Gourmet: Twins' Father and Chef of the Kindergarten-Chapter 150 - 145: Heaven Chases You Down to Feed You
Time flies, and it’s almost noon already.
In the Dorami Kindergarten kitchen.
Huang Jun is leading three kitchen staff members, busily preparing lunch for the children.
Just as Huang Jun was about to start on the last dish, Aunt Lin couldn’t help but voice her opinion: "If you ask me, onions shouldn’t be included in a kindergarten menu. My son won’t eat onions, and he’s a grown-up, let alone these kids."
Aunt Li nodded in agreement and chimed in: "That’s right, whenever I cook onions at home, whether it’s just stir-fried, with meat, or with squid, no one even touches it. They won’t even eat the meat or squid with it, so I end up eating it all by myself. I thought since they don’t like it stir-fried, I’d try a different method, and tried deep-frying. I learned how to make fried onion rings online, but guess what? They still wouldn’t eat it, saying the taste was still too strong..."
Today, there’s a dish with onions for lunch, something not many adults fancy either, let alone these picky kids.
As a result!
Whenever the kindergarten serves a dish with onions, there are always a bunch of kids who refuse to eat it, leaving a lot of leftovers.
Although Huang Jun hasn’t been at the kindergarten long, he knows well that the daily menus are meticulously crafted based on scientific guidelines.
Faced with the complaints from Aunt Lin and the others, he smiled and patiently explained: "Although onions have a unique smell, they are very nutritious. They contain phytoncides, which help in sterilization and preventing colds, and are rich in quercetin and selenium, which have cancer-preventing properties. Besides, onions help with digestion and stimulate appetite. Even if the kids aren’t fond of the smell, trying something new occasionally doesn’t hurt."
He continued, "Moreover, professional matters should be handled by professionals. The daily menus at the kindergarten are carefully planned by the health director, and as a chef, I just follow the menu."
Seeing Huang Jun’s calmness, Qian Guoxiang trusted that with Huang Jun’s culinary skills, he would skillfully handle this issue.
He laughed and said, "Alright, alright, no need for unnecessary worries. I trust that once the onions are in Chef Huang’s hands, they’ll turn into something delicious and tempting, and the kids will be willing to try them."
Aunt Lin and Aunt Li listened and did not comment further.
Huang Jun smiled and started preparing the fried onion flowers.
He skillfully cracked some fresh eggs into a large stainless steel bowl, mixed in some oregano, then slowly poured in milk, whisking briskly to ensure the eggs and milk fused perfectly, becoming smooth and even.
Meanwhile, Qian Guoxiang had already left the roots on the onions, cutting them into 16 segments, each resembling a blooming chrysanthemum.
Seeing this, Huang Jun smiled and instructed Qian Guoxiang: "Assistant Chef Qian, please bring over the cut onion flowers and put them in the egg mixture, petals downwards, so that each petal gets fully coated."
"Sure, I know that!"
Qian Guoxiang nodded knowingly and obediently followed Huang Jun’s directions, placing the cut onion petals face down into the mixed egg mixture for soaking.
Huang Jun glanced at Qian Guoxiang’s operation, nodding slightly in satisfaction.
Then he turned to fetch a clean large stainless steel bowl to carefully prepare the dry powder coating.
He expertly poured flour, cornmeal, cumin powder, salt, and pepper into the bowl in certain proportions, then used chopsticks to mix thoroughly until it formed an improved dry batter.
Qian Guoxiang watched Huang Jun’s operation, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes: "I remember before, only flour was used for this step."
"Yes, traditionally only flour is used." Huang Jun explained with a smile, "But I’ve tried some improvements, adding half cornmeal, which makes the fried onion flowers more crispy and delicious. Plus, I specifically chose cumin powder, which suits children’s tastes better, as the seasoning."
"I see!"
With this, Qian Guoxiang showed an enlightened expression.
He approved of Huang Jun’s improvements and was full of anticipation for the upcoming fried onion flowers.
Aunt Li and Aunt Lin felt the same way!
Each of them gathered around, not just to observe and learn, but also hoping to grasp some cooking skills to make the fried onion flowers at home for their families, hoping this might change their view on onions!
What?
Their skills are a galaxy away from Chef Huang’s, and even if they try at home, they can’t perfectly replicate it?
No problem.
As long as they grasp the essence, even if they only achieve 80% of the results, the taste won’t be too far off.
Huang Jun took the onion flowers out of the egg mixture, drained the excess liquid, and placed them in the prepared dry powder. He skillfully turned the onion flowers, ensuring each petal was coated with a thin layer of batter while maintaining the independence of each petal to achieve that fluffy ’Afro’ style when fried.
With the oil in the pan heating up, Huang Jun placed the coated onion flowers into the oil, frying them on medium-low heat.
In the oil, the onion flowers gently rolled and sizzled.
Huang Jun stood by, attentively using a spatula to gently flip them, ensuring each petal was evenly heated, gradually turning a golden color.
As time passed, the onion flowers became more golden and aromatic, filling the entire kitchen with their fragrance.
Aunt Lin, smelling the aroma, couldn’t help but exclaim, "Chef Huang, your fried onion flower smells so good. I’m tempted to try a bite myself! I wonder if the kids today will be in the mood to eat all the onions?"
"Even if they don’t eat them all, they’ll definitely want to try. After all, this fried onion flower smells so good, and I’m sure it tastes just as nice. Plus, Chef Huang specially selected spices that suit the children’s palates. I believe they’ll like it," Aunt Li said with a smile, picking up the conversation.
There’s no denying it, Chef Huang’s skills are truly extraordinary!
With this fried onion flower, there’s not a hint of the onion’s pungent smell.
Thinking back, even when Chef Wei prepared this dish before, he could never completely get rid of the onion’s taste.
Yet, Chef Huang has managed to harmonize the flavors perfectly, making it mild and pleasant, a truly admirable culinary skill!
Indeed, once Chef Huang got involved, it became clear what it means to be divinely blessed with talent!
Huang Jun smiled humbly.
Seeing that the onion flowers in the oil pan had fried to a golden and crispy state, he carefully removed them, placed them on kitchen paper to absorb the excess oil, and then arranged them on large stainless steel trays, like freshly bloomed chrysanthemums, flawlessly presented before everyone.
"Wow, just by appearance alone, this could make all the kids in the kindergarten drool!" Aunt Lin, looking at the fried onion flowers in front of her, couldn’t help but let her eyes glow with appreciation and amazement, exclaiming involuntarily.
"Yes, yes, they look so beautiful that I can hardly bring myself to eat them!" Aunt Li was completely captivated by the appearance of the fried onion flowers.
Qian Guoxiang was also impressed by Huang Jun’s craftsmanship: "Indeed, it’s excellent, the heat control is spot on, with an enticing golden color; each onion flower is fried to perfection, truly admirable."
"Assistant Chef Qian, you’re too kind..."
Huang Jun smiled humbly again, his hands never stopping, as he continued to meticulously prepare two types of sauces for the children.
One was the kids’ favorite tomato sauce, and the other was his unique special sauce.
This special sauce was a blend of over ten carefully selected ingredients such as cheese powder, corn syrup, and mayonnaise, skilfully paired and mixed to present a unique flavor.
It’s worth mentioning that even the tomato sauce wasn’t the common market product but personally made by Huang Jun, retaining the ingredients’ original flavor and nutritional value.
The two sauces each had their own distinctive appeal: one was sweet and tangy, the other rich and creamy.
No matter which one, he believed they would offer the children a new taste experience.
Aunt Li and Aunt Lin could no longer contain their curiosity, eagerly reaching out to take a fried onion flower.
They gently tore off a golden, crispy petal, dipped it in a bit of tomato sauce, and savored it.
Upon tasting it, their eyes lit up instantly.
Aunt Li exclaimed with delight, "Ah, this is really good! The sharp onion taste is completely gone, leaving only a fragrant, crispy texture and a slightly sweet aftertaste in the mouth. Paired with this tangy-sweet tomato sauce, it’s really quite delicious..."
Aunt Lin nodded frequently in agreement, saying, "Yes, Chef Huang’s skill is truly remarkable! I was worried that even if it smelled good, it might still have a strong onion taste, but it doesn’t at all. Instead, it’s crispy, refreshing, and not greasy at all, truly delicious!"
While the two were full of praise, Qian Guoxiang, who usually wasn’t interested in fried foods, couldn’t help but reach out to grab two onion petals, dipping each in the two different sauces and taking a bite.
The golden, crispy crust shattered instantly in his mouth, releasing a rich fragrance.
Then, the fresh and tender texture of the onion and its slightly sweet juice filled his mouth.
The special sauce added endless flavor to this fried onion flower.
The sweet and tangy tomato sauce intertwined with the rich creaminess of the special sauce, perfectly merging with the fried onion flower to create a feast for the taste buds. 𝒇𝒓𝙚𝒆𝔀𝓮𝓫𝒏𝓸𝙫𝓮𝓵.𝓬𝙤𝙢
Qian Guoxiang initially thought this fried onion flower might taste good, but now he deeply realized that the actual taste far exceeded his expectations, leading him to genuinely admire Huang Junfu’s culinary skills.
A moment later,
the nursery teachers gradually entered the kitchen, ready to take the meals.
When they saw the fried onion flower, their eyes were immediately drawn to it.
Teacher Wang Wenxia asked in amazement, "Wow, is this really made from onions?"
She said, moving closer to the tray, taking a deep breath, "I can’t smell a hint of onion, only a delightful aroma; it’s truly unbelievable..."
Wu Meijuan also laughed and said, "Even someone who doesn’t like onions, like me, feels tempted by this dish!"
"These braised chicken wings look so tempting!" another nursery teacher was instantly drawn to the other dishes and said with a smile, "I bet the kids in our class would jump with joy seeing this dish."
The nursery teachers felt that each dish for lunch today was tempting, with the aroma wafting through the air, making them eager to try it right away...
