Food Stall: Customers Chase Me across the Country-Chapter 412: Crystal-Clear Rock Sugar Snow Pear
These insights didn’t come out of thin air, nor were they provided by the system. Some were summarized during cooking, some were learned from exchanging ideas with Master Luo, some were gained from watching videos and reading recipes, and the last bit was learned from Zhuo Qianqian’s mentor, Professor Liu.
The thing Professor Liu criticized the most was his plating skills. He didn’t really care about it before, but Professor Liu often sent him pictures of exquisite cuisine from around the world. Compared to those, his own dishes indeed looked much rougher.
The upcoming trip is to France, the base of Michelin. He is also prepared to see and taste in person whether these highly acclaimed Michelin restaurants are as delicious as they are rumored to be. 𝘧𝓇𝑒𝑒𝑤ℯ𝑏𝓃𝘰𝑣ℯ𝘭.𝘤ℴ𝘮
While Wang Fan was explaining, the two dishes, one steamed and one boiled, were quietly undergoing changes.
On one side was the refreshing yet sweet fragrance of pears, and on the other was the unique, rich aroma of beef. The two scents intertwined, filling the small kitchen with an incredibly alluring fragrance.
He turned off the heat for the steamer, opened the lid, and at that moment, a dense steam rushed out, enveloping the rock sugar pears inside in a misty swirl.
Putting on heat-resistant gloves, he brought out the large plate with the rock sugar pears. Everyone’s attention was immediately drawn to this freshly made dessert.
The container carved from pears had become ripe by this time, its color turning more golden than before. Besides Huaxia red, the golden color is undoubtedly the favorite color of Huaxia people, a color that was once reserved solely for royalty in ancient times.
Kurban curiously looked at the three pears with unopened lids. This little thing, to be honest, anyone can make. It’s not that difficult, the steps are few, and the ingredients are more or less the same. Under such circumstances, could Master Wang still play tricks with it?
Wang Fan did not resort to mystification, directly lifting the lid of one pear from the plate. In the light, the crystal-clear broth immediately caught everyone’s attention.
The clear broth had a slightly amber hue. Within it were pieces of fresh, juicy pear, cut into even, round shapes. Once steamed, they looked as if carved from jade. There were also pieces of red dates and goji berries, their bright red color starkly contrasting with the snowy white pear chunks.
The color of the red dates was vivid and eye-catching, like dazzling rubies, while the goji berries, originally wrinkled, were plumped up by the pear juice.
There wasn’t an overwhelming sense of amazement, yet it looked immensely comforting, as if, before even tasting it, you could feel a stream of refreshing juice trickling down your throat, making it feel incredibly soothing.
Unable to resist swallowing his saliva, Kurban suddenly found himself curious about the taste of this rock sugar pear.
Wang Fan opened each of the three pear lids in turn, picking out the one with the best appearance to hand to Zhuo Qianqian. Zhuo Qianqian then carried the small serving plate out to deliver a meal to the elderly.
As for the remaining two, one was for Zhuo Qianqian, and the other naturally went to Kurban and the others.
The pears weren’t large, and each of them only got a small portion, but nobody would be dissatisfied with such a situation.
As the saying goes, if there’s something to eat, it’s already good enough, what else do you need?
Kurban scooped up a piece of pear with a spoon and put it in his mouth. Instantly, he felt a burst of fresh sweetness spreading in his mouth.
The pears were originally tender and juicy, and the steamed ones felt even juicier, without any dryness. In fact, they became even juicier. In addition to the crisp texture of raw pears, it also gained some softness, allowing the pear pieces to dissolve effortlessly in the mouth.
Such excellent control of the heat!
Kurban couldn’t help but admire in his heart.
This seemingly simple rock sugar pear possessed such exceptional taste. With this pear piece now, the crispy and soft textures were perfectly combined. If the heat was slightly less, there wouldn’t be any softness, and if it was slightly more, it wouldn’t retain the crispness. Who knows how many experiments it took to achieve such perfect texture.
He scooped a spoonful of the broth into his mouth, and its flavor once again surprised his taste buds.
The sweetness of the rock sugar was just right, neither overly sweet nor too bland, but instead, blended skilfully with the pear’s refreshing sweetness.
When drinking, you can also feel the richness of the broth, but rich in a way that doesn’t feel particularly thick and sticky, making the overall drinking experience extremely pleasant.
"Master Wang’s skills are really..."
"Stop talking, listen carefully."
Just as Kurban and the others were about to lavish praise on him, Wang Fan promptly interrupted them.
Their flattery was really quite intense, and Wang Fan couldn’t bear the thickness of his own skin. Luckily, at this moment, the scent of the Dongpo Pork subtly changed, giving him an excuse to seal their lips with a lead.
Upon hearing this, Kurban and the others immediately fell silent. Praise can be given anytime, but if they missed the scent change that Master Wang specifically mentioned, they would truly miss a golden opportunity.
As raw meat turns into cooked meat, the flavor of the meat will undergo changes, especially when fewer spices are used. Such changes in scent become particularly noticeable.
This Dongpo Pork mainly used scallions and ginger, making the change in the meat’s aroma more apparent.
"When raw meat begins to simmer, it will definitely carry some gaminess, a raw and rustic scent.
And as the simmering time lengthens, the flavor of the meat undergoes significant changes.
The proteins and fats within the meat decompose, creating various compounds. These new compounds not only carry the flavor of meat, but also possess aromas of fruit, flowers, nuts, and grass."
Wang Fan’s words left Kurban and the others astonished.
Anyone who’s been cooking for half a lifetime knows that the flavor of meat changes, but who would’ve thought it could all be explained scientifically?
Are those scientists really so idle?
Wang Fan wasn’t finished yet; he continued, "When the surface of the meat dehydrates, and the temperature is high enough to trigger the Maillard reaction or browning, a particularly rich tasting outer layer forms.
The aroma from the browning reaction generally carries a roasted characteristic, with hundreds of aromatic compounds found in grilled meat.
Temperature increase also impacts the color and texture of the meat. As the temperature rises, the color of the meat transitions from red to pink, and then to brownish-gray.
This change occurs because of the denaturation of myoglobin at different temperatures, from un-denatured red myoglobin that can release into the juices to denatured brown myoglobin trapped within the congealed proteins remaining in the cells.
These two changes also provide us a basis to check the doneness of the meat. Remember this scent now; when this scent appears, it indicates that the timing is just right for the next step."
"I know most of you don’t cook with pork, but the basics apply to all types of meat - lamb and beef too, with only slight variations in flavor."
