Lin Xu was speechless. It’s not that serious! Just now they said Chef Dai was straightforward, but isn’t this a bit too much?
Song Dahai’s voice ca through the phone, "You rascal, don’t you have plenty of river groupers in your pond? Since Chef Lin is here, I’ll call the others, and we’ll all go to Building Fifteen for dinner later. Make sure the dishes are good; don’t disgrace Fishing Platform’s reputation."
Old Song knew very well that he wouldn’t be getting the fish back. He figured he might as well drag the other executive chefs to Building Eighteen for a al, treating it like feasting at a rich man’s expense.
Dai Jianli helplessly put down his phone. While washing his hands, he said, "Old Song brought over so wild river groupers this ti, so I prepared a couple for you to try. Who knew he’d be so stingy as to go complain? Such a miser! This morning, when I ca back, I saw he’d planted so small vegetables in the yard. I’ll call you over to eat when they’re ready. These hogrown greens are much tastier than what’s sold outside."
Looks like this is a habitual offense. No wonder everyone guards against Chef Dai as if he were a thief.
After this little interlude, Dai Jianli brought over two slightly larger square boxes. He cleaned them and dried them off, then brushed a thin layer of rendered lard inside a dish.
Once ready, he poured the prepared white at paste into them.
While pouring, he said, "You must brush on lard for this step, not vegetable oil, or the stead Chicken Cake won’t be a pristine white color."
Lin Xu nodded in agreent. "Indeed, vegetable oil tends to color ingredients too easily. Salad oil might be a bit better, but it’s still not as effective as lard."
After all the at paste was poured into the trays, he gently tapped them to release any air bubbles. This would ensure the stead Chicken Cake would be smooth and free of holes.
After completing these steps, he placed the two boxes into the stear. He covered them with plastic wrap but didn’t seal it tightly—just enough to prevent condensation from the lid from dripping down.
Then he covered the stear with its lid and began to steam on low heat.
"Lin, my young friend," Dai Jianli began, "notice sothing? We’re using low heat for steaming. Do you know why?"
This question indeed stumped Lin Xu.
He thought for a mont before asking, "Is it to prevent bubbles from forming in the Chicken Cake, which would make it look unappealing?"
When there’s too much steam, the food often develops bubbles. To prevent this, dishes like stead egg custard are cooked over dium heat, allowing the egg to solidify more gently. This results in a much better texture for the custard. This Chicken Cake must have a similar rationale, right?
As soon as Lin Xu finished speaking, Dai Jianli nodded and then asked, "What else?"
What else? This suddenly feels like a thesis defense.
Lin Xu glanced at the kitchen counter, noticing so Pork Fat left unused. An idea sparked in his mind, and he said to Dai Jianli, "Is it to prevent the lard from rendering out?"
"Right! Brother Lin, you truly are soone nurtured in the arms of the heavens. Such talent! Back when I was learning to cook, it took a good while to figure that out."
A good while? Lin Xu mused. Isn’t *he* the one truly nurtured in heaven’s embrace? Folks like us are just sneaking into heaven’s kitchen to steal so food. Whether we get anything good is all down to luck.
The steaming ti for Chicken Cake shouldn’t be too long; it needs to be taken out as soon as it solidifies. Otherwise, if stead for too long, the ingredients will shrink and spoil the appearance.
Lin Xu inquired in detail with Dai Jianli and the head chefs of Building Eighteen.
He learned that Chicken Cake can generally be stead in about eight to ten minutes, but the exact ti depends on the quantity of the at paste and the depth of the container.
Generally speaking, the deeper the at paste, the harder it is to steam thoroughly, and the steaming ti needs to be extended.
While steaming, it’s best to use tal containers, especially those made of aluminum, which conduct heat the fastest, followed by stainless steel or iron pans.
Containers made of plastic, ceramic, or any other materials that conduct heat poorly should be avoided as much as possible, as they can result in unevenly cooked Chicken Cake.
For instance, the center of the at paste might remain runny and uncooked while the edges are over-stead, releasing oil and forming bubbles.
These are not only key points for steaming Chicken Cake but also important considerations for all stead dishes.
While discussing these topics, Lin Xu suddenly looked at Dai Jianli and asked, "Chef Dai, if Chicken Breast can be made into Chicken Cake, can Fish be made into Fish Cake too?"
Dai Jianli turned to the other head chefs with a smile and said, "See that? He imdiately thought of Fish Cake from Chicken Cake. That’s talent! Brother, the thod for making Fish Cake is similar to this. In fact, in Hubei, Fish Cake is a very common delicacy. Whether it’s in braised dishes, boiled food, or stead ones, adding a few slices of Fish Cake can make the flavor much more vibrant."
With that explanation, Lin Xu got the general idea. It probably tastes sowhat like Fish Balls. I could try making so when I get the chance. After all, Fish is much lower in calories compared to pork, beef, and lamb. Plus, there’s no need to use lard during preparation; just a bit of fish oil should do the trick, and the effect might be pretty good.
Soon, the Chicken Cake in the stear was ready.
Dai Jianli used platter tongs to take the two boxes of Chicken Cakes from the stear. He removed the plastic wrap from the top, and a rich, savory aroma wafted from the boxes.
The at paste inside had solidified. Its surface was snowy white and smooth, and combined with that rich, savory scent, it tempted Lin Xu with the urge to take it out, slice it, and eat it with garlic dipping sauce.
"It’s done," Dai Jianli said, "but I don’t recomnd taking it out of the containers imdiately, as so parts might not be fully cooked through. The correct thod is to take them out and let them cool naturally for a while. This allows the residual heat to finish cooking any underdone parts, resulting in a Chicken Cake with a better texture."
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