The Cheat Emperor of the Culinary World-Chapter 119 - 118: A Big, Thick Thigh

The crabs must be fresh and alive; their meat is not only firm and easy to peel but also slightly sweet to taste.

Customers come to Qianlima for seafood because of this freshness and unique cooking technique.

Fu Yu steamed eight crabs in two pots.

The key to steaming crabs lies in controlling the heat.

The duration directly affects the texture of the crab when eaten.

If the time is short, it won't sterilize, and the crab roe won't solidify.

If it's too long, the crab meat becomes dry and loses its freshness.

Therefore, when Fu Yu first learned to steam crabs from Zhao Meng, Zhao Meng always emphasized that steaming crabs requires controlling the heat and time based on the size of the crabs.

However, with his acquired skills in heat control, he now masters the art of steaming crabs effortlessly.

The crabs are placed in the steamer.

Fu Yu turned around to start preparing the Typhoon Shelter Style Golden Garlic Fried Crab.

The restaurant always uses rock crabs for this dish.

Though the body of rock crabs is not as plump as that of blue crabs, the meat in the claws is remarkably delicious.

Fu Yu cracked the claws of the rock crabs and neatly divided the crab bodies into four parts.

Drain the water, add salt and MSG, and mix well.

Pour oil into the pan, heat to 70% hot, and fry the crab pieces until cooked, then remove them.

Fry the minced garlic in hot oil until crispy and golden.

Then, add green pepper dice, red pepper dice, minced ginger, fermented black beans, crab pieces, Shaoxing wine, adding minced garlic and soy sauce until fragrant.

Finally, season with salt, sugar, and MSG.

After finishing the Typhoon Shelter Style Golden Garlic Fried Crab, Fu Yu first adjusted the heat of the steamed crab from high to medium.

Only then did he begin plating.

There are many considerations in plating this dish, primarily because the crab bodies are separated. To make it look visually appealing and enticing, more effort must be put into the garnish.

Fu Yu glanced at Sun Qingning. 𝘧𝓇ℯ𝑒𝓌𝑒𝑏𝓃𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭.𝒸ℴ𝓂

Sun Qingning had just finished plating a dish of lemon chicken feet and was examining it closely.

Fu Yu called out, "Qingning!"

Sun Qingning quickly turned around, "Ah? What do you need?"

Fu Yu said, "Come over and watch how I plate this dish."

Upon hearing this, Sun Qingning's eyes brightened immediately.

Fu Yu said while working, "When plating this dish, pay attention to the angle when assembling the crab; don't expose the cut edges... Also, when sprinkling chili shreds and peppercorns, be mindful of the quantity, just enough to cover the cut edges, too much can affect the appearance."

"For the crab claws, avoid using peppercorns as much as possible, or they might get stuck in the broken part of the shell; it's better to use thin green onion segments and chili shreds for garnish."

Just as Fu Yu finished speaking!

A thought suddenly flashed through his mind.

Since the modified processing of salt and pepper mantis shrimp was well received by the customers, perhaps this approach could be applied to other hard-shell seafood dishes to make them more convenient for customers to eat?

When there's time, he might consider this for a while.

Sun Qingning listened intently, watching Fu Yu's actions closely, afraid of missing any detail.

Seeing how seriously he was learning, Fu Yu added, "Actually, the essence of this dish lies in the minced garlic. The garlic flavor of our restaurant is unique; it's sweet and crispy without being burnt, with the garlic aroma combining with the spiciness and bean aroma to achieve a balance of flavors. Cooked with crab, the taste is particularly harmonious and delicious."

Sun Qingning nodded, feeling as if he was attending a class with a teacher's lecture.

Moreover, he noticed that Fu Yu's way of expressing things was particularly precise.

Whether it was describing the dish or emphasizing details, it was always straightforward.

Very concise, and extremely easy to understand!

He couldn't have imagined that these were insights Fu Yu had总结 and explored under various excellent skills.

While it seemed ordinary, every sentence was actually distilled essence.

Now, when Fu Yu plated, the green line would still appear, but its quantity had significantly reduced.

This gave him a sense of accomplishment, and while teaching Sun Qingning plating skills, he also slightly disclosed some small tips he discovered in the process.

Like how to plate more conveniently and quickly, or how to make the presentation more perfect.

Basically, Fu Yu plated while explaining, his hands moving swiftly, yet through his explanation, Sun Qingning could clearly understand all the things to note and see the entire plating process.

Sun Qingning listened very attentively, concentrating entirely, thinking while listening.

With rapid efficiency, Fu Yu finished plating a dish of Typhoon Shelter Style Golden Garlic Fried Crab in just three minutes.

He did it meticulously and explained it thoroughly.

Sun Qingning also asked questions about some details along the way.

They were not difficult to answer; it was just that the angle of the questions was somewhat unexpected for Fu Yu.

These were usually details he overlooked.

The two engaged in a Q&A, which both found beneficial.

After a flurry of activity, they finally served dishes for three tables one after another, with the hostess notifying twice more that the guests who ordered had arrived.

The busier Fu Yu got, the faster his technique became.

Sun Qingning felt exhilarated helping out beside him.

The guidance Fu Yu gave him today was tremendously impactful!

If before, his feelings toward Fu Yu were admiration and respect, now they had turned into reverence and aspiration.

After all, when you realize there's a gap between you and others, if it's not big, you might feel defiant, jealous, envious, or reluctant.

But when you realize the gap is insurmountable, you'll completely lose the desire to compare.

Sun Qingning now had a clear understanding of himself.

He fully realized that Fu Yu was one big catch!

And now, this big catch was right in front of him.

Not grabbing hold is foolish!

Sun Qingning resolved that he wouldn't concern himself with anything else and would dedicate himself to assisting Fu Yu in the kitchen.

To study diligently, be available on call, and follow Fu Yu's orders.

Sun Qingning cheerfully washed kitchen tools, tidied up the kitchen counter, filled with excitement and thrill.

He had always done odd jobs.

It was rare to be called on by Zhao Meng during Fu Yu's absence, which felt like an honor, handling everything cautiously for fear of making mistakes, afraid to ask questions, often left feeling confused by scolding.

But today, with the techniques Fu Yu taught, he felt eager to try them out.

He realized only later that Zhao Meng's arrangement back then was actually well thought out, because without Zhao Meng's wise decision, he wouldn't have been able to cling to Fu Yu's big catch!

Having prepared dishes for two tables, for the remaining ones, as long as two main dishes were served first, allowing the customers to eat while waiting, the remaining dishes could be cooked alternately for the tables.

This was relatively easy for Fu Yu.

With his speed and cooking skills, he simply needed to follow the normal procedure.

Especially with Sun Qingning...

Fu Yu smiled contently.

This person was actually quite intelligent and perceptive, and as long as he concentrated a bit during work, having him assist indeed made things considerably easier for Fu Yu.

Seeing Sun Qingning finish washing kitchen tools and standing beside him, ready for anything, Fu Yu proactively said, "Is there anything you didn't understand from what I just discussed?"

"No!" Sun Qingning said gratefully, "Even when Chef Zhao explains, I can understand his meaning. You explained so thoroughly, it was even easier to grasp..."

At the kitchen counter one spot over, Zhao Meng was just turning around to speak: "..."