The ingredients for the reconstructed carp head dish were prepared in advance, and Fu Yu brought them over one by one from the shelf.
He didn’t rush into cooking since Zhao Meng was handling the kitchen, so there was no need to worry about the speed of serving.
Fu Yu first turned to the classic old flavor recipe, planning to carefully read through the cooking process of Guaihua Skin Fry before gathering the necessary ingredients.
Afraid of missing any operational details, Fu Yu flipped through it once more from the beginning.
In essence, Guaihua Skin Fry is just fried pork skin.
However, the pork skin used for cooking this dish is selected from a three-inch-wide strip on the pig’s back.
This requirement is a bit strict, especially since all the ingredients in the kitchen are used as needed.
Every morning, the kitchen staff starts preparing ingredients, and for commonly used items like pork skin, they are processed upon receipt.
The processed pork skin now has surely been washed, cut, and skewered already.
Any untouched pork skin would be stored in cold storage for preservation.
But to use a strip exactly three inches wide from a pig’s back is a tall order.
Unless you catch the purchasing agent right when the meat arrives in the morning, pinpoint the specific part and cut it, once the kitchen staff entirely dismantles the pork, apart from the tenderloin and belly with obvious features, who can distinguish which part is which?
Fu Yu furrowed his brow and continued reading.
After preparing the pork skin, the hair must be plucked clean, then fried in peanut oil until bubbling, removed to drain, sun-dried thoroughly, and sealed in a porcelain jar.
Sealed?
Once the jar is sealed, lime is placed at the bottom to prevent moisture and humidity, and it can be used the following year.
Fu Yu: "..."
After reading all the cooking steps, Fu Yu suddenly realized!
No wonder...
He thought something was off!
Why would the system offer such a generous reward for a simple dish?
Fu Yu couldn’t help but sigh inwardly.
He almost overlooked it.
The key to the teaching practice class is not so easily obtained.
Still, now is not the time to dwell on that.
Fu Yu silently stared at the steps for Guaihua Skin Fry, stunned.
Where on earth could he get a piece of pork skin, three inches wide from a pig’s back, sealed for a whole year?!
Other customers’ orders were taxing on the chefs,
but Elder Tang’s order was literally life-threatening for them!
"This is just ridiculous..." Fu Yu mumbled.
The situation was even more challenging than he had anticipated!
One could even say it was practically unachievable.
Even though Fu Yu possessed various advanced skills and held a classic recipe, he couldn’t cook without ingredients.
Given Elder Tang’s demeanor, any shortcuts and he would probably detect it with just a taste.
How could this situation be salvaged later?
Just one look at that elder and you’d know reasoning wouldn’t work with him.
Fu Yu suddenly felt short of breath.
He had been too presumptuous, daring to take the order without thoroughly consulting the old recipe.
Fu Yu felt that his life had been too smooth recently, thinking that his culinary skills were outstanding simply because he had various skills at his disposal.
His confidence was somewhat overblown.
Simply put, he was somewhat complacent, lacking a sense of humility.
As a result, just as he was feeling high and mighty, he suddenly stumbled hard.
Zhao Meng finished tossing the pan, plated the dish, and turned to see Fu Yu standing dazed at the kitchen counter, not moving for quite a while.
"What are you pondering! Get to work! Are we having lunch or not?"
Fu Yu turned around, explained the situation briefly, then said: "Chef Zhao, what if I contact Sun Wei now to help procure the pork skin, how about that?"
Zhao Meng not only didn’t want to speak, but also wanted to kick Fu Yu.
Too occupied to continue cooking, Zhao Meng’s face looked extremely grim.
To be honest, he was somewhat bewildered too.
He couldn’t have imagined that the dish the customer wanted to add was Guaihua Skin Fry.
He’d heard of this dish before but since it wasn’t local cuisine, he hadn’t had the chance to learn to cook it and only knew it by reputation—it was supposed to be quite difficult to prepare.
But still, he hadn’t expected it would require sealing and storing for a year before cooking.
This was more like making pickled vegetables, wasn’t it?
Even with modern techniques, pickling doesn’t take a whole year!
He really wanted to ask Fu Yu if he was joking.
But looking at Fu Yu’s anxious face, he fully understood what was happening!
However, at this stage, complaining was futile.
The most important thing now was to find a way to resolve the issue.
Zhao Meng hurriedly took out his phone, calling Yao Shi while instructing Fu Yu: "Hurry up and contact your master."
Fu Yu was taken aback: "My master?"
Zhao Meng nodded: "Isn’t Liu Family Cuisine inclusive of all major cooking styles? Ask her if she can help."
Guaihua Skin Fry is a truly traditional dish; in current times, if there’s one family known for its extensive legacy of recipes, it’s the Liu Family.
After all, as descendants of Lady Liu, they’ve encountered nearly every conceivable dish across generations. It’s possible their shop even carries this secret specialty.
The outsider sees things clearer.
In his panic, Fu Yu genuinely forgot about Liu Yunong.
If there was a place most likely to prepare Guaihua Skin Fry, it would probably be Shangshi Private Kitchen in all of Bei’an.
The main ingredient, pork skin, requires sealing and storing for a year before use. Only a place focusing on heritage recipes like Shangshi Private Kitchen might be willing to invest such effort in preparation.
Fu Yu dared not waste time and promptly called Liu Yunong for help.
Liu Yunong, upon answering, was quite surprised.
Though they were teacher and student, seeing each other every night, they seldom contacted each other for anything else.
Receiving Fu Yu’s sudden call, Liu Yunong initially guessed that Fu Yu might want to take a leave for the evening.
After all, with the New Year approaching, both Qianlima and her own shop were hosting a full house of guests each day.
To ensure fast service, their menu was finalized after careful selection,
consisting mostly of semi-finished dishes.
This allowed the kitchen staff to prep during off-peak hours, avoiding a rush and delay in serving when orders came in.
Liu Yunong naturally assumed Fu Yu called to request leave.
So when Fu Yu inquired about the ingredients for Guaihua Skin Fry, she was extremely surprised.
"Guaihua Skin Fry? Does Qianlima serve that too?"
On hearing this, Fu Yu looked delighted, sensing a glimmer of hope!
He quickly explained the whole situation about the customer adding the dish.
"Master, do you have any stored fried pork skin there? I’ve already accepted the order, but I’m missing the ingredients, unable to cook."
After listening, Liu Yunong curiously asked: "Xiaofu, where did you hear about this cooking method?"
Fu Yu solemnly replied: "I heard it from a teacher during my school days."
After explaining, he couldn’t help but ask: "Master, is there a problem with this cooking method?"
Liu Yunong nodded: "The method isn’t wrong, but it’s quite old-fashioned. Nowadays, who still cooks that way? Though our restaurant does have Guaihua Skin Fry..."
Upon hearing this, Fu Yu became excited.
Great!
As long as they have the dish, ingredient sourcing isn’t an issue anymore.
"But, we’ve modified the cooking method. The pork skin is still fried in oil, but it’s no longer sealed; instead, it is soaked and cooked directly."
Liu Yunong didn’t hold back and elaborated on the method for Guaihua Skin Fry over the phone.
As she explained, she told Fu Yu: "You fry the pork skin, let it dry for three or four days, and then it can be soaked for use. It’s not really stored for a year."
"We do have dried, fried pork skin here at the restaurant, though it hasn’t been soaked. If you need it, I can arrange for someone to bring it over to you."