Chef Hua
Chapter 211 - 129: Eight Treasures Conference (Part 1)_2

Chapter 211: Chapter 129: Eight Treasures Conference (Part 1)_2

Around the lotus pond, temporary booths had been set up in a circle. A rough count revealed about ten of them, separated by thin felt. Once inside, it was impossible to see what was happening in the neighboring booths, to prevent competitors from spying on each other and simultaneously maintain a sense of mystery.

In the middle of the pond stood a pavilion with a long table set up in the center, behind which were five chairs. The table was already laid with empty bowls and teacups, with a few people moving in and out, their features indiscernible due to the distance.

"Once our dishes are ready, they must be sent to the pavilion for the connoisseurs to taste and judge," Song Jingxi looped her arm through Hua Xiaomai’s, pointed vaguely in that direction, and without waiting for a reaction, she pulled her straight to a booth by the pond, chuckling, "We’ll have to hunker down here for the whole day."

Hua Xiaomai looked up at the top of the booth and indeed saw a red paper affixed with the large characters "Taoyuan House." She followed Song Jingxi into the booth, which, while not spacious, was thankfully not stifling either, and the cooking stove was fully equipped. The plain white porcelain bowls and plates were simple but clean and refreshing, highlighting the color of the food to the greatest extent.

At the beginning of the hour of Si, the five renowned local gourmets, who participated in the Eight Treasures Conference yearly, took their seats one after another in the pavilion as the competition officially began.

The procedure was actually not complex: it started with a competition between two vegetarian dishes. The restaurants would follow a sequence from common to elegant, sending one dish at a time to the pavilion for evaluation. After all the connoisseurs had tasted each dish, the next would be prepared. The connoisseurs would judge each dish based on its color, aroma, and taste, recording their assessments one by one until today’s competition concluded, upon which they would synthesize the results for each dish to give the final verdict.

Two vegetarian dishes, two pastries, and soup were all under Song Jingxi’s purview. Knowing the stubborn nature of chefs, who especially dislike backseat cooking, Hua Xiaomai was happy to relax, sitting in the chair and quietly observing her movements.

For the common and elegant vegetarian dishes, Song Jingxi prepared "Water Shield and Tofu Lotus Seedpod" and "Fried Burned Monkey Mushroom." The ingredients used were of no small value, and there was little to fault in the various stages of chopping, stir-frying, braising, and frying, although it was all somewhat formulaic. Fortunately, the water shield matched the scenery of the lotus pond very well, and harmonized with the Two Treasures Sashimi that Hua Xiaomai was about to prepare, which was quite clever. In this regard, perhaps some advantage could be gained.

After all, for the masters who were busy in the restaurant kitchens daily, two dishes were trivial. Even today, when extra effort was made for perfection, it didn’t take much time. Instead, the evaluation process was especially lengthy. Only after sampling dozens of dishes could the next one be prepared. Nearly the entire morning was spent on these vegetarian dishes.

Since entering the booth, Song Jingxi had lost all inclination to feel nervous or anxious. After sending off the two vegetarian dishes, she immediately began preparing the ingredients for the soup. Qing He ran back and forth tirelessly to gather information, and although she brought back not a single useful piece of news, she remained happily busy. As noon approached, a gong sound emanated from the pavilion—the vegetarian dish evaluation had ended, and now it was time for the two main meat dishes to take the stage.

Hua Xiaomai knew how important the Eight Treasures Conference was to Song Jingxi, who had been practicing repeatedly over the last few days to ensure she would not make a single mistake. Hearing the gong, she immediately stood up and moved to the stove.

The meat dish also started with "common," and the first dish Hua Xiaomai had to prepare was indeed the "Beaten Treasure."

Venison Tenderloin, roe deer, muntjac, beef, lamb, and suckling pig meats were taken, each in half-pound portions, and were repeatedly pounded and minced on a cutting board until the flesh overflowed, resulting in a mixture of meats indistinguishable from one another. After removing the tendons and sinew, the meat was placed in a large sand pot, to be soaked and marinated in fine Shao Wine and a type of soy sauce. Once the meat was fully flavored, it was divided; half would be red-cooked with light soy sauce, while the other half was charcoal-grilled into strips.

The strips of meat devoid of tendons were slowly roasted over low heat, not in the least bit tough but rather tender and easy to chew. Because the strips were a combination of various meats, each bite gave rise to a different flavor experience. The minced meat, red-cooked with light soy sauce, was uplifted by the addition of Shao Wine as it was taken out of the pot, offering a rich yet not at all greasy taste, leaving nothing but a profound richness on the tongue.

The prepared minced meat and meat strips were arranged on a white porcelain plate, sprinkled with a bit of Dill Seeds Powder, drizzled with lemongrass juice, and finally, garnished with two lemongrass leaves as the final touch. By convention, chefs were to present their dishes in the pavilion personally, and if necessary, provide a brief explanation. Hua Xiaomai carefully wiped off a stray drop of sauce that had splashed onto the edge of the plate, nodded to Song Jingxi who was eagerly watching, and stepped out of the tent, heading towards the pavilion.

By this time, five or six chefs from different restaurants had finished their first "Meat" dish, lining up ahead of Hua Xiaomai. As she was about to step into the pavilion, someone suddenly squeezed past her, bumping into her unexpectedly, nearly causing her to drop the dish she was carrying.

"What are you doing?!" She was quite startled but steadied herself, looked down at the dish to check if anything was amiss, and, seeing that it was fine, turned to glare at the person who had bumped her.

That person seemed even more anxious than she was, also holding a dish but still managing to free a hand to steady her, continuously apologizing.

Considering his sincere attitude in acknowledging his mistake, Hua Xiaomai figured it wouldn’t be right to hold it against him. She pursed her lips and looked up at him, only to find that the person was a young man in his twenties, clad in a white shirt, tall and straight as a pine, with a face that was, well, remarkably... uh, striking.

You’re cooking and you decide to wear all white? Are you planning to go home spotless or what?

Hua Xiaomai murmured to herself in disapproval, but the man had already stepped back and flashed her a smile, saying, "It was my fault for walking too fast and bumping into you, please go ahead."

Hua Xiaomai did not hold back, walking straight to the first gourmet judge, and firmly placed her plate in front of him.

The gourmet was a gentleman in his sixties, with white hair and beard. He barely glanced at the plate before the corners of his lips slightly lifted. He picked up a meat strip and chewed it carefully before nodding slightly, and then scooped up a spoonful of the minced meat into a small bowl in front of him, took a small taste, and suddenly chuckled.(To be continued. If you like this work, you’re welcome to go to Qidian (qidian.com) to cast recommendation tickets and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please visit m.qidian.com to read.)