Republic of China, 1928: Starting from a Wonton Shop

Li Chunsheng stood up, looking directly at Sun Dehai and Yan Desheng: "The time and place were set by Dongxinglou, and the topic was set by the Chamber of Commerce. Since it's a cooking competition, we can't leave Li Chunsheng with absolutely no initiative, can we?"

Sun Dehai frowned: "What do you want?"

"It's very simple," Li Chunsheng said, holding up one finger. "Since the competition is being held at Dongxinglou, I will decide on the specific dishes."

"You're going to decide?" Yan Desheng asked as if he'd heard a joke. "Kid, what do you want to decide? Do you want to compete to see who makes the best wontons? Or whose boiled pork slices are the spiciest?"

"No," Li Chunsheng shook his head, "Since we are at Dongxinglou, and since I am here to learn from Master Yan, I will naturally choose what Master Yan is best at."

He said, slowly and deliberately, "What I want to make is Shandong cuisine."

These words shocked everyone present.

Even the usually composed Chairman Yu was so surprised that his mouth dropped open. A small shopkeeper who started out by making Sichuan and Hunan cuisine was going to challenge Yan Desheng, the master of Shandong cuisine, at Dongxinglou, the stronghold of Shandong cuisine, and he even chose Shandong cuisine.

This isn't just showing off your limited skills before an expert; it's like carrying a lantern into a toilet—you're looking for shit!

"What did you say?" Yan Desheng thought he had misheard, and picked at his ear. "You want to compete with me in Shandong cuisine?"

"That's right, it's Shandong cuisine," Li Chunsheng said firmly, without the slightest hesitation. "Since the topic is about cooking time and temperature, let's make a Shandong dish that tests the most precise control of cooking time and temperature: Fried Double Crispy Dishes!"

"Deep-fried Double Crispy Delicacies?!"

Yan Desheng's expression changed instantly.

If he was contemptuous just now, he was now shocked, even with a hint of anger at being humiliated.

Stir-fried Double Crispy is a divine dish in Shandong cuisine, but also a nightmare for chefs.

The main ingredients of this dish are pig's stomach and chicken gizzards. These two ingredients are extremely tough, difficult to flavor, and even more difficult to cook thoroughly.

The essence of this dish lies entirely in the word "explosion." The oil temperature must be extremely high, and the movements must be extremely fast; from the moment the ingredients are put into the pan to when they are taken out, it only takes a few seconds.

If the heat is too low, the food will be raw and tough; if it's too high, it will be overcooked and hard as rubber. Only in that split second can the pork belly and chicken gizzards be cooked through yet retain their perfect crispness, making a satisfying "crunch" sound when you bite into them, hence the name "Double Crisp".

This dish is so difficult that even a seasoned chef with decades of experience wouldn't dare say they could make it perfectly every time, let alone an ordinary chef.

This kid actually dared to choose this dish?

"Hahahaha!" Yan Desheng laughed in fury, his laughter shaking the roof. "Good! Good lad! You're really fearless! You want to die? I'll grant your wish! Since you want to compete in 'Fried Double Crispy Oil,' then let's compete in 'Fried Double Crispy Oil'! I want to see if your hands can handle that fire!"

Sun Dehai also grinned sinisterly: "Manager Li, you made this choice yourself. If you lose, don't blame Dongxinglou for bullying you."

"A gentleman's word is as good as his bond." Li Chunsheng cupped his hands in greeting. "We'll settle this in three days."

After leaving the Chamber of Commerce, Lao Wu followed behind Li Chunsheng, his face full of worry.

"Master, you took a really risky move," Old Wu said in a low voice. "Yan Desheng has been cooking Shandong cuisine his whole life, and this stir-fried double crisp is his specialty. You..."

Old Wu didn't finish his sentence, but his meaning was clear: we started out by making home-style dishes. Although business is booming now, comparing our heritage with others is like throwing an egg against a rock.

Li Chunsheng stopped in his tracks. "Mr. Wu, I know what you're worried about, but this battle must be fought, and we must win. If I choose boiled pork slices, even if I win, they'll say I relied on chili peppers and strong flavors to cheat, that my victory was unfair. Only by defeating them in their area of ​​expertise can we truly subdue them and ensure that no one dares to bully Li's Restaurant!"

"Besides," Li Chunsheng smiled mysteriously, "who says I can't cook Shandong cuisine?"

For the next three days, Li's Restaurant remained open as usual, but Li Chunsheng became somewhat elusive.

During the day, he was still busy in the kitchen, but after closing time at night, the kitchen of Li's Restaurant was brightly lit all night long.

In the kitchen, Li Chunsheng stood in front of the stove, with a mountain of ingredients piled up in front of him.

The selection of ingredients for this dish, "Fried Double Crispy," is extremely strict. Only the thickest part of the pig's stomach and the tenderest part of the chicken gizzard after peeling are used. Out of ten pounds of raw materials, only one or two pounds are usable.

But Li Chunsheng didn't care about the materials at this moment.

"Clang clang clang..."

The system reward of "Top-notch Knife Skills" was on full display at this moment.

The pig's stomach was cut into a fine cross pattern, with each cut being of uniform depth. The goal was to cut through the hot oil to allow it to penetrate instantly without severing it completely. This required not only a steady hand but also meticulous attention to detail.

The chicken gizzards were cut into chrysanthemum shapes, as thin as cicada wings, and translucent.

After chopping the ingredients, the next step is the most crucial one: controlling the heat.

The oil in the pan was burning, and the temperature was rising rapidly. His eyes were fixed on the noodles.

50% hot, 60% hot, 70% hot...

The oil in the pan began to tremble slightly, and wisps of smoke rose from it, a sign that the oil temperature was about to reach its peak.

It's now!

Li Chunsheng used a strainer to pour the marinated double crispy filling into the boiling oil.

boom!

A huge ball of flame instantly erupted from the pot, shooting straight up to the roof beams.

That's an explosion caused by the collision of high-temperature oil and gas with the moisture in the food.

In that instant, Li Chunsheng's wrist flicked rapidly, the wok twirling in the flames, ensuring that every piece of tripe and gizzard was heated evenly.

One second, two seconds, three seconds...

Up!

Just a second after the third second and before the fourth, Li Chunsheng flipped his wrist, and all the ingredients instantly left the fire and fell into the prepared strainer to drain the oil.

Next, leave some oil in the pan, then add minced scallions, ginger, garlic, cooking wine, soy sauce, vinegar, and chicken broth to make a thickening sauce.

The broth boils instantly when it's poured into the pot.

Double crispy ingredients are stir-fried again over high heat, and the sauce tightly coats the ingredients.

Out of the pot!

The whole process took no more than ten seconds.

Li Chunsheng ladled the food onto a plate, ignoring the heat, and picked up a piece of tripe, putting it in his mouth.

A crisp snapping sound exploded in my mouth.

Crispy! It really is crispy!

But after chewing a few times, Li Chunsheng frowned slightly.

"I've gotten a little older."

He spat out the food in his mouth and shook his head.

While this is a rare delicacy for the average person, it is a fatal flaw in the eyes of experts.

That critical point is too difficult to grasp.

Too early and it won't be ripe; too late and it won't be crisp.

It's like dancing on the edge of a knife; if you deviate even slightly, you'll be shattered to pieces.

"Again!"

Li Chunsheng was not discouraged. He threw away the plate and picked up the cleaver again.

That night, the sound of stir-frying filled the kitchen of Li's Restaurant, and Yunniang, who had been with Li Chunsheng all night, was also exhausted.

"Chunsheng, take a break," Yunniang said, her voice slightly breathless. "You've been cooking all night; even an iron body can't take it."

Li Chunsheng stopped what he was doing, turned around, and smiled at Yunniang, "Sister-in-law, I'm not tired, let's do it again!"

The flames rose again.

The second day, the third day...

Li Chunsheng was like a man possessed. During the day, he would greet customers in the front, and at night he would plunge into the kitchen, wrestling with those few pounds of pork belly and chicken gizzards.