I'm the Culinary God-Chapter 501 - 254: A Dish of Pork Belly for Each Person! Is this a gas station or an oil field? [Subscribe Requested]

Chapter 501: Chapter 254: A Dish of Pork Belly for Each Person! Is this a gas station or an oil field? [Subscribe Requested]

In the kitchen, Xie Baomin set up the wok to start cooking.

"Senior Brother, don’t we need to prepare side dishes?"

Lin Xu was curious. He remembered that when he ate this dish in restaurants, there would be many side dishes, typically green and red bell peppers, onions, and other ingredients.

Although it looked quite appealing and seemed to be a generous portion on a large plate, once you started eating, you’d realize there weren’t many kidney pieces, just a lot of side dishes.

After coating the wok with oil and heating it, Xie Baomin added some more cooking oil.

"Today, I’m making this as a one-pot dish. Aside from scallions, no other side dishes can be added. In restaurants, to lower the difficulty and cost, they cook it in stages. First, they quickly blanch the kidney flowers in oil, then stir-fry the aromatics and side dishes, and finally add the blanched kidney flowers back in, season, and serve."

Making it all in one pot is a greater test of cooking technique.

Chefs in ordinary restaurants generally don’t possess such high culinary skills, and since they can’t add cost-reducing side dishes to a one-pot preparation, they opt for the method of cooking in separate stages.

Besides kidney flowers, similar dishes prepared this way include fresh liver and chicken gizzards.

After speaking, Xie Baomin placed his hand over the wok to test the temperature. It wasn’t quite hot enough. He turned to Lin Xu and remarked, "Sichuan cuisine’s Spicy Fried Kidney Flowers is very similar to this. If you want to make it as a one-pot dish, you have to mince Doubanjiang and marinate the kidney flowers with it. That way, the kidney flowers will take shape properly, and the Red Oil will also be rendered out."

Most one-pot dishes are prepared this way.

However, restaurants rarely do this, primarily due to the costs involved. It’s more practical for them to add side dishes to reduce costs.

The oil in the wok was finally hot enough.

Xie Baomin poured the kidney flowers into the wok, tossed the small basin aside, and grabbed a towel to hold one of the wok’s two small handles. His other hand gripped a ladle, already stirring in the wok to spread out any clumped kidney flowers as much as possible.

Then, one hand shook the wok while the other rapidly moved the ladle, stir-frying the contents.

Under the high heat of the oil, the kidney flowers quickly curled up, and the scored pattern bloomed open.

Once all the kidney flowers had taken shape, their surfaces completely changed color in the hot oil.

At this moment, he poured in the prepared sauce.

He continued to stir-fry rapidly, ensuring the sauce evenly coated the kidney flowers.

Once there was no sauce left at the bottom of the wok, he quickly removed it from the heat and plated the dish.

The entire process took just over seven seconds, yet Xie Baomin handled it with practiced efficiency, without any hint of rush. He even had a moment to glance towards the doorway as he was plating.

Then, he felt a jolt.

He noticed that his junior brother’s father-in-law had somehow reappeared.

Oh, Boss Shen, are you planning for a second child? Your demand for these energy-boosting dishes seems even more urgent than for this old Xie.

"Master Xie, your culinary skills are amazing! It’s rare to see Stir-fried Kidney Flowers made as a one-pot dish like this. Today has truly been an eye-opener," Shen Guofu said, giving a thumbs-up. This time, however, he didn’t reach for the dish on the table.

Seeing Qiu Zhenhua in casual clothes, the big boss realized these dishes might not be for him. Perhaps the chefs from Fishing Platform were here to support their son-in-law. It would be inappropriate to take another dish.

Lin Xu explained to him, "Dad, a supplier has reserved a whole roasted lamb to treat Senior Brother and the others to a meal."

Upon hearing this, Shen Guofu’s face flushed red. "My apologies for earlier, Master Xie, those two dishes..."

Chef Xie waved his hand dismissively. "Nonsense, dishes are made to be eaten. Take this plate of kidney flowers too, Boss Shen. In another two minutes, they’ll overcook and become tough." 𝙧𝙚𝙚𝔀𝒆𝓫𝓷𝙤𝓿𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝙤𝓶

Kidney flowers are an incredibly delicate ingredient. They need to be eaten quickly once cooked, or the residual heat will make them tough, worsening the texture.

Shen Guofu genuinely wanted to try these kidney flowers without the side dishes. But since it was a meal hosted by someone else, he felt he shouldn’t impose. He could always ask his son-in-law to cook it for him later.

He was about to refuse when Lin Xu handed him the plate. "Dad, take this and enjoy it. In a little while, I’ll make them a dish of Quick-fried Kidney Flowers. The taste will be just as good as the Stir-fried Kidney Flowers."

Quick-fried Kidney Flowers?

Xie Baomin, who had been lamenting the "theft" of another "gas station" dish, suddenly brightened.

"Junior Brother, when did you learn that quick-frying method?"

"Chef Guo taught me during my engagement party."

Back then, Dai Jianli had been teaching the method for Boiling Fish. However, due to his mischief of not turning on the exhaust fan, the kitchen in Building Number Ten became so filled with smoke that no one could enter, and an enraged Guo Weidong had sent him away. The Fried Fish Fillets that Dai Jianli had intended to teach were then "stolen" by the furious Guo Weidong, who taught it instead.

"Since that’s the case, show us your skills. When Old Dai arrives later, let him make a dish of Spicy Fried Kidney Flowers as well."

Stir-fried Kidney Flowers, Quick-fried Kidney Flowers, and Spicy Fried Kidney Flowers—these three stir-fried dishes might sound confusingly similar by name, but their flavor profiles are quite different.

Stir-fried Kidney Flowers is a classic Shandong dish, salty and savory with a hint of sweet aftertaste.

Spicy Fried Kidney Flowers is a typical Sichuan dish, numbing and spicy with a rich flavor.

And Quick-fried Kidney Flowers, also a Sichuan cuisine, doesn’t use Doubanjiang. Instead, it’s prepared with Pickled Peppers or minced chili peppers. Those who prefer a sour taste might even add some pickled ginger and sour radish, making the dish sour, spicy, appetizing, and a perfect accompaniment to rice.

At this point, only two pig kidneys remained in the foam box, hardly enough for so many dishes.

Lin Xu spoke to a kitchen assistant, "Ask Boss Hu to quickly send over some pig kidneys. Don’t send too few; we need at least ten."

Hearing that his son-in-law was offering one of his own dishes in exchange and that more pig kidneys were on the way, Shen Guofu took the plate from Lin Xu’s hands and hurried back to his seat.