I'm the Culinary God-Chapter 510 - 257: Burn the Softshell Turtle! Stew the Softshell Turtle! Tonight is Another Joyful Meal with My Father-in-law! [Subscription Requested]
"Dad, this Crystal Skin Jelly was made by Yueyue."
Seeing that his precious Baobao was about to cry, Lin Xu quickly told his father-in-law the truth.
After saying this, he looked at his own parents. What amazing acting skills! he silently praised. His father-in-law’s mouth was puckering from the saltiness, yet the two of them could still compliment her without a change in expression. Did they just come back from a praise group training?
"Yueyue made this?"
Shen Guofu couldn’t believe his ears. It never crossed his mind that his daughter, who usually didn’t lift a finger and couldn’t tell grains apart, had managed to make the jelly so crystal clear and perfect. As for the dipping sauce... well, that was another story.
"I originally wanted to surprise you... but then..."
Shen Baobao felt so dejected. This morning, when she was learning, she thought she had unlocked the governor and conception vessels in cooking. She even felt a certain pride, as if holding a chef’s knife meant she had the world in her hands. And the praise from her in-laws just now made her think she might be a culinary genius who had only been held back. But it turned out that her elders were just humoring her. Sigh! Am I destined to live in the shadow of my dear Xu, just being a carefree beauty?
Shen Guofu quickly picked up a piece of jelly, dipped a tiny bit into the sauce, and after putting it in his mouth and smacking his lips a few times, gave his daughter a thumbs-up. "I dipped too much sauce earlier; this taste is indeed not bad. Baobao, it’s a good thing Chef Xie isn’t here, or he would snatch you up to work at Fishing Platform. Your skill is truly amazing."
Shen Guofu’s compliment made Shen Baobao blush a bit. "It’s not as good as you say. If it’s salty, it’s salty. You always spoil me like this..."
From childhood until now, it seemed like her dad had never criticized her. Whether she did right or wrong, in his eyes, she was always praiseworthy. No wonder Grandpa always criticized Dad for being a ’daughter-slave’.
Lin Xu picked up a cup of slightly cooled tea, poured some into the dipping sauce, and stirred it with chopsticks. Then he picked up a piece of jelly, dipped it, and had a taste.
The flavor had improved slightly, but the saltiness was still noticeable.
"How much salt did you put in?"
"I didn’t put that much... Chef Wei said adding some oyster sauce would make it tasty, Chef Qin said some Light Soy Sauce would be good, Chef Zhuang suggested a bit of Fish Sauce, and Chef Zhu said Caviar would make it delicious..."
Lin Xu was speechless. So she put all these salty seasonings in at once? No wonder it was so incredibly salty. Still, it was good that she thought to ask the chefs for advice. She just needed to make sure to get all the details next time, or she’d keep making the same mistakes.
"I think it’s good. Maybe I just prefer stronger flavors," Chen Meijuan said. "Yueyue’s version tasted just right to me. After Lin Xu added the tea, it became a bit too mild for my taste."
She was still trying hard to cover for her daughter-in-law. Nowadays, having a daughter-in-law willing to cook is such a rare find. Yet, this foolish son of mine doesn’t hurry to compliment her. Instead, he’s acting like a food critic, critiquing her dish! Has cooking made him silly?
Shen Baobao nestled beside her mother-in-law, feeling somewhat embarrassed. "Mom, please don’t praise me so much. If it’s salty, it’s salty. Next time I’ll make it again for you, and I promise it won’t be salty."
"Yes, yes, yes! Our Lin Family has truly found an excellent daughter-in-law." She’s from a good family, good-looking, and well-educated... Most importantly, she’s so filial and sensible. A daughter-in-law like her is truly hard to find.
Shen Guofu asked curiously, "Baobao, when did you learn to make this Crystal Skin Jelly?"
"I learned it with Sister Yan this morning. She’s probably at home waiting for praise right now too," Shen Baobao replied.
Learned it this morning? My daughter is so talented! Shen Guofu thought.
Shen Guofu picked up a piece of the Crystal Skin Jelly, examined it, and couldn’t help but exclaim, "It’s so crystal clear! If your mom saw this, she’d probably eat a whole bowl in one go."
Director Han had absolutely no resistance to such low-fat, collagen-rich delicacies, especially a Crystal Skin Jelly as visually appealing as this; she adored such things.
To whet his wife’s appetite for dinner, Shen Guofu picked up a piece of the Crystal Skin Jelly, took a photo with his phone, and sent it to Director Han. "Our Baobao secretly learned how to make Crystal Skin Jelly! With this presentation, you’d believe it was made by a State Banquet master, right? Also, the fruit vinegar has arrived, and there are ten to twenty wild soft-shelled turtles. Finish up at your clinic and come over early. Lin Xu’s parents have traveled a long way, so let’s have dinner and then let them get some rest."
After sending the message, he was about to praise his daughter again but found that she had disappeared.
Not long after, Shen Baobao came out of the kitchen carrying a tray with two steaming bowls.
"Come, come, try the Okra Steamed Egg and Diced Chicken Steamed Egg I made! I learned these this morning too. I just drizzled a little pork lard over the okra and chicken fat over the diced chicken."
As she spoke, she lifted the lids of the two steaming bowls, revealing the fragrant steamed eggs inside. 𝕗𝚛𝚎𝚎𝐰𝗲𝗯𝗻𝚘𝚟𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝕞
The okra must have been sliced before steaming, as it was now faintly visible on the surface of the steamed egg, looking like a cluster of green, five-pointed stars floating on a tender yellow pudding.
As for the Diced Chicken Steamed Egg beside it, the savory aroma of the chicken fat not only lent the dish an enticing fragrance but also gave the egg a glossy, appealing yellow sheen.
"Such wonderful skill, Baobao!" Shen Guofu exclaimed, taking over as the head of the "praise group" and complimenting her before even tasting the food.
Shen Baobao handed spoons to the elders. "Don’t just praise me all the time. Give me some constructive criticism so I can improve. I’m still hoping to surpass Sister Yan in making steamed eggs and become the best, second only to my dear Xu!"
Everyone took their spoons and began to taste the two kinds of steamed eggs.
The texture was silky smooth, and the fragrance was rich. Even from a professional standpoint, these steamed eggs were commendable.
