"Would you like to exchange for the Perfect Level White Jade Lotus Root Strips?"
"Exchange successful. Congratulations on obtaining the Perfect Level White Jade Lotus Root Strips. As this dish was created by your master Gao Peisheng, you are additionally rewarded with a Superior Cooking Learning Card."
Haha! It actually succeeded?
Last time Xie Baomin cooked White Jade Lotus Root Strips, I used a Cooking Learning Card to learn it. However, my knife skills weren’t yet at the Superior level, so the attempt failed.
I’d thought I would fail again this time, but to my surprise, I succeeded in one go and even received an extra Superior Cooking Learning Card!
What is a surprise? This is a surprise!
At this moment, spending two hundred thousand points doesn’t feel unjust at all. Two Perfect Level dishes and a Superior Cooking Learning Card... what more could I want?
As he was deep in thought, Wu Kexin was sneakily using her phone to take several close-ups of the dishes on the table, then posted them on her social media account:
"Under the condition of only having five ingredients, Boss Lin created this original dish ’Home’. Here’s a close-up, welcome to taste!"
Very soon, the likes and comments began to surge.
"Wow! I thought Boss Lin was about to exit in gloom, and I missed the drama! Guys, let’s head back, Boss Lin is going to win!"
"Heading back right now! Got to give Boss Lin a round of donations."
"This dish looks so expensive that I can’t afford it!"
"Me neither, but that doesn’t matter. What’s important is to cheer for Boss Lin!"
"Here it comes! How could I miss the storyline where Boss Lin turns the tables?"
"Hope the judges will go easy!"
「At the competition site,」
The judges began their tasting.
First was the Stuffed Loofah by Guo Xinghai. This steamed dish was aesthetically pleasing with its emerald green loofah filled with meat stuffing, garnished with minced garlic on top. The rich aroma of meat, mixed with the fresh scent of loofah, immediately made one’s mouth water.
When Guo Xinghai prepared this dish, he faced significant difficulties. He had no Light Soy Sauce or Scallion and Ginger. For marinating the meat, he could only dissolve table salt in water to use as a substitute for Scallion and Ginger water and Light Soy Sauce. Then, he pounded the meat until it became sticky and glutinous.
Normally, when stuffing the loofah, a layer of starch would be smeared on the inner wall to prevent the filling from slipping out after steaming. But he hadn’t managed to grab any starch. So, using a small knife, he had to meticulously carve the inner wall of the loofah, making it as uneven as possible to help the meat stuffing adhere. Luckily, he had managed to grab some garlic. Using cooking oil and table salt, he made a simple garlic paste, which added a subtle garlic aroma to the Stuffed Loofah. Thɪs chapter is updated by NoveIꜰire.net
Guo Xinghai then said to Lin Xu with a smile, "If only I could replace the cooking oil with Light Soy Sauce, the taste of this dish would probably be better."
Wei Qian, who was next to him, asked, "Then how would you make the golden and silver garlic?"
"I could pick the fat from the meat stuffing and render it out."
Tsk. It seemed Guo Xinghai wasn’t very satisfied with his Stuffed Loofah.
The judges tasted it and gave a high appraisal of the Stuffed Loofah.
"Made with only salt for seasoning, it’s incredible how perfectly this Stuffed Loofah’s flavor and color turned out. Truly, the culinary skill is no simple feat."
"Yes, the natural umami of the pork and the fresh fragrance of the loofah combine wonderfully."
"The steaming is just right."
"The golden and silver garlic is a brilliant touch; the garlic aroma truly elevates both the savoriness of the meat and the freshness of the loofah."
The Stuffed Loofah received unanimous praise from the judges.
Then they started tasting the Scallion Exploded Pork Loin prepared by Wei Qian.
Upon getting the pork loin, he initially planned to make smooth-sautéed pork loin. But without egg white and starch, it just wouldn’t smooth out. Fortunately, he managed to get scallions in the fifth round, so he opted for this Scallion Exploded Pork Loin.
The dish smelled good, but its major flaw was the absence of Dark Soy Sauce, which meant that the pork loin couldn’t be properly colored. The pale white pork slices mixed with the white parts of the scallions were somewhat lacking in presentation.
"I should have swapped the fresh ginger for Dark Soy Sauce. That way, the color would be better, and it would add a bit of sauce flavor. Unlike now; although I added ginger, it’s completely overshadowed by the scallions, making almost no difference," Wei Qian said, looking regretful. He felt he hadn’t showcased his full capabilities.
However, the judges tasted it and found it quite good. The scallion and meat flavors combined well.
After tasting all the savory dishes, the judges began sampling Lin Xu’s original creation. Everyone initially thought this dish was just for show, but after tasting, they discovered it had a variety of textures, and each flavor was distinct.
First were the egg yolk baked pumpkin balls. This dish beautifully interwove sweet and savory notes, with a rich egg yolk aroma. And as they ate, they could also savor the distinctly dense and sandy texture of the salted egg yolk.
After finishing the egg yolk baked pumpkin balls, the judges then tried the Caramelized Pumpkin pieces beneath, which represented "dry tree branches." The deep-fried pumpkin strips, coated in dark brown caramel, were fragrant and sweet, while the soft pumpkin within provided a contrasting texture.
Next, they curiously tasted those strands of Dragon Beard Candy, finer than hair. These melted in the mouth, delivering a sweet taste with a subtle fragrance of glutinous rice flour.
This single dish, offering three distinct textures and flavors along with such an appealing presentation, left the judges thoroughly impressed and satisfied.
After finishing the tasting, the scoring began. This was the part that netizens were most interested in. After all, Lin Xu had played his ace. If he were to be eliminated after this, it would truly be a great injustice.