Chapter 351: Chapter 350: Who Would’ve Thought

Qiu Jingxiu is a very charismatic middle-aged woman, not very tall, with broad shoulders, sporting a neat bob cut, and her facial expression appears very kind.

As soon as she arrived at the scene, she first took the initiative to greet Director Chen, and then, under Director Chen’s introduction, she politely exchanged introductions with Fu Yu and Gao Chao.

If he didn’t know the inside story, Fu Yu would think Qiu Jingxiu is a very gentle and kind person.

But now…

The guest performer had already arrived, and the host took the stage right on cue.

The accompanying music started playing.

The food street temporarily paused its services, and all personnel had already been prepared in advance. Once they heard the music, they immediately, in an organized and disciplined manner, started assisting with event management, guiding students and parents to the event stage.

The big screen at the back of the stage was already showing a live video feed.

Everyone was sitting quietly in their seats, those seated closer to the stage were watching in person, while those farther away watched the big screen.

After the host finished the opening remarks, he invited Qiu Jingxiu to come up on stage to speak.

Qiu Jingxiu was quite eloquent, vividly describing her responsibilities and experiences, capturing everyone’s attention.

Perhaps because she was aware that her actions might involve a breach of contract, she took the opportunity on stage to give a very detailed promotion for the culinary school.

The atmosphere was heated up, and it was at this moment that Qiu Jingxiu proposed to perform her signature culinary skills for the audience, Walnut Buns, and Golden Crispy Pork.

The audience erupted instantly!

The experts in the audience knew that witnessing someone perform their signature skills was a rare opportunity not to be missed.

After all, chefs are different from other professions; secret techniques are always kept hidden, unwilling to reveal the cooking methods to outsiders.

On one hand, to prevent the skills from being stolen, and on the other, to enhance the mystery.

The more difficult a skill is to learn, the more precious it seems.

Those who were not experts were simply there for the excitement.

The host smoothly picked up the conversation, elaborating at length, before taking the opportunity to invite two students to join the stage.

And Qiu Jingxiu expressed her willingness to conduct hands-on teaching on the spot.

This made the atmosphere on stage even more enthusiastic.

Fu Yu and Gao Chao were naturally invited up.

The two of them, one behind the other, walked toward the prepared cooking station.

Qiu Jingxiu took a quick look at the ingredients and cooking utensils arranged on her station, but instead of rushing to cook, she smiled and said, “Actually, Crispy Pork is a dish with a very simple cooking method, nothing hard about it. However, what I am going to make, the Golden Crispy Pork, is originally named Traditional Specialty Five-Style Crispy Pork.”

“These Five-Style Crispy Pork include Beijing Crispy Pork Pot, Clear Soup Crispy Pork, Henan Style Big Crispy Pork, Mushroom Small Crispy Pork, and Oil Splashed Sea Cucumber Small Crispy Pork.”

The venue was instantly abuzz.

Fu Yu and Gao Chao stared at Qiu Jingxiu, dumbfounded.

What Traditional Specialty Five-Style Crispy Pork?

These are clearly five different crispy pork dishes!

Qiu Jingxiu had learned all the most characteristic ways to cook crispy pork from around the country, and then combined these five cooking methods into one dish.

No wonder it’s said this Golden Crispy Pork is unique and difficult to make, and it’s Qiu Jingxiu’s specialty.

Who could have thought!

The big screen at the back of the stage was now broadcasting live, and everyone was watching the screen with bated breath.

Regarding cooking, the newcomers and accompanying parents, although not very skilled, understood somewhat.

Qiu Jingxiu, however, didn’t start cooking; instead, she looked like she was giving a demonstration, smiling as she said, “Crispy Pork is a traditional specialty dish, fragrant, tender, refreshing, fatty but not greasy. When a bowl of Crispy Pork is out of the pot, it’s bright in color, crispy but not mushy, and the aroma is overflowing. It’s not only delicious and fresh in taste but also nutritious.”

The host asked, “Are there any particular points to pay attention to when cooking this Crispy Pork?”

Qiu Jingxiu said, “Actually, this dish seems simple in method, but when cooking, there is a little trick to it! If you want the product to be crispy but not mushy, you need to go through two stages of hot and cold deep-frying; missing one will affect the texture.”

The host asked again, “I’ve also heard that when frying food, removing it, and then frying it a second time can force out the oil that was absorbed during the first fry.”

At this time, Gao Chao suddenly said, “Pounding ingredients that require a double frying usually means the size is quite large and may not cook easily. The purpose of the first low-temperature fry is to partially cook the ingredient. At this point, some oil seeps into the gaps on the food’s surface, making it taste quite oily.”

“The purpose of the second fry is to release the steam remaining inside the ingredient, making the surface crispier.”

“But the amount of oil that gets into the ingredient is minimal, and due to the release of steam, some oil within the gaps will be forced out, though not much.”

Qiu Jingxiu smiled and said, “That’s right, so saying the two-stage frying is to force out oil isn’t entirely correct, but it’s not wrong either.”

After saying this, Qiu Jingxiu couldn’t help but give Gao Chao a second look, “Let’s start cooking now, and I’ll guide you through the process.”

Gao Chao nodded and started cooking.

While he was talking with Qiu Jingxiu just now, the camera had been focused on him, and now it directly locked onto his cooking station.

Because Qiu Jingxiu naturally stood beside his station.

Successfully cooking a dish you’ve never made before is quite challenging.

After all, to make a dish well, you must practice repeatedly, mastering each step precisely, only then can you ensure that a dish will have the right color, aroma, and taste, understanding exactly what to do, how to season, and even how to plate it properly.

You could say that a standardized, precise cooking process for a dish is as important as strategic deployment is for a military battle.

One wrong move, and it could all be lost!

Both Gao Chao and Fu Yu are experienced and skilled in cooking, so once they learned how to make Traditional Specialty Five-Style Crispy Pork, the cooking process went much smoother.

The two of them started cooking simultaneously, yet the camera firmly focused on Qiu Jingxiu.

Wherever she stood, the camera followed.

The star of this cooking demonstration was Qiu Jingxiu, and her every move was under the spotlight.

Now that the cooking methods had been taught, everything left depended on how Fu Yu and Gao Chao executed the techniques.

But with two cooking stations, left and right, only one could truly be shown up close on the big screen.

At this time, everyone’s attention naturally shifted to Gao Chao.

Down below, someone who knew Gao Chao quietly explained to the family next to them, “He’s the head chef of Zhongxiang Restaurant. Che Yuhang, ever heard of him? That is his mentor!”

During the cooking, nobody spoke, so the host had to find ways to liven up the atmosphere.

He deliberately asked Gao Chao, “Chef Gao, have you ever made Golden Crispy Pork before? Do you have the confidence to complete it?”

Gao Chao honestly replied, “I’ve only made regular Crispy Pork; I’ve never made something like this Traditional Specialty Five-Style Crispy Pork, so I can only try my best.”

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep