Chef Hua
Chapter 172: Episode 110 Three-flavor Chicken (Part 1) (1 more update)

Chapter 172: Episode 110 Three-flavor Chicken (Part 1) (1 more update)

Hua Ermu was concentrating on talking about her worries when Hua Xiaomai nudged her with an elbow, and she suddenly realized that her younger sister had not been listening to her at all. A surge of anger sprouted in her heart, and with a raise of her palm, she was about to smack the back of Hua Xiaomai’s head.

"You heartless creature, have you had enough of living? I’m talking to you!"

A gust of wind flew past the back of her head, and Hua Xiaomai felt a chill on her scalp and instinctively dodged, narrowly avoiding the fierce palm wind as it brushed past her hair.

She patted her chest, quietly thanking her lucky stars that she dodged quickly, and skillfully jumped to the side. She pointed at Hua Ermu’s face and righteously shouted, "What did Doctor Xing just tell you, and you’ve forgotten it all in just a short while? The slightest thing sets you off, and if you end up having a child as temperamental as you, don’t blame others!"

These words indeed had an effect. The rage on Hua Ermu’s face remained, but her hand rapidly retracted. She stood dumbfounded for a moment, reluctantly ceasing her attack.

Hua Xiaomai, feeling satisfied, walked over and touched her shoulder, pointing with her chin to the bustling crowd and asked again, "I’m asking you, what are they doing there with all the cooking smoke? Just a few shops away is a tailor’s store; what if the smell ruins their fabrics?"

Hua Ermu glanced at the crowd without much interest, lifted her lips slightly, and didn’t hide her disdain for Hua Xiaomai, "You’re a cook who spends all day around stoves, and yet you can’t see? They’re most likely having a cooking competition! The residents of Fuzhe County may live in the city, but they’re just like the folks in Fire Knife Village, everyone loves a good spectacle. Normally, such street-side cooking competitions end with the chefs sharing the dishes with the spectators for tasting. Who would complain about getting a bit of free food?"

"Is there really such an interesting event?" Hua Xiaomai finally understood and immediately became interested. She grabbed Hua Ermu’s arm and said with a smile, "Then let’s go have a look too?"

Hua Ermu, as usual, had a few grumbles but didn’t really oppose. She got pulled by Hua Xiaomai and squeezed into the crowded group of spectators.

The area in front of the small tavern was enveloped in cooking fumes. Approaching slightly closer, the sizzling hot oil from the pots hit their faces. Between the two large pots was a long wooden table with various kinds of vegetables, seasonings, fresh broth, and milk broth, along with two chickens that had already been cleaned.

The man in the coarse blue shirt on the left was simmering chicken wings and choy-sum heart in a clay pot to make a soup. He used half of the remaining chicken to make white-cut chicken, and the other half was steamed with dried grass mushrooms to make steamed chicken slices. Through the steamer, one could easily smell the sweet flavor of Grass Mushroom Juice seeping into the chicken.

As for the man on the right, though he wore a shorter outfit for ease of movement around the stove, his clothes and patterns were undoubtedly more exquisite, suggesting he came from a more affluent background. He also divided his chicken into three parts, one half being deep-fried in a pot, another half used with mushrooms to make stir-fried chicken balls, and the wings were taken off and braised in a red sauce.

Hua Xiaomai watched the movements of both men for a while, and couldn’t help but raise her eyebrows, a smile forming on her lips.

Are they... competing in making "Three-flavor Chicken"? In the era she used to live, people nearby Lingnan liked to eat this way. Unexpectedly, even in this small Fuzhe County, the same culinary methods were used. The "legacy" in culinary culture indeed was not mere words.

The two men, both past middle age, whether in knife skills or garnishing, were very skilled, clearly professionals. However, for some reason, the blue-shirted man on the left seemed a bit nervous, a thin layer of sweat on his forehead, and his hand holding the spatula was also trembling slightly. Compared to him, the other man was much more composed. While busily working, he still found time to glance at the blue-shirted man with unmistakable derision and disdain in his eyes.

The first dish from each of the large pots was nearly finished at the same time, one a white-cut chicken and the other chicken balls with mushrooms. After being served and plated, they were brought to the spectators. First, everyone was invited to smell the fragrances before being given a pair of chopsticks to taste each dish.