Shocking! The entire court was drooling with envy because of me.

"Lemon juice! Why didn't I think of using lemon juice? That would make the sourness of the sweet and sour pork ribs clearer and more layered!"

"Dry starch... fruit vinegar... no, I have to go try it right away!!"

The cook was so eager to get his hands on the food that he dashed straight to the kitchen.

Situ Liang and Guo Tiancheng were stunned and speechless for a long time.

"Master Guo, can I say I won this round?" Shen Qing asked with a faint smile.

Guo Tiancheng glanced at the dejected Situ Liang and sighed, "Of course, even I couldn't taste the preserved plum flavor at first."

"Ah Liang, a bet's a bet. Since you didn't guess it, you'll have to drink three cups of wine as punishment."

Situ Liang's face turned bright red as he held back his anger. He didn't say a word, and after downing three cups of wine, his already red face turned even redder.

Still unconvinced, and fueled by the alcohol, he blurted out, "I just didn't taste it properly before, let's have another one!"

"Let's have this steamed sea bass!"

A sea bass lies on a long white porcelain plate, its body intact, head and tail complete, the soy sauce color seeping into the cuts made along its body.

Bright green scallion strips and bright red pepper strips are piled on the fish belly, while a few sprigs of cilantro are casually placed around the edge of the plate.

It looks very appealing.

Situ Liang eagerly picked up a piece of fish with his chopsticks, but this time he didn't rush and instead savored it carefully.

After a moment's hesitation, he blurted out, "Salt, soy sauce, scallions, ginger, cooking wine..."

This time, Situ Liang was exceptionally cautious. After speaking, he took another bite before confirming, "That's all."

Steamed sea bass has the simplest ingredients. This dish is mainly about enjoying the light flavor and the freshness of the fish, so it's not advisable to add too many seasonings.

This is also why Situ Liang was so certain of his answer.

Guo Tiancheng took a bite with his chopsticks and nodded slightly.

Yes, those are exactly the things Ah Liang mentioned.

Steamed sea bass is always a good choice.

Both of them turned their attention to Shen Qing.

Shen Qing picked up a piece of fish belly with her chopsticks, smelled it first, and then put the fish in her mouth.

After savoring it carefully, she said, "This steamed sea bass does indeed have the seasonings you mentioned earlier."

Situ Liang's eyes lit up with joy, and he was about to speak when he heard Shen Qing speak again.

"However, besides those few flavors, there is another seasoning inside the fish's belly."

"Inside the fish's belly??" Situ Liang stood up, his eyes wide.

It's just a steamed sea bass, why would there be other seasonings?

He couldn't control himself at all and reached out with his chopsticks to poke the fish's belly.

Inside the fish's belly were a few slices of ginger, a few pieces of scallion, and a small, inconspicuous piece of brown, curled stuff.

"It's dried tangerine peel," Shen Qing's voice rang in my ears.

Situ Liang carefully picked up the curled-up piece, and upon closer inspection, it was indeed dried tangerine peel!

"Dried tangerine peel? I couldn't even taste the dried tangerine peel! Madam Shen is truly gifted, truly gifted!" Guo Tiancheng exclaimed in admiration.

Shen Qing explained with a smile, "Dried tangerine peel removes the fishy smell without overpowering the flavor. Its aroma is very subtle and hidden deep inside the fish's belly. When steamed, the aroma of the dried tangerine peel blends with the freshness of the fish, so you won't notice the tangerine peel when you eat it. But if this ingredient is missing, the flavor of this steamed sea bass will be thinner."

No sooner had the words left his mouth than the innkeeper's voice rang out: "Absolutely right, this is a secret recipe passed down to me by my master. I never expected that the three of you would be able to taste it today."

As he spoke, the inn's cook placed the plate he was carrying on the table.

"I just made a new sweet and sour pork ribs recipe according to this lady's method. Please try it, and see if there's anything wrong with it?"

A dish of sweet and sour pork ribs was served.

Compared to the previous plate, this plate of sweet and sour pork ribs has a more translucent and brighter color, a light amber hue, like autumn honey that has been translucent in the sunlight.

The surface of the ribs has a very fine, crumbly texture, and the sauce is thinly and evenly coated on each rib.

A few strands of golden lemon peel are scattered among the ribs, extremely fine, with white sesame seeds dotting the surface, and two bright green florets of broccoli garnish the side of the plate.

"This plate used to look so oily and dark, but this one looks much better, so bright and fresh," Guo Tiancheng couldn't help but praise.

He couldn't help but swallow, and immediately picked up a piece with his chopsticks.

He put it in his mouth and chewed it, and his eyes lit up immediately, his expression filled with surprise.

This is... wonderful, wonderful!

"It tastes sour when you eat it, but sweet afterward, and leaves your mouth feeling clean and refreshed, unlike the previous plate, which left you feeling greasy."

At this moment, Guo Tiancheng looked at Shen Qing as if he were looking at some rare treasure.

Upon hearing Guo Tiancheng's words, Situ Liang couldn't hold back any longer.

He felt uneasy and stifled, but he couldn't resist the aroma of sweet and sour pork ribs wafting into his nose.

A refreshing fruity aroma mixed with the sweet and sour taste of sweet and sour sauce makes your cheeks tighten as soon as you smell it.

After a while, he couldn't resist picking up a piece and putting it in his mouth.

click-

The moment the teeth cut in, the crispy crust made from the fried dry starch cracked open, thin and crumbly, like biting into the sugar coating of a candied hawthorn.

Beneath the crispy crust lies tender pork rib meat. When you cut into the meat with your teeth, you can clearly feel the meat fibers gently breaking, and juices seeping out.

A refreshing, upward-sweeting sourness danced on the tip of the tongue, like a clear stream flowing across its surface, followed by a slow, gentle sweetness that blended with the aroma of meat and bones.

After swallowing, there's still a lingering aftertaste in your mouth; it's not greasy at all, but rather refreshing and pleasant.

After finishing a piece of pork rib, Situ Liang knew he had been completely defeated.

This Lady Shen's ability to distinguish seasonings was not a coincidence, but a testament to her talent and skill.

This sweet and sour pork ribs is so delicious that even a god would praise it. Not to mention him, even his master couldn't have come up with such a recipe.

"Everything else was fine, except the frying temperature was a little off, and the fruit vinegar was poured on too early," Shen Qing said casually after finishing her meal.

Situ Liang's eyes widened. He thought it tasted so good, but he didn't expect that Madam Shen could still detect something wrong.

I can't even imagine how delicious this sweet and sour pork ribs would be if it were made by Madam Shen herself!

Situ Liang couldn't help but swallow.

Upon hearing this, the inn's cook repeatedly praised the dish, realizing that he had encountered a master chef and that he could never replicate the most exquisite flavor.

Then he quickly asked, "Do you have any suggestions for improving this steamed sea bass dish?"

Shen Qing calmly said, "The dried tangerine peel is good, but it can be better."

"How can it be better?"

"Before using dried tangerine peel, soak it in warm water to soften it, scrape off the white membrane inside, and then cut it into very fine strips. The white membrane is bitter, and scraping it off will make the aroma of the dried tangerine peel purer."

"Moreover, dried tangerine peel strips can be placed directly on the fish. When steaming, the aroma of the dried tangerine peel will travel from the outside of the fish to the inside, creating a convection with the scallions and ginger inside the fish, thus making the flavor more pervasive."

"The hot oil poured at the end can be replaced with scallion oil for an even more fragrant flavor."

The innkeeper's eyes lit up as he listened, and he hurriedly asked, "Then... what about the remaining dishes?"

"Please try it. Do you have any suggestions for improvement?"

The cook looked anxious, his ears perked up, and he was so excited that he seemed to have encountered a great joy.