In the kitchen.
Huang Jun and Aunt Lin were busy preparing today’s lunch together.
Today’s nu was simple, just two items, yet filled with the taste of ho: pork rice and seaweed egg drop soup.
Speaking of this pork rice!
Many people start salivating at the ntion of it, and Huang Jun was no exception.
A seemingly ordinary bowl of rice, after careful cooking processes, finally turned into a morable delicacy...
In the past, this delicacy could only be enjoyed during the holidays, becoming one of the unforgettable childhood flavors for countless locals in those years of material scarcity.
Now, with the passage of ti, this delicacy has surpassed the aning of re food, becoming a kind of emotional sustenance, evoking a faint hosickness in those who are far away from ho, striving elsewhere...
Huang Jun carefully checked the rice soaking in warm water, then instructed Aunt Li and Aunt Lin: "Aunt Li, Aunt Lin, the rice has been soaking for half an hour, the soaking ti is sufficient, you can drain it now."
Soaking rice in warm water for half an hour can promote its "sprouting," thereby activating various enzys in the rice, which help with nutrient absorption and are very beneficial to human health.
Moreover, soaked rice absorbs water more easily, shortening the cooking ti.
Rice made from soaked rice is more elastic, with a tempting oily sheen on the surface, making it tastier.
By contrast, rice not soaked beforehand results in a rougher texture with less elasticity.
"Oh, understood!"
With the instructions given, Aunt Lin and Aunt Li imdiately got to work, lifting a full bucket of rice steadily, heading towards the sink.
They drained the water from the rice.
At this mont.
A rhythmic sound of footsteps ca from afar, getting closer, causing both of them to instinctively look up and sideways...
They saw an elderly man in a sumr-style n’s Tang suit, swaying a fan in his hand, walking in leisurely.
Oh?
This elderly man looks unfamiliar!
Who is he?
Why did he suddenly appear in the kitchen?
Aunt Lin and Aunt Li glanced at each other, a hint of confusion flashing in their eyes.
Aunt Li couldn’t help but be the first to ask: "Hello, may I ask who you’re looking for?"
"Oh, I’m Qian Guoxiang, here to see your Director Liang, just had a chat with Director Liang, happened to pass by the kitchen, so I thought I’d take a look." Qian Guoxiang answered amiably.
Hearing that he knew Director Liang, they didn’t say much more, just reminded him: "Alright, feel free, but please don’t go into the work area!"
"Ah, understood, I’ll just look from outside, won’t go in..."
Qian Guoxiang nodded politely.
Afterwards, he looked around, instantly spotting the figure of Huang Jun busy in the workspace.
Just that Huang Jun’s handso face and model-like physique made him pause.
Could he be...the garden’s head chef?
But also...too young!
Qian Guoxiang looked at Huang Jun incredulously, unable to connect the handso young man before him with the established image of a head chef in his mind.
Could he be an assistant chef?
But there was no one else in the kitchen!
And the chef’s uniform on Huang Jun told him a clear fact—that this young man, 99.99% was indeed the head chef here.
To dispel his doubts, he asked Aunt Li beside him: "Hello, may I ask, is the person in the workspace your garden’s head chef?"
"Yes! He’s our garden’s Chef Huang." Although Aunt Li didn’t understand why he was suddenly inquiring about Chef Huang, she still replied out of politeness.
It really is!
Having received a definite answer, Qian Guoxiang couldn’t help but re-assess Huang Jun.
He saw Huang Jun pick up a piece of pork, weighing it in his hand, the texture of the pork quivering along.
Then, he placed the pork on the chopping board, picked up a kitchen knife.
As an experienced chef, Qian Guoxiang could imdiately tell from the knife’s sharpening, choice of top-quality materials, down to the selection of the wooden handle, all were top-notch.
He didn’t expect such high-quality knives to be used in a small kindergarten.
Thinking this.
The sound of the knife contacting the chopping board, "tok tok," like rhythmic musical notes, entered Qian Guoxiang’s ears, causing him to focus again on Huang Jun...
Huang Jun’s speed with the knife was so fast it was dazzling.
Yet upon careful observation, it was found that each cut was incredibly precise, swiftly slicing along the pork’s grain.
In the blink of an eye...
A large piece of pork was neatly cut into uniformly-sized chunks.
Moreover.
The fat and lean parts were perfectly separated.
The lean at had an appropriate amount of fat, while large chunks of fat were cut separately.
This knife skill...
Had to admit.
Extrely impressive!
At this mont, a hint of shock erged in Qian Guoxiang’s eyes, with admiration in his heart: The younger generation is truly formidable, truly formidable... this knife skill, comparable to my own.
No, no!
To be precise, it has actually surpassed !
Why feel this way?
Only because when he was Huang Jun’s age, he hadn’t reached such a refined level in knife skills!
Therefore!
After witnessing Huang Jun’s knife skills, he couldn’t help but look forward to Chef Huang’s culinary expertise.
When Huang Jun looked up, he imdiately noticed Qian Guoxiang standing outside the operations room. A flash of surprise crossed his eyes, and he felt curious: Who exactly is this person?
He thought for a mont, realizing that since the person could freely enter and exit the garden, they must have permission from the garden authorities.
With a touch of respect and curiosity, he politely nodded at Qian Guoxiang, indicating a greeting.
Witnessing this scene.
Qian Guoxiang also nodded in return to Huang Jun, and his good impression of Huang Jun greatly increased, thinking he was a modest and polite young man.
At this point, Huang Jun had already lit the stove, preparing to start cooking pork rice.
Actually, if this pork rice was cooked using a traditional stove, it would be more fragrant.
But conditions are limited, so he had to make do!
Once the pot was hot, he first put fatty at into the pot to render lard.
As the temperature increased, the fat gradually seeped out, starting to bubble gently.
The pot emitted the "sizzling" sound of oil bubbles breaking, a lody created by the interaction between fat and the pot bottom.
The thick chunks of fatty at gradually shrank under high heat, their surfaces turning golden and thin, like small golden fish floating in a sea of oil.
Once the fat was slightly browned and rendered, Huang Jun added pre-sliced ginger slices into the pot and continued to stir-fry, ensuring the fat was completely cooked.
Adding ginger slices helps to remove the odor and enhance the fragrance.
With his stir-frying, the rich aroma of lard mingled with the fragrance of ginger burst forth.
He poured the lean at into the pot, letting it roll in the hot oil, emitting the sound of "sizzling," a symphony of ingredients and fat rging together.
The heavy ginger scent gradually gave way to the distinctive aroma of the ingredients, becoming more rich and profound.
At this point, he poured cooking wine along the edge of the pot, imdiately dispersing the stale sll of pork; the previously strong odor began to fade, intertwining with the wine’s fragrance to create a unique aroma.
He added drained rice and stir-fried it.
Cooking rice this way results in distinct grains and enhanced fragrance.
Next, he poured the diced taro into the pot to stir-fry together.
At this mont, all the ingredients, like a blank canvas, awaited his depiction, using dark soy sauce for color, light soy sauce for fragrance, and salt for taste...
He kept stir-frying until the rice emitted a faint fragrance and its color turned slightly golden.
Hot water was poured in.
Simr over low heat, covering the pot to trap the steam.
He placed a bowl filled with water on the pot lid.
"Well, he even knows this old trick!" Qian Guoxiang’s eyes lit up upon seeing his move, pleasantly surprised.
It’s rare for young people nowadays to know about this thod!
Before long...
The bubbles in the pot started to roll, and the fragrance continually escaped through the pot lid, growing more intense...
About 20 minutes later...
Huang Jun lifted the pot lid, and amidst the rising white mist, the rich aroma filled the entire operations hall, silently drifting outside.
He stirred the pork rice in the pot.
This helps to ensure the rice cooks more evenly.
After all, it’s a large pot of rice, so stirring evenly is crucial to prevent undercooking.
When the pork rice was almost cooked, he began preparing seaweed egg flower soup.
Huang Jun soaked seaweed in cold water.
This is to wash away the sand on the seaweed surface, making the texture finer.
While waiting for the soaking, he beat so eggs as a reserve.
Then, he started boiling water.
While boiling water, he asked Aunt Lin to help scoop the soaked seaweed from the basin and rinse it again.
Once Aunt Lin finished, he tore the softened seaweed into small pieces and placed them into individual soup buckets.
He added a suitable amount of salt to those soup buckets.
At this point, the water in the pot had boiled.
He turned off the heat.
After the water in the pot ceased boiling, he picked up the beaten eggs and poured them slowly into the pot, turning in circles.
Under high temperature, the egg liquid in the water quickly ford beautiful wisps, resembling vibrant colors dropped into water, as graceful as seaweed blooming in water.
"Wow, these egg flowers are so beautiful!"
Aunt Lin and Aunt Li were imdiately captivated by the egg flowers made by Huang Jun.
The irregular, wispy egg flowers unfolded in the calm water, like a delicate artwork.
"So, to make beautiful egg flowers, you must wait until the water stops boiling before doing it! No wonder I couldn’t achieve this effect at ho; it turns out my thod was wrong!"
" too; each ti I make egg flowers, they’re terribly broken. Now that I know the trick, I’ll try it at ho later."
Aunt Lin and Aunt Li showed expressions of newfound knowledge.
Though Qian Guoxiang showed no emotion externally, internally, he was slightly astonished by Huang Jun’s outstanding egg flower technique.
To have such culinary skills at such a young age is truly remarkable!
No wonder Director Liang values him so highly, remaining unmoved by his application as a star hotel head chef.
Witnessing Huang Jun’s culinary prowess, Qian Guoxiang gained a deeper understanding of Director Liang’s decision, and his doubts were dispelled.
He was completely relieved!
Once Huang Jun finished pouring the egg flowers, the entire pot looked like a giant golden flower blooming.
He picked up a ladle and began scooping the egg flower soup into soup buckets.
As the egg flower soup flowed into the buckets, the seaweed started to bloom under the heat, releasing a tempting freshness.
This freshness wasn’t intense, but it was very enduring.
Strands of it continuously teased the taste buds of the two aunts and Qian Guoxiang, making them eager to take a taste.
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