Chapter 353: Chapter 353 - 352: Stunning—Jiang Feng’s Master-Level Skills!

Beside Jiang Feng’s stove were clean mushrooms, straw mushrooms, shiitake mushrooms, along with white fungus, golden fungus, wood ear, together with bamboo shoots, asparagus, and bamboo fungus.

Strictly speaking, the dish Dinghu Shangsu requires nineteen ingredients, including three mushrooms, six fungi, nine bamboo shoots, and one bamboo fungus.

Most of these ingredients are niche ingredients from various places.

For example, elm fungus, stone fungus, osmanthus fungus, hairy bamboo shoots, brush bamboo shoots, etc., are ingredients unique to China, which this kitchen certainly hasn’t prepared.

But it doesn’t matter.

Cooking a dish doesn’t necessarily have to follow the rules.

As a top chef, if you only make dishes rigidly according to recipes, you’d fall short.

Relying on his understanding of ingredients, Jiang Feng selected a few other dishes.

The cameras of the show’s crew were aimed at Jiang Feng.

During the early promotion of the competition, Jiang Feng’s popularity was relatively low, mainly because it’s M Country, and they don’t know much about Jiang Feng.

But since he was making Chinese cuisine, many Chinese people supported him.

Gordon, known as the devil chef, walked up to Jiang Feng, observing his cooking process.

"What are you doing now?"

Gordon asked curiously.

Two other judges were also watching from the side.

During the cooking process, judges would also wander among the contestants to check their cooking skills.

"I need to make a vegetarian soup now."

"This kind of soup is extremely fresh."

Jiang Feng replied in fluent English.

As he spoke, he chopped the vegetables and put them into the pot.

The chopped vegetables included celery, carrots, kelp, and sprouts, all blanched and boiled briefly.

They were then placed in a clay pot, with added salt, longan, tangerine peel, and white pepper.

These vegetables themselves are already very fresh, and adding the taste of tangerine peel, this pot of vegetarian soup will be even more delicious, even with a hint of meat flavor.

The clay pot simmered on the stove for about an hour.

Timing it just right to finish at the end.

Then Jiang Feng began to handle the main ingredients. Each ingredient was boiled, and after cooking, he used a small bowl to start arranging each cooked ingredient inside.

Jiang Feng’s method was particularly eye-catching.

He was different from others.

Gordon could see that Jiang Feng was focused on the flavor of the ingredients.

Other chefs focused on "form", studying how to make the presentation look better after cooking the vegetables.

To them, vegetables are just garnishes, decorations, with not much cooking method, so the key is to make the entire dish creatively shaped.

But Jiang Feng was different.

Chinese culinary culture is profound and extensive.

Dinghu Shangsu is acclaimed as the top pure vegetarian dish.

The soup is simmered from pure vegetarian ingredients.

The ingredients are various fresh bamboo shoots, mushrooms, white fungus, and wood ear.

Together, with just a bit of seasoning, this gourmet dish can be made.

"Unbelievable method."

"Never thought a dish would involve so many kinds of vegetables."

"And I don’t know what you’re going to do next, are you putting these mushrooms and bamboo shoots to cook in the pot?"

Gordon, watching Jiang Feng’s cooking process, rested his chin in his hand, pondering.

As a top vegetarian dish from China, Jiang Feng has absolute confidence in this dish.

Jiang Feng responded:

"Not cooking, but steaming."

"This dish, called Dinghu Shangsu, is the number one material in Chinese cuisine, also a famous dish in the full Manchu-Han banquet."

"Once the vegetarian soup is ready, pour it into a bowl and steam it in the steam box for half an hour."

While speaking, Jiang Feng concentrated on arranging the ingredients in the bowl.

He placed the white fungus along the edges, with a mushroom at the bottom, and once the bottom ingredients were arranged, he placed the other ingredients one by one.

This was also a crucial step.

A bowl of cooked mushrooms and bamboo shoots, temporarily showed no particular brilliance.

While other contestants were busy with their plating and designs, Jiang Feng was leisurely cooking.

With this done, Jiang Feng started to prepare the Yi Pin Tofu, which was relatively simple, cutting them into rectangular blocks, placed on plates, with each rectangle topped with some garnish.

Once the vegetarian soup in the pot was done, the ingredients in this pot had completed their mission.

This step was to serve the soup.

Jiang Feng poured the soup into the bowl, which contained mushrooms, bamboo shoots, white fungus, and wood ear, covering it and placing it in the steam box to steam.

He set the time for a slow steam of 30 minutes.

Gordon checked the time, noting only 31 minutes were left until the end of the competition.

The time was very tight.

Will there be enough time?

Gordon frowned.

Even if there’s time, how could a bowl of steamed vegetables look distinctive in shape?

Though it might be delicious, serving it in a bowl would never compare to carefully crafted presentations by others.

Maybe it’s because Jiang Feng is a folk chef, not a top restaurant chef.

Gordon thought to himself.

However, the Yi Pin Tofu Jiang Feng made turned out to be a real specialty dish.

The authentic Yipin Tofu requires beef and eggs, but since the competition doesn’t allow them, Jiang Feng naturally didn’t use them.

The stewed tofu comes out white, tender, and nutritious, with a crispy skin and full elasticity.

Accompanied by chili peppers, chopped scallions, ginger, garlic, and a vegetarian broth, it is considered exceptional.

The method is simple: first fry the tofu until both sides are golden, then add seasoning and stew in a pot, reducing the sauce.

Finally, arrange the tofu pieces, eight blocks neatly lined up, sprinkle some chopped scallions around, and it’s done.

Yipin Tofu is also a dish in the Manchu-Han Imperial Feast, though the version in the feast is more complex.

The dish Jiang Feng prepared is relatively simple.

Even so, when a delicate tofu dish is presented on a plate, it does not need any extra decoration to be full of style.

Each piece of tofu is perfectly square, thanks to Jiang Feng’s superb knife skills.

The taste of the tofu need not be mentioned; it is naturally excellent.

Gordon circled around the other chefs but eventually stopped in front of Jiang Feng’s stove.

"The tofu in Chinese cuisine, simply unbelievable!"

"It’s truly a magical delicacy that only a Chinese chef could handle so well."

Gordon was full of praise for the presented tofu and even contemplated tasting it right away.

At this moment, the competition was nearing its end.

Jiang Feng timed the completion of Yipin Tofu perfectly.

The intention was to keep the tofu hot.

After all, hot dishes are best enjoyed while hot.

At this point, the timer on the steamer had also run out, and Jiang Feng quickened his pace, immediately opening the steamer to retrieve the bowl of delicious vegetables.

Gordon liked to remind chefs of the limited time when they were busy, enhancing the show’s effect and highlighting his sternness.

It’s a standard segment.

Seeing Jiang Feng busy, Gordon deliberately called out loudly:

"Chef Jiang Feng, only one minute left until the deadline."

"No more operations allowed after the deadline."

"Speed it up!"

Upon hearing this, Jiang Feng remained composed, without the slightest panic.

Just one minute left, how to handle the mushrooms and bamboo shoots, steamed to absorb the broth?

Could it just be a bowl presentation?

That would be barely aesthetic.

All the top chefs were already done, focusing their attention on Jiang Feng.

Cameras were also all directed at Jiang Feng.

Then, Jiang Feng, still calm, picked up a white porcelain plate.

The plate was clean, thin, and concave in the middle.

In the surprised eyes of the onlookers, Jiang Feng directly inverted the bowl over the porcelain plate.

Everybody was instantly stunned.

Wearing heat-resistant gloves, Jiang Feng carefully lifted the bowl.

In the center of the porcelain plate appeared a stunning dish.

It was a bowl-like structure upside down, surrounded by semi-translucent colors, topped with an umbrella-shaped mushroom.

Very beautiful.

Jiang Feng had already considered this step when placing the bowl.

At that time, he placed the silver ear at the edge, with a mushroom at the bottom, precisely for this moment.

Inverting it created a delicate artwork.

"My heavens!"

Gordon was astonished by the scene.

This is Chinese cuisine; without the final step, one never knows what will happen.

Unlike other chefs struggling with presentation, Jiang Feng had prepared everything in advance.

But it wasn’t over.

Jiang Feng scooped a spoonful of vegetarian broth, gently pouring it around the edge of the plate.

The originally white porcelain plate was instantly filled with light yellow broth, enhancing the dish’s sublime beauty.

Dinghu Shangsu, complete!

Jiang Feng set down the spoon and stood still.

At that moment, the sound of an alarm bell rang out, marking the end of cooking time.

Everything was perfectly timed.

Jiang Feng showed not the slightest bit of panic, exuding immense confidence.

Witnessing this scene, Gordon was impressively shocked.

Having seen many top chefs, Jiang Feng gave him the most unique impression.

That kind of confidence, elegance, and restraint makes one feel the profound background radiating from him.

Moreover, Jiang Feng was currently the youngest competitor in the All-Star Master Chef Competition.

Such individuals are indeed rare.

Gordon pondered how many hidden masters might be in that ancient country.

In his heart, China was once again veiled with a layer of mystery.