The Game of Life TGOL-Chapter 438 - 436: Peng Changping

Chapter 438: Chapter 436: Peng Changping

Jiang Feng took another careful look at the crab-stuffed oranges in the pot.

“The oranges were not chosen well, the peel was a bit thick, 2.7ml too little Xiangxue Wine, slightly lacking crab roe, stir-frying time a bit too long; a nearly perfect crab-stuffed orange.”

“The oranges were not chosen well, the peel was a bit thick, 1.9ml too little Xiangxue Wine, stir-frying time a bit too long; a nearly perfect crab-stuffed orange.”

“The oranges were not chosen well, the peel was a bit thick, 0.7ml too much Xiangxue Wine, slightly excess crab roe, stir-frying time a bit too long; a nearly perfect crab-stuffed orange.”

“Master, I’ve brought the spoon,” said Ji Xia.

Jiang Feng looked at Ji Xia and then Zhou Shi. He silently handed the crab-stuffed orange with more crab roe to Ji Xia, the one with less to Zhou Shi, and kept the best one for himself.

“Try it,” Jiang Feng said, signaling Ji Xia to pass the spoon to Zhou Shi.

Ji Xia had plenty of experience eating crab-stuffed oranges. By now, Wu Minqi barely wanted to eat the crab-stuffed oranges that Jiang Feng had been making for so long, so it was mostly Aunt and Ji Xia who showed support. Fortunately, Aunt had a big appetite; otherwise, Jiang Feng had no idea whom to give all those crab-stuffed oranges he made every day.

It was Zhou Shi’s first time trying the crab-stuffed orange. He watched Ji Xia skillfully lift off the top of the orange and did the same, scooping up a small spoonful and tasting it.

There were bits of crab and orange flesh, just that the crab roe was a bit scant.

Zhou Shi had once mentioned that although he was a chef specializing in Shandong cuisine, his family’s preference leaned toward sweet and sour dishes. Zhou Shi grew up savoring sweet and sour dishes, which led to his deftness in preparing vinegar-flavored dishes over other types when cooking.

Personal taste is hard to change.

Although the crab-stuffed orange is not vinegar-flavored like sweet and sour pork or sweet and sour carp, its overall taste is still on the sweeter, tangier side, leaving a high impression on Zhou Shi. This time, Jiang Feng was fortunate enough to create an A-level crab-stuffed orange.

The astonishment Zhou Shi felt upon tasting this dish for the first time needs no elaboration.

The difference between A-level and B-level is a hurdle many chefs never manage to cross in their lifetime.

Good crabs have a fishy smell, but within that smell is the unique fragrance of crab. Crab without that smell isn’t delicious, yet it’s difficult to cook crab meat with that fishy scent into dishes.

There are many ways to remove the fishiness from crab meat. A variety of spices and seasonings can be efficacious, but crab meat cannot withstand being mixed with too many of them. In most households, hairy crabs are simply steamed, and at most eaten with a dab of vinegar and no salt at all. The naturally sweet and fresh taste of crab is a delicacy in itself, and excessive condiments would only spoil the flavor.

Zhou Shi couldn’t help but chew unconsciously.

Actually, there was no need to chew when eating crab-stuffed orange, as both the crab and orange flesh are soft and easily dissolve in the mouth. The crab meat crumbled easily, and the orange flesh melted quickly. Combining both, the sweet freshness and the sweet and sour intermingled bursts of wine, compelled Zhou Shi to chew, delving deeper into the flavors of the crab-stuffed orange.

Zhou Shi thought that all the crab-stuffed oranges made by Jiang Feng were this delicious. He deeply felt he had gotten the better end of the deal, wanting to trade a simple and novel cold sea cucumber recipe for this crab-stuffed orange recipe—a dish that would be a signature in any restaurant—and for the first time, he felt a pang of guilt.

Taifeng Building had treated him well, yet he spent his days thinking of switching jobs and stealing recipes, not dedicating himself to creating the most value for his employer.

Beside Zhou Shi, Ji Xia was not overwhelmed by such drama; she merely marveled at how tasty her master had made the crab-stuffed orange this time. She had previously only wanted another serving if she had room after finishing one. This time, she harbored the desire, for the first time, to eat ten of them.

Eat ten!

With crab-stuffed oranges this delicious, Ji Xia felt that she could eat not just ten, but maybe even a hundred if she tried hard enough!

A few minutes later, the three had finished their crab-stuffed oranges.

A small orange didn’t offer many bites when scooped with a spoon. If Wang Xiulian and Jiang Jiankang were to eat it, as long as the spoon was big enough, they would surely finish it in three scoops.

“Master, when will I be able to make crab-stuffed oranges as tasty as yours?” Ji Xia asked, scraping the leftover bits of crab and orange flesh enthusiastically with her spoon, not wasting any.

Jiang Feng had been about to say “in ten years maybe,” but then he thought better of it, realizing he shouldn’t dampen his apprentice’s enthusiasm for learning to cook. Even if he was telling the truth, he had to put it more tactfully, “You can start once your cooking skills reach the level of your master’s. Practice more every day, especially your knifework. It’s getting late, go make food for Da Hua. Be careful when you’re chopping, and make a few more cuts.”

Ji Xia nodded her head vigorously, full of fighting spirit, “I will, Master!”

“Good apprentice!” Jiang Feng said with an approving smile.

After sending Ji Xia off with a bit of sweet talk, Jiang Feng turned to Zhou Shi, who still seemed to be savoring the taste of the stuffed crab with orange he’d just had. Jiang Feng felt that if he didn’t seize the moment to show off a little right now, he’d be doing an injustice to the crabs he’d painstakingly cleaned these past few days.

It was hard for Jiang Feng to find an opportunity to show off: he couldn’t do it in front of his wife, he had no chance in front of the Jiang family members, and there was no opportunity with Zhang Guanghang either. There used to be Sun Jikai, whom he could show off to once in a while, but not long after, he went back to take over his family business.

“How was it? The stuffed crab with orange tasted alright, didn’t it?” Jiang Feng asked with a calm and detached smile.

“It’s more than alright. If this stuffed crab with orange is just ‘alright,’ then the dishes I make might as well be pig swill,” Zhou Shi said with a wry smile. Thinking back, his ambition to be the head chef in this restaurant when he first applied for the job seemed so foolish now.

Anyone capable of opening a high-end restaurant in Beiping City, even those from outside, had a few tricks up their sleeve.

It’s just that this particular restaurant had too many talented people.

Jiang Feng: …

Frankly, the definition of pig swill in our Jiang family is beyond your imagination.

“Today was just a stroke of good luck, an exceptional performance. When I make it on other days, it’s not as delicious. Even I was a bit surprised at how tasty it was just now, all thanks to luck,” Jiang Feng said modestly, telling the actual truth.

“You’re being too modest, young boss. There’s no such thing as luck in culinary skills, it’s all about capability. Without the skill, no amount of luck can create such delicious dishes,” Zhou Shi said.

Jiang Feng hadn’t expected Zhou Shi, who was usually quiet, to be so skilled at dishing out excessive flattery. That bunch of rainbow praises he just gave was so refreshing it was no wonder Sir liked the aunt so much; being good at flattery really did make one likable.

It’s a pity, though, that such a technically skilled person was planning to resign as soon as he got his year-end bonus.

“By the way, you didn’t finish what you were saying just now. What about being number one on the Famous Chef Ranking?” Jiang Feng asked, wanting to return to the topic they were discussing before he started showing off.

“Oh, right. Over the past more than ten years of the Famous Chef Ranking, the top ten have often changed. Either because those masters passed away due to old age, or because there were new talents moving up the ranks, but the number one spot has never changed, always held by Master Peng Changping,” Zhou Shi said.

“Master Peng Changping, is he the heir to Tan Family Cuisine?” Jiang Feng was startled inwardly; he hadn’t paid much attention to the Famous Chef Ranking since he couldn’t make it onto the list, but he was aware of who Peng Changping was—the senior of Cao Guixiang.

“So you know about Master Peng too, young boss. Master Peng was originally the head chef at Yonghe House. Later, when his son settled in America and opened a restaurant, he went to the United States. Many people who don’t follow the Famous Chef Ranking have forgotten about him after he’s been abroad for so many years. I heard he came back more than ten years ago, but now that he’s older and cannot endure the travel, he hasn’t returned,” Zhou Shi explained, his expression revealing great admiration for Peng Changping. “Master Peng is truly the top figure in Chinese cuisine, having held the number one spot in the Famous Chef Ranking for so many years. If I were lucky enough to meet him once, I’d have no regrets in life.”

Looking at his expression, he was no different from a starstruck young girl.

“Does Master Peng have any other junior brothers or sisters?” Jiang Feng asked tentatively.

“He has a junior brother named Qin Guisheng, also an extremely formidable Tan Family Cuisine successor, currently ranked 27th in America on the Famous Chef Ranking. I think there was also a junior sister, who might have left the culinary field so she’s not very famous,” Zhou Shi said.

Even Zhou Shi, a fan of Peng Changping, didn’t know about Cao Guixiang, which made Jiang Feng feel a bit of regret. From what he remembered, Cao Guixiang’s culinary talent was definitely above Qin Guisheng’s. If she were still alive, her ranking on the Famous Chef Ranking might even precede Qin Guisheng’s and possibly break into the top ten.

Unfortunately, she chose love and her family, becoming a regular housewife, despite also being a master of Tan Family Cuisine, unknown to the outside world.

“Master Peng is quite old now, if you want to meet him, you might have to journey across the ocean and find the right time,” Jiang Feng said with a smile.

“Yes,” Zhou Shi said with a look of regret, “If I knew Master Peng’s address, I’d definitely go across the ocean to visit him. It’s just unfortunate that I don’t have what it takes.”

In the circle of chefs, even being a fan requires resources.

“Keep up the effort, you might meet him one day,” Jiang Feng said, offering consolation.