Chapter 135: Chapter 130: Influence of Environment

In the kitchen, the bustling sounds of activity rose and fell, with everyone going all out, busy preparing this morning’s breakfast.

And today’s breakfast is definitely a highlight—fried milk!

Fried milk, as the name suggests, is a snack made primarily from milk, also called fried fresh milk, and belongs to the Cantonese cuisine.

It’s a delicious, healthy, and visually appealing little dessert.

Once the milk strips are made, and fried in warm oil, they fully retain the nutritional components of fresh milk. The texture is crispy on the outside but not hard, while the inside remains tender and smooth, with a rich milky fragrance. Once tasted, you’ll be captivated, unable to resist!

It’s loved by both the elderly and children!

Its preparation is particularly simple, requiring just a few easy steps to effortlessly make this tasty snack.

At this moment, Qian Guoxiang, who is not very skilled at making desserts, is methodically following Huang Jun’s instructions step by step.

He first mixes corn starch with a small amount of cold water, stirring meticulously until it is completely dissolved.

Then, he adds sugar to the mixture, combining it with fresh milk, and continues to stir until even.

His movements are both skillful and detailed, executing each step perfectly to ensure that the milk mixture reaches its optimal state.

After completing this series of actions, Qian Guoxiang brings the prepared starch to Huang Jun, asking, “Chef Huang, can you take a look and see if this milk mixture meets the requirements?”

Although he is already quite satisfied with his results internally, out of respect for Huang Jun, he still hopes to receive Huang Jun’s approval.

Huang Jun looks up and glances at the milky-white starch, its smooth and delicate texture and enticing color catching his eye.

He nods in satisfaction and praises, “Mm, very good! Assistant Chef Qian, your skills are impeccable, you grasp concepts easily, truly deserving of your status as a former five-star head chef.”

With the support of Assistant Chef Qian, his workload has significantly reduced, making things much easier.

At least the preliminary preparations don’t require him to do them personally, he just needs to provide guidance and opinions at critical moments.

Qian Guoxiang feels quite gratified upon hearing Huang Jun’s approval, his face showing a humble smile, responding, “You’re too kind, Chef Huang, it’s all because of your excellent guidance!”

Honestly speaking, he does have a certain talent when it comes to cooking, but he always seems to lack something when it comes to dessert making, as if there’s a barrier set by the heavens.

Every time he tries to make desserts, it’s always difficult for him to achieve the desired outcome he imagines.

However, thanks to Huang Jun’s insights, he has made significant progress in the preliminary preparation stage.

Indeed, you are influenced by those you associate with!

Learning alongside an excellent master, you can achieve unexpected results!

But speaking of which.

A chef so young yet demonstrating such versatile cooking skills is truly a miracle in the culinary world!

Typically, chefs need to go through years of practice and accumulate experience before mastering a specific cuisine or cooking technique.

But Huang Jun, at such a young age, can deftly navigate various cuisines, even making desserts effortlessly, easily handling them.

Reflecting on his skill level when he was Huang Jun’s age, he couldn’t reach such a level…

“Assistant Chef Qian, don’t be so modest!”

Huang Jun turns to the stove, adjusts the fire, readying for the next step of cooking.

Qian Guoxiang stands on the side, observing Huang Jun’s every movement, learning the cooking techniques and control of heat for this dessert.

Huang Jun pours the milk mixture into the pot, beginning to simmer it slowly over low heat.

He constantly watches the size of the flame, ensuring the milk mixture heats evenly, meanwhile using a spatula to stir in one direction continually, preventing the starch from settling to the bottom of the pot and burning it.

As the tongues of flame lick the milk pot, the mixture of milk, sugar, and starch inside begins to slowly boil, bubbling up, becoming increasingly viscous.

He keeps his eyes on the heat, diligently continuing to stir, waiting for it to reach the perfect semi-solid state.

With his stirring…

The rich aroma of milk quietly permeates the entire kitchen…

Aunt Li smells this aroma, her face showing an expression of anticipation, exclaiming, “Such a rich milky smell! It’s already so fragrant even before being completed, it’s hard to imagine how fragrant and delicious it will be once finished!”

“I won’t lie, I’m already craving just from smelling this milky aroma.” Aunt Lin says with a smile, her face revealing a slight look of longing.

Qian Guoxiang stands on the side, also drawn by this milky aroma, he watches Huang Jun simmer the milk mixture with unwavering attention.

Silently admiring in his heart, Huang Jun’s control over the heat is truly perfect, giving the milk batter a silky smooth texture.

Very good, indeed very good!

Without raising his head, Huang Jun focused on stirring the milk batter in the pot while instructing, “Assistant Chef Qian, please brush a layer of oil on the tray.”

“Okay, Chef Huang!”

Qian Guoxiang responded immediately and quickly got to work.

He carefully brushed the tray and then gently placed it next to Huang Jun’s stove for easy access.

Huang Jun nodded with satisfaction and used a spatula to pour the thick milk batter from the pot into the tray.

He shook the tray on the table to ensure the milk batter was evenly spread.

Then he placed the entire tray into the refrigerator to cool, allowing the milk batter to further solidify.

During the waiting process, Huang Jun didn’t idle; he turned around to start making alternative snacks for the little boy allergic to milk.

Time passed…

The milk batter in the refrigerator gradually solidified into a slightly firmer solid.

Huang Jun took out the tray and skillfully used a knife to cut the milk blocks into delicate rectangular milk bars.

Then, one by one, he coated them in starch and egg liquid, finally rolling them lightly in breadcrumbs, making them plump and round, as if dressed in a layer of golden clothes.

He saw the oil in the pot beginning to bubble.

Huang Jun placed the coated milk bars into the pot one by one, and as the sizzling sound of deep frying arose, a rich aroma immediately spread out.

Watching intently, he saw the milk blocks flip in the hot oil, gradually turning golden and crisp.

When all the milk blocks floated lightly to the surface, Huang Jun quickly and gently used a strainer to scoop them out, draining the oil softly before carefully placing them into the stainless steel serving dishes.

At this moment, the perfectly presented deep-fried milk blocks, each like a piece of golden art, showcased their color, aroma, and taste.

Under the light, the golden shells glistened with a tempting luster, irresistibly making one gulp.

Aunt Li looked at the deep-fried milk and couldn’t help but exclaim, “Wow, this fried milk looks so golden yellow, when the kids see it, they might cry with envy!”

“They look so delicious, those kids and teachers will probably be ecstatic!” Aunt Lin eagerly agreed,

and simultaneously, the two extended their chopsticks, picking up a piece of deep-fried milk to taste.

The crispy shell broke lightly in the mouth, revealing the sweet milk scent inside, with each bite, the crust remained crunchy and the inside smooth, mouthfuls filled with creamy milk flavor.

Extremely delicious!

“So fragrant and tasty!” Aunt Li couldn’t help but express her satisfaction in exclamation.

“Yes, it’s really delicious!” Aunt Lin nodded in agreement, then turned to Qian Guoxiang, her eyes filled with the joy of sharing food, “Assistant Chef Qian, you should try it, this fried milk is really tasty!”

“Sure!”

Qian Guoxiang smiled and nodded, picking up a piece of deep-fried milk, savoring the perfect blend of crispiness and tenderness.

This deep-fried milk, although seemingly simple, actually tests the chef’s skill greatly.

One must have a perfect grasp of the heat and timing, a bit too much and it becomes too hard, a bit too little and it remains too soft.

When the heat is a bit too much, although the fried milk still exudes a tempting aroma, its texture becomes overly firm, losing its original tenderness and delicacy.

This aging not only manifests in a rough texture but also in the gradual loss of nutritional values and flavors during long cooking, diminishing the charm of the fried milk.

And when the heat is a bit too little, while the fried milk achieves a tender and delicate texture, it lacks enough richness and depth.

This tender texture, although delightful at first taste, struggles to leave a lasting impression on the taste buds, offering an endless aftertaste.

Because the fried milk hasn’t fully released its flavors and nutrients in the frying process, the delicious layering and satisfaction feel somewhat lacking.

But the fried milk made by Huang Jun perfectly masters the heat and timing, maintaining a tender texture while ensuring a full release of nutritional components and flavors.

Such fried milk allows an endless aftertaste, lingering enjoyment!

Every bite is a feast for the taste buds!

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep