The minced meat wrapped in carrot puree, along with diced bamboo shoots and diced mushrooms, are stir-fried together in the pan. The oil is rendered out, wrapping around the diced bamboo shoots and mushrooms, and from a distance, the shiny color looks very appealing.
No seasonings were added, yet the aroma is very rich. The original scent of meat fills the air, with a faint hint of the sweet fragrance of carrots.
As time passes, the filling in the pan is stir-fried to perfection, with the right color, the right aroma, the right fire control, not too greasy or dry, so perfect that you could almost take a photo and put it in a textbook on the spot.
The above is Qin Huai’s imagination of the lesson content, and what he dreamt about last night.
The actual teaching process is—
Qin Huai wielded the spatula, feeling like the moment his hand gripped the spatula, it got a debuff.
This hand isn’t very obedient.
The filling in the pan is even less obedient.
The oil that’s rendered out isn’t very obedient either.
What’s going on with you minced meat, carrot puree, diced bamboo shoots, and diced mushrooms? Why do you all have your own ideas? Why aren’t you moving well along with the spatula’s command?
Especially you, carrot puree, why are you breaking away from the main group without any reason, shouldn’t you be clinging to the minced meat!
In the end, the filling is cooked.
But that’s not what Qin Huai wanted.
He wanted the kind of perfect filling that almost glowed with the golden light like the legendary golden fried rice in his dreams.
Unfortunately, intermediate fire control is destined not to make golden fried rice.
Nor can it create perfect filling.
Chen An and An Youyou both widened their eyes, unable to discern the profound meaning and essence in Qin Huai’s stir-frying.
Isn’t this just... putting the bun filling in the pan and stir-frying it?
Chen An and An Youyou exchanged a glance, thinking maybe their talent is not quite sufficient.
Zheng Siyuan silently turned his head away from the pan, even though he knew Qin Huai’s level of fire control, he also knew this was Qin Huai’s normal performance.
After all, in terms of fire control, on a 10-point scale, the requirement for fire control in broth is only 5 to 6 points, while stir-frying requires 8 to 9 points or even 10 points.
Stir-frying is the simplest, most comprehensive, and most undisguisable display of fire control level, and Qin Huai indeed demonstrated this very comprehensively.
A plain and unremarkable bun filling was stir-fried to completion.
Qin Huai looked at Zheng Siyuan, seeking help.
Zheng Siyuan: No way to save it.
Qin Huai: Come on, save me, there are people watching from the side.
Zheng Siyuan spoke: "Did you twist your hand when kneading dough this morning?"
Qin Huai: "...Seems like a little bit."
"If your hand is twisted, it’s not suitable for wielding a spatula. You can be in charge of kneading dough later, practicing Finger Skill is enough. This pot of filling... save it for making buns later, I already understand the general idea and method. I’ll help you demonstrate it once more." Zheng Siyuan picked up the spatula.
An Youyou and Chen An exchanged another glance, the confusion in their eyes increased.
An Youyou: When did Master Qin injure his hand?
Chen An: Why is it that when the hand is twisted, it’s not suitable for wielding a spatula, but fine for kneading dough? Isn’t kneading dough more taxing on the hand?
The two didn’t understand, but wisely chose not to ask, continuing to watch.
There were still quite a few prepared ingredients, Zheng Siyuan took a small pot’s worth of ingredients and poured it into the pan.
Quick stir-fry over high heat, flipping the spatula.
A beautiful flip of the spatula.
Qin Huai was amazed, Good heavens, Zheng Siyuan can even flip the spatula.
How do you formally trained folks learn everything, aren’t you a pastry chef?
"The filling for Five Fillings Bun actually doesn’t need to be specifically stir-fried, just choosing the right meat with the right amount of fat and lean is enough."
"Proper stir-frying won’t affect the flavor of the bun filling, it can act as the icing on the cake. But if your fire control skills are insufficient, like the filling stirred out by Master Qin due to hand injury just now, it will have the effect of painting on a snake, it’s better to simmer directly."
"The essence of stir-frying filling is to control oil. Dumplings require a harder dough for shaping, it’s very easy that, during steaming, oil seeps out and ruins the appearance of the whole snack. Moreover, the time required for steaming buns is long, and the prolonged steaming time of dumplings will damage the texture of the dough."
"I suspect the reason this recipe calls for frying filling before stewing it is, one, for oil control, fried filling will be more aromatic, and two, to reduce steaming time."
"But to precisely control oil, it requires very high fire control from the chef. Essentially, those who can achieve this level are professional and excellent meat chefs, the fire control of pastry chefs is hard to reach this height."
"Such a creative approach, the pastry chef who created this recipe indeed... has great confidence in their fire control." After finishing, Zheng Siyuan glanced at Qin Huai.
An Youyou and Chen An nodded as if they understood, indicating that making snacks is indeed a profound art.
During the time Zheng Siyuan was speaking, the filling in the pan had already emitted its fragrance.
"Once the scent is emitted from stir-frying, you should switch from high heat to low heat, just now Master Qin clearly switched too slowly." Zheng Siyuan said.
Soon a pot of filling that wasn’t up to Jiang Weiming’s level, but far surpassed Qin Huai’s, was done.
"Master Xiao Zheng, is this now the appearance of controlled oil?" An Youyou asked curiously.
Zheng Siyuan honestly shook his head: "I’m not sure, I haven’t used this filling to wrap guo’er."
"It’s a little bit dry." Qin Huai objectively commented, "The best status would look more moist, with the oil gleaming on the surface, appearing oily, but actually just right."
"You’ve seen it?" Zheng Siyuan asked.
This ridiculous guo’er, not only do you have the recipe, you’ve even seen the filling?
"I dreamt about it last night." Qin Huai sincerely replied, "A very real dream, like I’ve seen it in a past life."