the duck.

However, given the limited resources available, Bai Yuan couldn't conjure up the exact same ingredients out of thin air, so he made improvements based on them.

The biggest improvement is the addition of quail and wild pigeons, which increases the texture and flavor of the dish. The addition of quail and wild pigeons also makes the flavor of the dish richer!

Because wild pigeons are small, diced bamboo shoots, ham, and shiitake mushrooms are stuffed inside to establish the base flavor of the filling.

The ham is the source of the saltiness; in other words, there's no need to add salt after adding ham, as the ham will continue to release its saltiness and aroma as the temperature rises.

After processing the wild pigeon, stuff it into the quail's belly, and add savory ingredients such as ham slices, bamboo shoot slices, and shiitake mushroom slices into the gap.

Layer upon layer, until finally, only one duck with five heads remains. Its skin is plump and round, giving the impression that it might explode at first glance. However, the truth is that the duck skin is exceptionally tough, and even if you pull it hard, it will not deform much.

Legs to legs, wings to wings, with bamboo shoots, ham slices, and shiitake mushroom slices filling the gaps in between—everything is so orderly.

Blanch the five bags of ducks after processing, remove them with a strainer, then transfer them to a large casserole dish and simmer for about 2 hours. All that's left is to wait.

From preparing the duck to steaming it, Bai Yuan only took less than three minutes, and the whole process was smooth and natural.

Before some viewers could even react, Bai Yuan had already completed all the steps of cooking, leaving the rest to time.

Only then did he have time to observe the other contestants, and then he discovered an unexpected situation: someone had already finished cooking.

"Try it! This is a dish I learned in Chaozhou, Chaozhou raw fish. This dish is extremely demanding on a chef's knife skills, and it's a specialty of Guangdong. I think it should be very suitable for the theme of this assessment!"

As they were talking, Li Xiao brought a plate of exquisitely presented sashimi to the table.

Unlike sashimi, which is eaten raw in Japan after being cut and dipped in sauce, this is different.

Chaozhou-style raw fish requires marinating the sliced ​​fish in advance with seasonings such as salt, sugar, and cooking wine for about half an hour.

The marinated fish fillets are more flavorful and have a more delicious taste.

Of course, this doesn't mean that Chaozhou raw fish doesn't have dipping sauce. On the contrary, dipping sauce is the soul of Chaozhou raw fish. In the Chaozhou region, a sauce is usually made by mixing sesame oil, soybean paste, minced ginger, peppercorns, and preserved radish, and the flavor is on the richer side.

When all the flavors blend together, enveloping the tender fish, a single bite offers a complex and wonderful taste experience!

"The fish back meat is cut into paper-thin slices, which have a firm and chewy texture."

The fish fillets were cut into small, thick slices, and small cuts were made on the surface—was this your innovation? The overall flavor is enhanced, and the texture is soft, tender, and fragrant. The fish skin is thick, crisp, and bouncy. Every part has its own charm.

Looking at the Chaozhou-style raw fish in front of him, Master Baiyao picked up his chopsticks and began to taste it. He took a bite of fish and a sip of sauce, and the wonderful taste slowly spread in his mouth, making him nod in agreement and then show an expression of enjoyment.

"This is at least a top-tier two-star dish. The knife skills are superb, perfectly showcasing the texture of the sashimi. The sauce is rich and flavorful; the two are a match made in heaven! Truly a classic Chaozhou dish!"

As his tongue traced the sashimi slices, savoring their rich and intense flavor, Master Baiyao nodded, expressing his praise in a very straightforward manner.

This dish perfectly showcases the essence of the chef's knife skills, which is very much in line with the purpose of this knife skills competition.

"In that case, give me a high score!"

Li Xiao looked at Master Baiyao with anticipation, hoping to get a high score. He didn't need to be number one, but getting into the top three would be good enough to advance to a four-star chef!

However, Master Baiyao simply shook his head, looked at his face, and slowly spoke.

"Your Chaozhou-style raw fish tastes quite good. It demonstrates strong knife skills, and your technique is outstanding among master chefs."

But that alone isn't enough to get a high score from me!

Master Baiyao wrote the number six on the paper in front of him, indicating that his dish had received a score of six, which was just enough to pass.

"What did you say?! How is that possible! How could my bet only have such a low score!"

Li Xiao's expression changed as he looked at the number "six" on the paper.

Then, as if he had just realized something, he turned his gaze to Granny Skilled Hands and Fatty An, only to be shocked to find that one of them gave him a five and the other a six, meaning that the three of them combined hadn't even passed the minimum requirement!

"Why? You all looked so happy just now, my dish must have been perfect! And to enhance the texture of the sashimi, I even made small cuts on the fish! Such innovation, plus it perfectly matched the theme, you should have given me a high score, right?"

Li Xiao stared at his score in disbelief. It was the first time in his life he'd failed, and in this very competition! This shouldn't have happened! He'd tasted his own dish before serving it—it was undeniably delicious!

"The taste is indeed excellent, the most authentic Chaozhou raw fish flavor. If I had eaten it in a small shop, I would probably give it a high score, but this is a showdown of knife skills in front of a god, so the expectations are naturally higher."

"The standards were too high, so the score was low..."

The young man in black robes muttered to himself, knowing full well what he was doing, which was why he wanted to act quickly and catch the others off guard.

Unexpectedly, these people were so strict!

A dish of the Special Grade Two-Star level might win a championship elsewhere, or at the very least achieve a decent ranking.

Unfortunately, this is a duel of sword skills before the gods, and only monsters will remain in the end!

Bai Yuan goes without saying; he can always make dishes that glow, so it's safe to say he's a top-tier five-star chef. And that newly emerged Master Tianci is also a genuine top-tier five-star chef.

As for the remaining uncle in blue, he is the king of the Guangzhou Chefs Association and has reached the level of a special grade seven star. He is undoubtedly the strongest in Guangzhou!

To become a top-tier seven-star chef, the first step is to go to Beijing to take an exam. Only by passing the exam can one become a top-tier seven-star chef!

Whether it's the Master of Medicine or the Skillful Granny, they would each set aside three days each year to travel to Beijing together, all for the sake of obtaining the honor of the Special Seven Star, but each time they returned empty-handed.

Perhaps the potential of old guys like them has long been exhausted. Reaching the Seventh Star Special Grade requires not only inherent strength but also a bit of luck.

To become a top-tier seven-star chef, the most basic requirement is to create a dazzling dish that meets the exam requirements during the assessment.

The assessment organization will provide the examinee with a recipe and the corresponding ingredients, and ask the examinee to prepare the dish according to the recipe.

The dishes can be slightly modified, but their essence cannot be changed. The condition for passing the assessment is to continuously generate flowing light, even if it doesn't last long, and one can be promoted to a special-grade seven-star chef.

Each participant has twenty cooking opportunities. They only need to make one luminous dish to advance, otherwise they will fail.

They have been working in the culinary industry for decades, and the number of times they have created the "flowing light dish" can be counted on two hands. Each time, it was done when they were in top form, which shows how difficult it is!

Therefore, the assessment of a top-tier seven-star chef only has this one criterion.

However, for the vast majority of top-tier six-star chefs, this is a hurdle that is difficult to overcome in a lifetime, and very few people succeed in advancing.

It's like a pyramid; the higher up you go, the fewer people there are, and in any given era, only one person can truly reach the top.

"My dish is finished too, Brother Qin, Sister Lian. I didn't expect that you two would be the judges again this time. It's been a long time."

Holding a plate of Lizhuang pork belly with sauce on the side, Lei Tianci looked at the two people in front of him with a complicated expression in his eyes before placing the dish in front of them.

"We didn't expect that you would be among the people who came for the assessment this time. It seems that your defeat in the swordsmanship duel before the gods has had a significant impact on you."

"That's all in the past. I'm here to fulfill a dream. Even though I know I probably won't get the approval of the legendary kitchenware, I still want to give it a try! That way, I won't have any regrets even if I die. Cough cough cough."

Lei Tianci looked at the two people in front of him and spoke from the bottom of his heart, coughing twice as he spoke, while gripping his cane tightly with his other hand.

"Hey, it's too much to just ignore me like this!"

Seeing that Lei Tianci had ignored him from beginning to end, Fatty An immediately opened his eyes in dissatisfaction.

"It's already a favor that I didn't kick you,"

"This guy's mouth still smells so foul after all these years!"

"What? My old bones may be fragile, but I can still put up a fight. If you don't mind, we can have a go!"

"You!"

As the two continued their conversation, it was as if the scene had been transported back decades, when they would argue the moment they met.

"Alright, you two stop arguing as soon as you meet. You're so old, yet you act like little kids. It's laughable."

Master Baiyao smiled and waved his hand, clearly pleased to see his old friend. He then looked at the plate of Lizhuang pork belly in front of him.

"It seems you've traveled to many places during the years you were gone. You must have learned to make such authentic Lizhuang pork from a master chef."

Looking at the slice of Lizhuang pork belly, no more than 1 millimeter thick, and the delicious-looking dipping sauce, Master Baiyao couldn't help but exclaim in admiration.

"It's not just one; I've exchanged culinary skills with many Sichuan chefs, including quite a few who are skilled at Lizhuang white pork."

I combined the strengths of both, and thus created this unique Lizhuang Pork Belly. Give it a try! This should be a level of spiciness that people from Guangdong can handle.

Because the ingredients were obtained on-site, there were no Guizhou chilies at all, and the chilies provided for the competition were not very spicy, but rather fragrant, with a level of spiciness that even people from Guangdong could tolerate.

Combining the unique preparation method of Lizhuang Pork Sauce, this dish is less spicy but still delicious, making it a perfect choice for Cantonese people.

"I see, that's good. I was just thinking that if I couldn't handle this level of spiciness, I would embarrass myself in front of everyone."

"That won't happen. You roll the meat slices around your chopsticks and then dip them in the sauce."

"I know that, it's the most authentic way to eat it!"

The two exchanged a smile as they talked, and then Master Baiyao put the Lizhuang white pork, which was covered in sauce, into his mouth.

The spiciness of the chili peppers, the aroma of the garlic paste, the rich flavor of the soy sauce made with various spices, all combined with the delicate tenderness of Lizhuang pork belly, create a perfect harmony!

Furthermore, the moment the sauce was applied, the Li Zhuang white meat shone with a dazzling golden light, causing the spectators watching the battle to close their eyes.

"It's actually a bit spicy, but still within an acceptable range."