Era: You're asked to cook a home-style dish, but you cook Wellington.

Gao Yang put down the small spoon, his brows furrowed slightly, and his tone carried a hint of unwitting sternness.

Soufflés are indeed delicious, soft and sweet, and quite novel in the current catering scene of Yuncheng.

But he knew in his heart that this dessert was still lacking something.

Its strength lies in its lightness, but it is also its weakness because of its lightness.

As the finale of the entire banquet, it was only smooth and sweet, lacking any layers and failing to leave a lasting impression. It did not live up to the high-end positioning of Sujia Island, nor could it support the grand finale of the trial operation.

What he wants is not for guests to think it tastes good, but for them to be completely amazed after eating it, to remember the dessert and the dishes of Su Family Island.

Old Zhou, with a soufflé still in his mouth, looked puzzled when he heard Gao Yang's words.

"Chef Gao, is this still not good enough? This is already the best dessert I've ever had; the customers definitely won't find any fault with it!"

The apprentices nodded in agreement. In their opinion, the soufflé was already perfect and there was absolutely nothing that needed to be improved.

Gao Yang shook his head, tapping his fingertips lightly on the cutting board, lost in thought.

He understands the logic of Western desserts and the essence of Chinese desserts. Soufflé is a Western delicacy, but it lacks a bit of warmth and richness. It is very good as a standalone dessert, but it is somewhat lacking as a signature dish.

In this era, there are no fancy molecular gastronomy techniques. The amazing techniques of the past are almost impossible to replicate. To create something amazing, you can only rely on the ingredients themselves and the skill and timing of the cooking.

His gaze swept over the remaining ingredients on the cutting board, and he was momentarily at a loss.

What should we do?

He tried adding starch to the milk to create a cheese base, but it became too heavy and greasy, completely ruining the lightness of the soufflé, so it was rejected immediately.

He then cooked the strawberries into a thick jam and spread it at the bottom. However, when baking, the jam sank to the bottom, causing the soufflé to heat unevenly. Half of it collapsed and the other half bulged, resulting in a disastrous appearance.

He tried coating the strawberries with caramel syrup, but the sweetness of the caramel overpowered the aroma of the egg and milk, making it seem jarring and cloying.

He tried several times, but either the taste was off, or the appearance was terrible, and even the cooking time was messed up. He was never satisfied with any of them.

The apprentices in the kitchen were also busy running around, watching Gao Yang sometimes frown as he stirred the batter, and sometimes irritably dump the food he had just made.

They didn't dare to make a sound easily, and could only exchange glances quietly, wondering to themselves: What's wrong with Chef Gao?

Gao Yang wiped the sweat from his forehead, picked up the soufflé that had just failed to bake, and looked at the lifeless lump collapsed in the bowl, feeling even more irritated.

Just then, Qian Liu walked in.

"Gao Yang, someone's here to challenge us."

Qian Liu's voice was loud, and everyone present was startled.

Challenge?

At this time?

Isn't this just walking into the line of fire?

Gao Yang lifted his eyelids, his eyes filled with murderous intent.

He was already seething with anger over the soufflé incident, and now, conveniently, it came to him.

He laughed in exasperation.

"Very good, very good, let him in."

Before long, Qian Liu led a young man in.

The person who arrived was in his early twenties, wearing a clean white shirt and with his hair neatly styled.

The man had an arrogant expression and a hint of haughtiness in his eyes. He was carrying an exquisite wooden food box in his hand. His gaze swept over the kitchen and finally landed on Gao Yang, full of provocation.

"You must be Gao Yang, right? My name is Wu Zhou. I don't believe your cooking is as delicious as they say."

"Wu Zhou, are you from the Wu family?"

Gao Yang was slightly surprised.

In the map of Yuncheng's power structure that Su Wanqing gave him, the Wu family did indeed have a son named Wu Zhou.

But what wealthy family would send their child to learn to be a chef?

Wu Zhou scoffed, raising his chin slightly, his expression full of disdain.

"So what if I am? It's none of your business as an outsider to interfere in the affairs of the Wu family. I'm here today to compete with you in cooking, nothing else but desserts!"

He had long resented Gao Yang's overnight fame and how he had made such a fortune on Su Family Island.

He was indignant. Why could he, Gao Yang, do it, but Wu Zhou, who was about the same age, couldn't?

The goal is to confront Gao Yang publicly, defeat him, and dampen the Su family's arrogance.

The kitchen staff's expressions changed instantly, and Old Zhou was extremely anxious. Chef Gao was currently stuck on the soufflé and at a loss. Comparing desserts at this time was like having their weakness exploited!

Before anyone could speak, Gao Yang laughed first, the irritation in his eyes fading away, replaced by a hint of amusement and coldness.

He was struggling to find a way to improve his soufflé, stuck at a bottleneck and unable to move forward or backward, when Wu Zhou just delivered himself to his doorstep, and even insisted on competing in desserts, which was simply a godsend.

He stepped aside, making way for the central work surface, and pointed to the eggs on the cutting board, his tone indifferent.

"If we're going to have a dessert competition, let's skip the fancy stuff and just make this soufflé."

"If you can make a soufflé that looks amazing, then I'll admit you're talented. Otherwise, go back to where you came from."

Upon hearing this, Wu Zhou's face immediately turned red.

He's a genius when it comes to desserts, so how could he possibly bear being humiliated like this?

"Okay, okay, you said it, I'll show you."

He got carried away instantly, rolled up his sleeves, and walked to the front of the stage.

"Chef Gao, can he handle it?"

Old Zhou somehow ended up next to Gao Yang.

Gao Yang crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow.

"We'll see. At least this kid's setup is pretty professional."

Everyone looked over.

Instead of immediately separating the egg liquid, Wu Zhou took out a packet of dried flowers.

"Damask rose!"

Wu Zhou broke the petals apart and chopped them up. Then he took the baking dish, spread butter on the inside, and sprinkled the chopped petals and white sugar on top.

The purple petals looked exceptionally beautiful in the cool white baking dish.

Next, he separated the egg whites, put them in the refrigerator, and then took out some lychees.

"litchi?"

Old Zhou was even more confused about Wu Zhou's actions, wondering what the kid was going to do next.

No one answered his question.

Wu Zhou separated the lychee seeds, put them in a pot, and fried them until they softened.

He scooped out the lychee flesh and poured in the prepared cornstarch slurry to thicken the sauce.

The sauce bubbled and simmered in the pot, gradually reducing in volume and thickening into a richer sauce.

"alright."

He poured the lychee flesh into the sauce, then ladled it out and put it in the freezer.

Everyone looked on in confusion, but Gao Yang understood.

Normally, a soufflé should contain egg yolks and flour to prevent it from collapsing.

Wu Zhou replaced the egg yolks with lychee juice, which not only adds fruit flavor but also makes the soufflé lighter.

He moved extremely fast. The frozen lychee sauce was solidified and he cut it into even small pieces. He then gently folded it into the whipped egg whites, using very light force throughout, for fear of ruining the creamy texture of the egg whites.

Without the heaviness of excessive flour or the fishy smell of egg yolks, it only incorporates the sweetness of lychee and the delicate fragrance of rose, and the batter texture is more translucent than that of a regular soufflé.

He slowly poured the batter into a baking dish lined with crushed rose petals, filling it to about eight-tenths full. He gently tapped the dish to release any air bubbles and then placed it in the preheated oven, completing the entire process in one smooth motion.

His gaze was focused, all traces of his previous arrogance gone, replaced only by an extreme dedication to the dessert.

Everyone in the kitchen held their breath, their eyes fixed on the oven, not daring to even breathe loudly.

Old Zhou scratched his head, still not quite understanding the intricacies of the method, only finding it extremely novel and completely different from Gao Yang's previous attempts.

Gao Yang stood to the side, arms crossed, his brows slightly relaxed. His previously chaotic thoughts gradually became clearer as Wu Zhou operated the system.

He was stuck in a dead end of adding ingredients to increase the layers of his soufflé, thinking about adding cheese, jam, and caramel, but never thought about simplifying it.

Abandoning the heavy flour and replacing the traditional egg yolk batter with natural fruit sauce, this recipe retains the lightness of a soufflé while subtly incorporating fruit and floral aromas. Without the need for additional ingredients, the layers of flavor naturally emerge.

This was exactly the breakthrough he had been searching for!

That kid from the Wu family is truly a genius!

The temperature inside the oven slowly rose, and in just ten minutes, a rich aroma filled the entire kitchen.

It's not just a simple egg and milk flavor, but a blend of sweet lychee, delicate rose, and rich milky aroma.

The three fragrances intertwine, creating a refreshing and non-greasy scent that is both gentle and sophisticated, instantly uplifting the mood.

Twelve minutes passed precisely, and Wu Zhou decisively opened the oven.

The soufflé in the baking dish was perfectly rounded, with a golden and soft surface adorned with delicate purple rose petals. It was stunning in appearance and flawless, without any signs of collapsing. It was even more upright than any of the versions Gao Yang had made before.

He quickly took it out and, while it was still hot, sifted a thin layer of powdered sugar on it. There were no extra decorations, but it was simple and exquisite, exuding a sense of luxury, which perfectly matched the high-end positioning of Su Family Island.

"It's done."

Wu Zhou wiped the thin layer of sweat from his palms, looked at Gao Yang, his eyes filled with confidence. His previous anger had long since faded, leaving only his certainty about his work.

The kitchen staff immediately gathered around, their eyes filled with amazement as they looked at the soufflé that was both beautiful and fragrant.

"This looks amazing! It's so much better than the previous ones!"

"This fragrance is absolutely amazing! It's so refreshing and not cloying at all!"

Wu Zhou was very pleased with these compliments.

He handed Gao Yang a spoon.

"Come on, have a taste."