The delicacies of the heavens begin with obtaining gem meat.

Chapter 218 Abalone Dishes

Xu Hui stared intently at the gemstone meat in Jiang Yan's hand, his breathing becoming rapid.

As a Cantonese chef, he has naturally seen many kinds of ingredients.

The piece of meat that Jiang Yan took out was clearly a rare and precious ingredient, judging from its aroma and color alone.

"This is gemstone meat."

Jiang Yan looked at Xu Hui and said seriously.

"If you lose this contest, this piece of gemstone meat is yours."

Upon hearing this, Xu Hui was startled, abruptly raised his head, looked at Jiang Yan, and immediately agreed without any hesitation.

"Fine! I'll race you!"

"If I lose, I'll tear down the signboard of my Xu's Restaurant right here and now!"

Xu Hui gritted his teeth and said that he was already prepared to go all in.

This time, he will definitely use all his skills to win this match.

Judging from Jiang Yan's accurate comments just now, he is definitely not an ordinary person.

I came here well-prepared for this challenge.

But the gemstone meat that Jiang Yan offered was something he couldn't refuse, so he figured he might as well take a gamble.

"That's unnecessary. I just wanted to have a friendly spar."

Jiang Yan quickly waved his hand, saying that he just wanted to make a name for himself and there was no need to go too far.

Besides, the signboard was of no use to him.

Xu Hui was quite surprised by Jiang Yan's refusal.

I originally thought Jiang Yan came prepared, but it seems he really just wanted to have a friendly spar.

This improved Xu Hui's impression of Jiang Yan slightly.

But I still have some doubts. If we just want to have a friendly spar, is it really necessary to bring out such rare and precious ingredients?

However, despite not understanding why, Xu Hui still had no intention of holding back.

The news that Jiang Yan and Xu Hui were going to have a match spread quickly, and the entire restaurant was in an uproar, with diners crowding around.

Some people quickly ran out to call others to come and see what was going on.

-

None of this affected Jiang Yan and Xu Hui.

After a brief discussion, the two decided to have an abalone competition, with a time limit of one hour.

As for the ingredients, Xu Ji Restaurant has fresh abalone and dried abalone, as well as pre-soaked dried abalone.

The kitchen staff quickly cleared out the two stoves and placed them side by side in the center of the hall.

The two then began selecting abalone.

Xu Hui chose slightly smaller, rehydrated dried abalone.

He was preparing to make his specialty, braised abalone.

First, take the soaked abalone and rinse it thoroughly with scallion and ginger water to remove impurities and fishy smell from the surface. Then, use a kitchen knife to make cross-shaped cuts on the front of the abalone meat so that it can absorb the flavor.

Next, Xu Hui brought out the broth, which had been simmered for a full twelve hours in advance with old chicken, pork bones, spare ribs, Jinhua ham, dried scallops, and chicken feet.

As soon as the milky white broth was poured into the clay pot, a rich and savory aroma wafted out.

Place the abalone in a clay pot and carefully press it down with a bamboo rack to prevent it from floating and heating unevenly. Then turn on the lowest heat and let the soup in the clay pot keep bubbling gently, simmering slowly.

Xu Hui was extremely focused, with fine beads of sweat on his forehead, his eyes fixed on the heat of the casserole.

And every fifteen minutes, the lid is carefully lifted and the abalone is flipped over so that each side can be evenly soaked in the soup.

On the other side, Jiang Yan chose a slightly larger three-headed abalone, which had been fully soaked and was very elastic.

Jiang Yan is preparing to make braised abalone with a soft, fluffy center.

The authentic method requires simmering for more than ten hours to allow the abalone sauce to fully penetrate every fiber of the abalone, resulting in an ultimate texture that is soft, chewy, and melts in your mouth.

But Jiang Yan obviously couldn't really wait that long.

Fortunately, Jiang Yan already has a solution to this problem.

Pick up the soaked abalone, brush it with your palm, and then chant, "A chanting net forms on the surface of the abalone."

As the "Nian Net" moves, impurities from the crevices of the abalone, as well as the fishy smell hidden deep within the meat, are all brought out by the "Nian Net," which is faster than blanching with scallion and ginger water, and does not damage the meat fibers of the abalone at all.

Next, Jiang Yan began to prepare the soup base, choosing the top-quality soup from Xu Ji Restaurant, but adding a few more seasonings.

-

Jiang Yan placed the abalone into a specially made clay pot and once again activated his "Nian".

This recitation is like an invisible shroud, firmly enveloping the entire clay pot and precisely maintaining the internal temperature at the most suitable level.

Meanwhile, inside the clay pot, the "thought" transforms into countless tiny needles, piercing through the abalone's texture little by little, allowing the umami flavor of the broth to permeate every fiber of the abalone.

At the same time, these processes are constantly smoothing out the abalone's meat fibers, making the originally firm dried abalone meat softer and more tender, yet it doesn't fall apart, maintaining just the right amount of elasticity.

Time passed little by little.

Xu Hui's braised abalone is now ready.

The abalone was served and drizzled with a thick, glossy red abalone sauce. Its bright red color was enticing, and its rich, mellow aroma made it look flawless. The surrounding crowd immediately erupted in cheers.

Not long after, Jiang Yan opened the specially made clay pot, and an indescribable, exquisite aroma exploded in the hall.

The aroma of freshness permeated the entire restaurant, and even the streets outside could be smelled.

Everyone around was frozen in place by the aroma, their eyes wide and their mouths watering uncontrollably.

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Jiang Yan used tongs to take the abalone out of the clay pot and placed it on a clean white porcelain plate.

At this point, the abalone is a uniform, warm amber color, coated with a thick, glossy abalone sauce, like it's plated with flowing gold, radiating a soft sheen.

The abalone's edges curled up slightly, but it did not shrink or deform at all, maintaining its full and round shape.

Immediately afterwards, Jiang Yan picked up a spoon, turned up the heat, and reduced the remaining abalone sauce in the clay pot until it thickened.

The abalone sauce was gently stirred with a spoon, and it slowly thickened in the clay pot.

Once the abalone sauce has thickened, slowly and evenly pour it over the abalone.

The next moment, a faint golden light flashed, and Jiang Yan's braised abalone with a soft center was finished.

Jiang Yan and Xu Hui each placed their respective abalone dishes on the table.

The onlookers looked at the two abalone dishes with expectant expressions.

The next step is the review process.

To avoid any appearance of impropriety, Xu Hui chose to let Jiang Yan select the judges.

Jiang Yan did not refuse and randomly selected five people.

Once the judges were in place, the tasting began immediately.

The first dish we tasted was Xu Hui's braised abalone.

The judges picked up the abalone and put it in their mouths. The soft and tender abalone was filled with the rich aroma of abalone sauce, the mellow broth, the salty and fragrant ham, and the sweet and fresh scallops. These flavors spread in layers in their mouths. The abalone was soft, chewy, and had a rich, flavorful filling.

The judges nodded in agreement and couldn't help but praise him.

"Delicious! Chef Xu's cooking skills are truly superb!"

"This abalone is braised to perfection!"

"————"

Hearing the judges' praise, Xu Hui's face showed a slight look of pride.

However, thinking of the abalone dish Jiang Yan made, his expression turned serious again.

Next, the judges began to taste Jiang Yan's braised abalone with a soft center.

Picking up the knife Jiang Yan had prepared, she easily cut the abalone open, and the soft, molten center inside flowed out slowly along the cut, like melting gold.

As the abalone entered their mouths, the judges' eyes widened, their expressions shifting from astonishment to shock, and finally to utter ecstasy.

The abalone has just the right amount of chewy texture, and the soft, fluffy center inside is as delicate as a cloud in the sky, yet it also has a gentle, unhurried elasticity—not mushy, not dry, and not hard.

Every fiber is soaked in the essence of abalone sauce.

With a gentle chew, the abalone sauce bursts in your mouth, and the ultimate umami flavor spreads across your tongue, layer upon layer, lingering endlessly.

The abalone's unique rich and savory flavor, combined with the complex umami of old chicken, ham, and dried scallops in the broth, along with countless indescribable spice aromas, blend together perfectly, spreading layer by layer in the mouth.

The intensely fresh and savory flavor permeates the entire body, from the tip of the tongue down to the throat, and even extends to the nasal cavity and the top of the head.

The most amazing thing is the soft center.

The soft center melts in your mouth, like melted honey or warm cream, with an extreme sweetness that blends perfectly with the rich flavor of abalone.

After swallowing, the lingering sweetness in your mouth lasts a long time, making you want to swallow your tongue as well.

So much so that the five judges could only think of the word "delicious" at that moment.

-

Coming to their senses, the five judges looked at Xu Hui hesitantly, their faces showing a mixture of apprehension and reluctance.

Although the winner has not yet been announced, judging from the judges' reactions, Xu Hui realized that he was probably going to lose this time.

He picked up the knife, cut a small piece of Jiang Yan's braised abalone with a soft center, and put it in his mouth. Even if he lost, he wanted to understand why he lost.

As soon as the abalone entered his mouth, Xu Hui froze completely.

The texture, flavor, and the layered, lingering umami are all more profound than his braised abalone.

His braised abalone palate pales in comparison to this braised abalone with a soft, fluffy center, which is like a simple roadside meal.

A full half minute passed before Xu Hui came to his senses. Looking at Jiang Yan, his face displayed an extremely complex expression—shame, shock, and admiration.

"Master Jiang, I've lost. I accept my defeat wholeheartedly."

Jiang Yan nodded, showing no surprise.

The five judges breathed a slight sigh of relief; at least this way, they wouldn't have to announce the winner.

The hall was silent for a moment, then erupted in deafening applause and cheers that nearly lifted the roof off the restaurant.