Abnormal Gourmet Chronicle-Chapter 840 - 419: The Guide (Part 2)

Tan Wei’an only stopped after eating three egg tarts in a row.

It wasn’t because he was full, but because he was tired of eating them.

Tan Wei’an wanted to find some tea to drink, but realized that as a helper, no one would pour tea for him. Of course, no one poured tea for him before either, so he had to go and pour it himself quietly.

After Tan Wei’an left, the kitchen station that belonged to Qin Huai had only Qin Huai and Master Zhou remaining. Master Zhou had long since finished tasting, and seeing Tan Wei’an leave, gave his back a knowing look, indicating he knew when to leave, and slowly began to speak:

"Xiao Qin, do you have any thoughts?"

Qin Huai: ?

According to the normal storyline, shouldn’t this be the point where Master Zhou critiques my egg tarts, scolds me so thoroughly that I have a moment of enlightenment, reflect deeply, strive forward with determination, and finally recount the insights of this exchange in Zhiwei Ju?

Why is the entire middle process skipped, going directly to the last step?

Qin Huai hesitantly glanced at Master Zhou and found that he indeed didn’t have a sinister tone. Regardless of his expression, tone, or status, he was very calm, looking as though the irrelevant person had finally left, and it was time for the two of them to discuss the real matter.

"Thoughts... thoughts..." Qin Huai was momentarily at a loss for words; he truly was.

From the bottom of his heart, he somewhat respected and even feared Master Zhou, even though Master Zhou was always friendly and affable when he saw him. This didn’t stop Qin Huai from being a little afraid of him.

Perhaps this is the legendary aura of a top sect elder, especially since this elder enjoys a bit of sarcasm. 𝕗𝕣𝐞𝐞𝘄𝐞𝚋𝚗𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹.𝚌𝕠𝚖

"Master Zhou, how do you think my egg tarts turned out today?" Qin Huai chose to throw back a new question.

"Average." Master Zhou replied very candidly, "In terms of culinary skill, you and Lao San are about the same. Lao San might be slightly less skilled than you; each of you has your strengths. You’re better at steamed snacks and the somewhat niche Four Happiness glutinous rice snacks, whereas Lao San, my apprentice, is spirited and dabbles in various snacks, but he excels in flaky pastries."

"If it were Lao San making the egg tarts today, his tart crust wouldn’t be as crispy as yours. Balance is key; egg tarts aren’t flaky pastries. They need a balance of crispiness and softness, which you might not have aimed for, but you failed to manage this well."

"I noticed this when you were kneading the dough. Your hand technique is good; you know how to use skills, when to be gentle, when to be firm. You’ve probably picked up some techniques from me these days, even if it’s just the basics. Just being able to learn this much from watching is already quite remarkable."

"But you’re indeed not good with flaky pastries. Your technique is raw. You’re trying to imitate, but your technique isn’t as mature as Lao San’s, so your imitation is somewhat superficial."

Master Zhou’s critique was vivid, accurate, and to the point, befitting a seasoned master with three apprentices, each having different personalities and styles.

"Then, about my egg tarts today..." Qin Huai asked tentatively.

Master Zhou smiled slightly, his smile as gentle as a spring breeze: "I’m very satisfied."

Qin Huai could see that Master Zhou was indeed very satisfied.

"You’re more talented, more perceptive than I’ve heard, imagined, or witnessed in the past few days."

This was an exceedingly high compliment, so high that it left Qin Huai a bit shocked.

Qin Huai attempted to explain: "Master... Master Zhou, hasn’t Tan Wei’an told you that when it comes to making snacks, I’m always like this, I’m just very good at imitating others, including in thickening..."

Master Zhou interrupted Qin Huai: "Xiao Tan has told me. Imitation is normal; everyone starts by imitating when learning something new. Often, even imitation requires talent. Without talent, you don’t even have the qualifications to imitate."

"What I said about your talent and understanding is not about imitation. Lao San is also very talented in imitation, but you’re better than him not in imitation."

"When I asked you to make egg tarts, what was your first thought?" Master Zhou stared at Qin Huai.

"I was a bit surprised," Qin Huai admitted honestly, "I didn’t expect you’d ask me to make egg tarts, because I really hadn’t made them before and seldom make this type of snack. Besides, I think Tan Wei’an must have told you that I’m least skilled in making flaky snacks."

"I didn’t think you’d always just have me watch; eventually, you’d let me make snacks. I thought of many snacks, like Qianhua Bun, flower-shaped steamed buns, or other snacks where I could practice my Finger Skill. Egg tarts never crossed my mind."

Master Zhou asked again: "So, before making egg tarts, what were you thinking?"

Qin Huai thought for a moment: "I recalled what I saw these past few days, replayed the process of you making egg tarts in my mind, and remembered some things I’ve heard lately."

Master Zhou nodded with satisfaction and continued asking: "So, after thinking about these things, what do you think is most important when making egg tarts?"

"The tart crust."

"What else?"

"And avoiding the mistakes Su Qian made when kneading dough these days. Making laminated pastry dough is a meticulous process, the technique needs to be gentle, but when incorporating the butter into the dough, the force must be firm."

"Actually, I haven’t thought much about this. When I was kneading the dough, the only thought in my mind was that the tart crust is the soul of the egg tart. This is the crucial step. I’m not skilled at flaky pastries, but this crust had to be done well. At that time, I was honestly replaying in my mind how you kneaded dough, subconsciously perhaps I was imitating. I’m really not sure." Qin Huai found himself talking more as he spoke.