Chapter 411 - 205: [A Pretty Good Braised Chicken with Taro]
In the end, Xiao Lei had to hold him back.
They were brothers from the same sect; bringing a gift would just make things awkward.
Using the chicken breast for Snowflake Chicken Porridge and eating the two chickens he brought would be gift enough.
Zheng Qiang returned with the taro he’d bought and couldn’t help but grin when he saw Zhou Yan, hands clasped behind his back, lecturing Luo.
Even though Luo hadn’t officially studied under their Master, his seniority and age made him an elder in their circle.
’Leave it to Junior Brother Zhou. He makes amazing food and can even lecture his own master and senior uncle.’
’He’s truly a cut above the rest in the Kong Sect!’
In the living room, Mrs. Zhao and the others were listening, stunned.
"Isn’t that Master Luo Zhou Yan’s senior uncle? How can he talk to him like that? It’s not really... appropriate, is it?" Mrs. Zhao whispered to Comrade Zhou.
Comrade Zhou smiled and reassured her, "It’s fine. He’s here today to learn a dish from Zhou Yan. Any master teaching a student is like this."
The chicken breast was pounded into a fine paste. Then, using a knife, it was scraped into a thin layer to pick out any sinew and fibers.
This was delicate work that allowed no room for error. If even a single fiber failed to melt in the customer’s mouth, it would be the dish’s ruin.
Luo’s face lit up with understanding. "So that’s how it’s done! My previous approach was too simplistic. I thought I could just mince the fibers after pounding the paste, but no matter how finely you chop them, the texture will still be different. I’ve learned something new. Master Zhou, you’re truly skilled!"
Zhou Yan continued, "Now that we’ve pounded the chicken paste, it’s time to make the slurry. You have to add cold stock to the slurry, never hot, or the chicken will clump up. Then add eggs, but only the whites..."
Luo followed Zhou Yan’s instructions step-by-step. He wasn’t fast, but he executed each step with strict precision.
After all, he was a Chef with over twenty years of experience. His fundamentals were rock-solid, and his practical experience was beyond question.
Besides, he had spent those two decades studying Snowflake Chicken Porridge. Even though he’d never managed to successfully replicate it, his understanding of the dish was far beyond that of an ordinary Chef.
It was less that Zhou Yan was teaching him and more that he was giving him pointers.
Luo understood immediately. As soon as Zhou Yan explained the key points, he got it.
"Stir-frying the chicken paste is the biggest test of skill. This batch of slurry is enough for two servings. I’ll demonstrate once to show you the key points and techniques, then you can fry the second batch." Zhou Yan lit a small stove on the side, grabbed a wok, and explained the techniques to Luo as he cooked.
Before long, a serving of Snowflake Chicken Porridge was ready and plated.
It was layered like snowflakes, piled into a snowy mountain. A sprinkle of finely minced red ham on the peak immediately brought it to life.
"Now you try," Zhou Yan said, stepping aside and handing the wok to Luo.
Luo first washed the wok, then began to gently stir-fry the chicken paste. He tossed the wok with one hand while continuously stir-frying with the spatula in the other. The mixture in the wok slowly started to take on a snowflake-like form, but when he took it out, parts of the chicken paste had still stuck together in clumps.
[A terrible serving of Snowflake Chicken Porridge]
Zhou Yan had already seen the evaluation.
But Luo wasn’t discouraged. Looking at the failed Snowflake Chicken Porridge, he actually seemed excited. "It looks right! About half of it turned out!"
"Not bad! More than half was a success on your first try. Let’s taste it!" Xiao Lei had already come over with spoons, handing one to Luo and keeping one for himself.
The two of them scooped a spoonful of the Snowflake Chicken Porridge into their mouths, savoring it carefully and nodding at the same time.
Luo nodded. "The texture and flavor are spot on! I was too slow with the spatula, which made some of it clump up. I need to coordinate better with tossing the wok."
"The flavor is definitely right! It’s not much different from the one Zhou Yan made last time." Xiao Lei also nodded repeatedly. He then scooped up a spoonful of Zhou Yan’s version from the side and smacked his lips. "The texture’s still a bit off, though. Lots of room for improvement. It’s not as fluffy and soft as Zhou Yan’s. Luo, your wok-tossing skills have gotten rusty. You need to practice more."
"You’re right. I haven’t been tossing the wok enough these past two years. My eyes have learned, but my hands haven’t caught up." Luo nodded and looked at Zhou Yan. "Master Zhou, how about a few words of critique?"
"Your own summary was spot on. Your hands just couldn’t keep up. There’s no way around it but to practice more. Practice makes perfect," Zhou Yan said with a smile.
Experienced old Chefs are best at self-critique; he didn’t even need to waste his breath.
"Alright, I’ll get back to it then." Luo nodded with a smile and eagerly began the second round of preparing the chicken paste, making the slurry, and gently stir-frying.
Zhou Yan grabbed four spoons and brought his serving of Snowflake Chicken Porridge out, letting Zhou Momo, Mrs. Zhao, and the others have a taste. Best to let them finish it, as it would be a waste to let it get cold.
"Wow! Brother is making snowflakes again~~" Zhou Momo put down her crayons, her eyes shining as she watched Zhou Yan come out with the Snowflake Chicken Porridge.
Zhou Yan pushed her half-finished drawing aside, placed the plate in front of her, and stuck a spoon in her hand, saying with a smile, "Have a taste."
"Wait a minute, wipe your hands before you eat." Mrs. Zhao came over with a towel, wiped the girl’s colorful hands clean, and gave her a new spoon.
Comrade Zhou and Mrs. Zhao Hong gathered around as well.
"Come on, you all finish this Snowflake Chicken Porridge. It’s no good once it gets cold, and you can’t reheat it," Zhou Yan said, handing them spoons.
Zhou Momo raised her spoon, took a scoop from the very peak of the "mountain," and popped it into her mouth. She savored it, swinging her little head and short legs.
"To make chicken look like this... it kind of resembles soft tofu. You can’t even tell it’s chicken. You Chefs are really something else. And it even looks pretty," Mrs. Zhao said with a laugh. She scooped up a spoonful, put it in her mouth, and her eyes quickly lit up.