A master leads you to the door, but the journey of practice is personal.
He has already said everything that needed to be said. The rest depends on Fu Yu’s specific actions in cooking.
After all, no matter how much is said, it cannot compare to hands-on practice.
He particularly emphasized the final plating design multiple times.
This is because such old-fashioned dishes, which have been phased out for years, have become different from the modern customer’s aesthetic view.
Do not underestimate the details in plating; this step seems simple.
However, if done well, it can enhance the dish’s appeal to a customer’s appetite.
That is where the magic lies.
In addition to the final plating, the preparation of ingredients and cooking process are equally crucial.
The points Gu Yunwu previously mentioned, such as what heat to use during the wine stew and time control, are critically important.
With these practical suggestions, the cooking steps Fu Yu needs to follow are clear and concise.
With the detailed instructions in the classic old flavor recipe and Gu Yunwu’s guidance, Fu Yu is now quite familiar with these traditional dishes.
He then instructed Zhang Jinyu in a straightforward manner to prepare the ingredients.
Wine-steamed river eel is priced at 188 per serving at Qianlima.
The price is steep.
However, considering the ingredients, Fu Yu found it to be quite worth it.
Ten-year-old huadiao wine, authentic Jinhua ham, fresh river eel.
This pricing is very reasonable.
Especially because prices from a few years ago cannot compare to those now, this dish, as it turns out, gives customers a good deal.
Zhang Jinyu quickly prepared the ingredients properly.
As Fu Yu was about to start cooking, a server came by with another order.
Again, it was from an old customer, but the dishes ordered were exactly the same as the previous order.
Fu Yu had heard about it earlier, so he wasn’t too surprised. He accepted it, attached it to the kitchen wall, and prepared to begin cooking.
The server, on the other hand, couldn’t help but complain quietly, "He came here with high expectations, wanting to try the restaurant’s specialties. I recommended a bunch, but he ended up ordering a few discontinued dishes. I really don’t know what he’s thinking!"
The server was dissatisfied because it wasted time and reduced the number of customers he could serve.
Fu Yu, however, found it amusing.
Both orders were small banquets, with the same dishes. Cooking them allowed for some practice.
The ten-year-old huadiao wine, once opened, emitted a rich and mellow aroma.
The ingredients used at Qianlima are genuine, which is definitely not just empty advertising. After all, good ingredients are necessary to cook good dishes.
As the head chef, Yao Shi is very strict in this regard.
"Chef Fu, this wine-steaming eel sounds really novel!"
Having been with Fu Yu for a long time, Zhang Jinyu had developed a closer relationship with him.
Fu Yu was willing to mentor him. While cooking the new dish, he simply kept him by his side, assigning some trivial tasks and demonstrating cooking techniques.
While slicing the prepared river eel, Fu Yu said, "This dish is an old-fashioned one from our restaurant, which has been taken off the menu. Today, it was reordered because an old customer requested it. The other order came because some customers heard about the old customer ordering it and wanted to try it as well."
Zhang Jinyu suddenly understood and nodded, "So it’s an old-fashioned dish, no wonder I haven’t heard of it."
Fu Yu sliced the eel swiftly and neatly, leaving just a thin connection along the back of the fish, giving it a tidy and continuous appearance.
His superb knife skills were evident.
Though Zhang Jinyu watched Fu Yu cook every day, he was still often amazed by some of his impressive cooking techniques.
Looking at the prepared river eel, he sighed inwardly.
When will I be able to master such knife skills?
Fu Yu placed the pot on the stove and boiled a pot of water to blanch the eel.
He peeled away the thin white membrane on the surface.
He sliced the Jinhua ham into thin slices.
According to the classic old flavor recipe, the slices should be as thin as paper, but Gu Yunwu said the store usually cuts them slightly thicker, otherwise, during the wine stew, the flavor would be too bland, and the fragrance of ham would be lost.
Fu Yu hesitated for a moment and decided to follow Gu Yunwu’s approach.
Not that he doubted the classic old flavor recipe, he thought since customers came specifically for an old dish from Qianlima, they would likely want the authentic traditional preparation.
His goal was to recreate the original taste and characteristics of the dish as much as possible.
After preparing the ham, Fu Yu took a new pot and poured in vegetable oil.
He added slices of ginger and garlic to stir-fry until fragrant.
He then added the ham slices and river eel.
When adding the eel, Fu Yu did not lift the fish but instead arranged it on the plate and slid it directly into the pot.
He poured in bone broth to cover the ingredients, and after bringing it to a boil, he transferred it to a container.
He seasoned with huadiao wine, salt, MSG, and soy sauce.
Then he placed it into a steamer to steam.
The steaming time is crucial; too long and it’s hard to lift without breaking, too short and it lacks flavor.
Description of this step in words can be very difficult to express in detail and precision.
The classic old flavor recipe states only that steaming time should be judged based on the eel’s size and thickness.
To put it simply, it requires personal experience to manage the timing.
Compared to the recipe’s vague description, Gu Yunwu’s guidance was more fitting and easier to grasp.
Gu Yunwu provided Fu Yu with a ratio for the timing, which he could refer to based on the weight and size of the eel.
While the eel was steaming, Fu Yu began preparing other dishes.
Wine dregs field fish, although Fu Yu had never heard of the dish, the field fish was commonly used in the kitchen.
The restaurant sourced fresh wild field fish caught from the riverside; it was usually steamed or pan-fried, very popular for its delicious taste among customers.
But no one had ever made wine dregs field fish before.
Fu Yu glanced at the prepared field fish and began cutting scallions.
This dish required fragrant scallions cut into 5-centimeter lengths for better presentation upon serving.
Fu Yu instructed Zhang Jinyu to bring him a bowl.
Into the bowl, he poured clean water, added salt, and soaked the field fish.
Soaking the field fish in salted water was to remove the blood taste and to give the fish a base flavor.
This step was detailed in the classic old flavor recipe, and Gu Yunwu emphasized it during his guidance.
Fu Yu remembered it well.
During this time, Fu Yu began preparing braised eel bladder.
By coincidence, there was already prepared eel bladder available in the store.
Eel bladder braised with meat was a signature dish, not a bestseller, but occasionally ordered by customers.
The eel bladder in the restaurant was oil-extracted, saving Fu Yu a lot of trouble.
However, even though it was already prepared, Fu Yu diligently studied the preparation method.
The classic old flavor recipe was detailed, yet Gu Yunwu’s explanations were livelier and easier to understand.
Oil-extracting freshwater eel bladder required soaking the dry bladder in warm oil for 12 hours before removing it.
He poured vegetable oil into a pot, heated it to half temperature, and soaked the eel bladder.
Using chopsticks, he pressed the un-swollen parts of the bladder to keep them submerged in hot oil, so the heat would make it expand, breaking its internal gelatinous structure.
Once fully expanded, he removed it for a two-hour soak in warm water, washing away the oil stains.
This soaking technique was mastered only by the head chefs; apprentices weren’t taught it.
Such skillful operations were typically not delegated to apprentices by chefs.
Fu Yu himself spent nearly six months under Zhao Meng learning to marinate appetizers before getting hands-on practice.
Recalling the past, Fu Yu felt a wave of emotion.
He sliced the oil-extracted eel bladder into 4-centimeter-long sections.
He cut fine pork into 3-cm square pieces.
He poured clean water into the pot and blanched the eel bladder and pork pieces.
He soaked Cordyceps flowers in clean water.
After pre-processing, Fu Yu began organizing the ingredients needed for fresh squid egg mushrooms.
The squid eggs used at Qianlima’s kitchen, as the seafood supplier claimed, were from the East Sea.
Their actual origin? Unknown. But the quality of the squid eggs was indeed remarkable, with a soft, smooth texture and an exceptionally fresh taste.