Zhou Yan glanced at him: "Isn't this something anyone can do?"
He then immediately started rinsing the wok, adding oil, and scooping out a spoonful of pork cracklings to stir-fry.
He had some leftover hand torn Lian Hua Bai and prepared double the amount of other ingredients.
Lian Hua Bai was so cheap that it was practically free, and he had two baskets of pork cracklings too. He figured he might as well practice while his Master was around.
Moreover, this dish does look quite simple; controlling the heat isn't that difficult, and the seasoning is even simpler, as long as...
[A slightly burnt Stir-fried Pork Cracklings With Cabbage]
[An undercooked Stir-fried Pork Cracklings With Cabbage]
[A serving of Stir-fried Pork Cracklings With Cabbage with hardened pork cracklings]
Zhou Yan glanced at Xiao Lei and gave an awkward smile.
People do sometimes find themselves wanting to smile when they're speechless.
What seemed like an ordinary dish of Stir-fried Pork Cracklings With Cabbage turned out to be something he failed at three times in a row.
The three dishes were far from "good" not even "passable".
"You need more practice, apprentice." Xiao Lei chuckled.
"Master, what happened? Am I nervous because you're standing here?" Zhou Yan looked at him, trying to find the reason in his master.
"Then I'll leave?" Xiao Lei turned and left the kitchen without hesitation, refusing to take the blame.
Zhou Yan washed the wok again, mentally reviewing his master's movements while stir-frying the cabbage, and then revisited his three failed attempts.
He was indeed a little nervous, his hands were too tense.
This was the first dish he had truly learned from his Master outside of the system.
The methods for Spicy Stir-fried Pork Kidney and Spicy Stir-fried Pork Liver are quite similar; with slight adjustments, one could master them.
However, when he was alone in the kitchen, his mind gradually calmed down, his intelligence returned to its peak, and the experience he had accumulated in heat control and seasoning over this period began to come alive.
Zhou Yan knew in his heart that while the system was helpful, to become a true master of Sichuan cuisine, he would ultimately have to rely on his own efforts.
He poured oil into the wok, added the pork cracklings and aromatics, then the hand torn cabbage, quickly stir-fried, seasoned, and served—all in one swift motion.
[A Decent Dish Of Stir-fried Pork Cracklings With Cabbage]
Zhou Yan's eyes lit up as he looked at the subtitles that appeared in front him, and he said with a hint of excitement, "Master, I did it!"
Xiao Lei walked in, looked at the cabbage in Zhou Yan's hand, and nodded with a smile. "Hmm, not bad, the heat control is just right."
As he spoke, he picked up a pair of chopsticks, tasted a piece of fried pork cracklings, then tasted a piece of cabbage, and said with a smile, "The seasoning is just right too, there's still some room for improvement, but it's definitely ready to be on the menu."
"A great teacher produces great students! Master, it has to be you." Zhou Yan beamed with joy. "We're both really amazing."
"A vegetarian dish that makes you so happy." Xiao Lei laughed as well.
"Shall we stir-fry some Spicy Stir-fried Pork Liver now?" Zhou Yan looked at him and said, "Here's the pork liver. You prepare the ingredients first. Now it's my turn to give you some pointers."
Xiao Lei stopped smiling.
"Master, you don't still want me to be your chopping board operator, do you?" Zhou Yan's smile grew even brighter.
"Come on, let Master Zhou guide me. Let's see how to stir-fry Spicy Stir-fried Pork Liver to your standard." Xiao Lei cut off a piece of pork liver, about half a jin, and began washing and slicing it.
Zhou Yan stood to the side, hands behind his back, watching, unable to utter a single comment for a long time.
His hands, which had been behind his back, were now down, and he even straightened his posture.
Because he realized that his Master's work was too perfect.
Even by the system's perfect standards, there wasn't a single flaw.
Zhou Yan has no merit or ability; he is merely someone who obtained the perfect experience for this dish through system rewards.
His Master, on the other hand, had reached to this point through years of hard work, without any shortcuts or tricks.
"Master Zhou, the ingredients are ready. Now, will you demonstrate how to thicken the sauce, or should I stir-fry it and you give me pointers?" Xiao Lei turned to look at Zhou Yan and asked with a smile.
"Master, just call me Little Zhou." Zhou Yan waved his hand repeatedly and suggested, "Why don't you thicken the sauce and stir-fry one portion first? Let me see if I can figure it out. If I'm not skilled enough to tell, you can see if you can get the hang of it when I stir-fry it tonight. What do you think?"
"Sure, Master Zhou." Xiao Lei nodded and said seriously, "Your Grandmaster once said, 'Everyone has their own expertise, and among three people walking together, there must be one who can teach.' Anyone more skilled than you can be your master. Your Spicy Stir-fried Pork Liver is better than mine, so you're my master today. Just accept being called Master Zhou, no need to be polite."
"Okay." Zhou Yan nodded with a smile.
Xiao Lei began seasoning and thickening the sauce with a light cornstarch slurry. He heated the wok over high heat, poured in plenty of oil, and once the oil was hot enough, added the pre-marinated pork liver, quickly stirring it with a spoon to separate the pieces.
The hot oil sizzled and bubbled, the pork liver rapidly changed color, and an aroma rose from it.
In just over ten seconds, it was immediately removed from the wok and plated.
[An Extremely Good Spicy Stir-fried Pork Liver]
A note popped up below Zhou Yan's eyes.
Just a little bit below perfection.
In terms of both color and aroma, it looks no different from the one made by Zhou Yan.
"Master Zhou, please give your comments." Xiao Lei said, looking at him.
Zhou Yan picked up a pair of chopsticks, took a piece of pork liver, and put it in his mouth.
The pork liver was very tender and smooth, with an excellent texture, spicy and savory flavor, and a strong wok aroma.
Absolutely top notch Spicy Stir-fried Pork Liver!
No wonder it's his master's specialty; it definitely beats everyone else's version.
Most diners would probably find it difficult to distinguish between this dish and the Spicy Stir-fried Pork Liver he makes.
Except for gourmets like Zhao Dong, who are so familiar with it and genuinely love it, even the slightest difference would be magnified.
"Master Zhou, how is it?" Xiao Lei looked at him expectantly.
Zhou Yan picked up another piece, examined it carefully under the light, then tasted it again for a while before saying, "The heat control and seasoning are already quite perfect. If I had to find a problem, I think the difference lies in the thickening and the heat."
"Thickening and heat?" Xiao Lei frowned.
"The cornstarch slurry was a little too thick. While this ensured the pork liver was absolutely tender, it also caused a slight difference in texture." Zhou Yan nodded. "Your control of the heat was very precise, but if you could increase the heat a little, and with the same frying time, allow the oil temperature to reach a higher level so that the surface becomes slightly charred in a short time, the aroma and texture would change slightly."
Xiao Lei seemed thoughtful upon hearing this. Over the years, he had been making adjustments and attempts, but once the thickening and heat levels were stabilized, he rarely made any changes. He nodded and said, "Okay, I'll watch you cook it tonight and give it a try."
Tonight's work meal included an endless supply of Stir-fried Pork Cracklings With Cabbage.
The slightly burnt Stir-fried Pork Cracklings With Cabbage was stopped by Zhao Hong before it was poured into the swill bucket. She took a bite and then promptly took it away.
"It smells so good, much better than what I make. Take it home and heat it up, the kids will definitely love it." Zhao Hong said with a smile.
"Okay." Zhou Yan nodded. Although slightly burnt, it was only a little bit. Apart from the poor appearance, the taste was alright.
After dinner, the factory started closing, and the restaurant immediately became busy.
Zhou Yan was working at full speed in the kitchen, extremely busy.
Xiao Lei didn't just watch; he actively assisted Zhou Yan.
Having been a head chef for over ten years, proficient in all aspects of cooking, from preparing ingredients to chopping, and cooking, he worked very well with Zhou Yan on their first collaboration, greatly reducing Zhou Yan's workload.
"Master, look at my thickening technique. For a serving of pork liver, which weighs six liang, I use this much starch and stir it quickly and evenly. The technique is actually no different from yours, but I use about one-tenth less starch."
"Make sure the heat is high enough and the oil temperature is right before putting the pork liver in the wok. The oil temperature should be a little higher than when you put it in the wok, and the pork liver should be taken out of the wok a little earlier to create a slightly charred exterior and an exceptionally tender interior."
"Out of the wok!"
"How about it?"
Zhou Yan handed over a pair of clean chopsticks, smiling as he said, "You can taste it first to check the saltiness for the guest."
Xiao Lei picked up a piece of pork liver, examined it under the light, and saw that the slightly curled pork liver, with a thin layer of starch, did indeed have a slightly charred crust, was shiny and had a slightly charred aroma. He put it in his mouth, chewed it slowly, and nodded, saying, "It is indeed more fragrant, and it does not affect the smooth and tender texture inside at all."
This was the perfect Spicy Stir-fried Pork Liver he had been searching for.
Zhou Yan's success wasn't a coincidence; he was already able to guarantee that every single serving he made was of this standard.
"Master, this wok is yours. There are also six servings of Spicy Stir-fried Pork Liver; you can cook them." Zhou Yan stepped aside, making room for his master to have a wok.
He noticed that Zhao Dong wasn't here today.
His Master's Spicy Stir-fried Pork Liver was guaranteed to be of a high standard. In Suji, if he claims to be second, only he dares to claim to be first.
It's hard for customers to tell the difference.
It was equally delicious and excellent Spicy Stir-Fried Pork Liver.
Moreover, Zhou Yan wouldn't serve the Spicy Stir-Fried Pork Liver unless it reached an "extremely good" standard.
"Alright." Xiao Lei, being a seasoned chef, wouldn't be nervous.
The heat was increased, a generous amount of oil was added to the hot wok, and once the oil was hot enough, the pork liver was added…
[A slightly charred serving of Spicy Stir-fried Pork Liver]
Zhou Yan and Xiao Lei exchanged glances.
Xiao Lei smiled awkwardly, "This… um… the heat seems a bit too high, the oil temperature wasn't well controlled, this one doesn't look very appetizing, so we won't serve it to the customer."
"Master, it's alright, keep cooking, we have extra pork liver today." Zhou Yan waved his hand dismissively.
When Little Zhou was learning to cook, he made far more and more outrageous mistakes than this.
The disadvantage of wood-fired stoves is that the heat is difficult to control. Adding an extra piece of wood or pulling the bellows a couple more times can cause instantaneous changes in the heat that are hard to manage.
It's normal that his master couldn't control the wok well since it was his first time using it.
Xiao Lei didn't dwell on it and immediately started washing the wok and cooking again.
The second serving of Spicy Stir-fried Pork Liver was ready.
[An Extremely Good Serving Of Spicy Stir-fried Pork Liver]
Zhou Yan glanced at it and nodded with a smile, "This one's good."
"I'm starting to get the hang of it. The oil temperature can be raised a little bit more." Xiao Lei nodded and started stir-frying the next serving.
[An Extremely Good Serving Of Spicy Stir-fried Pork Liver]
...
One serving of Spicy Stir-fried Pork Liver after another was brought out of the kitchen, Xiao Lei's demeanor becoming increasingly confident and composed.
Zhou Yan's visual assessment remained unchanged, but the stir-fried pork liver showed a visibly different result.
The sixth serving of Spicy Stir-fried Pork Liver was ready.
Xiao Lei picked up a slice, tasted it, and after savoring it for a moment, nodded and said, "It's still a little bit more."
"Master, how about coming back to learn again tomorrow?" Zhou Yan grinned.
This free labor is so tempting.
...