Chapter 1749 - 1750: Untrustworthy

Next, the three judges began scoring.

The scores were 96, 95, and 96, totaling 287 points.

Seeing this score, Zhao Hui was full of disbelief.

On the contrary, Liao Jie and his group displayed looks of delight.

At this moment, Shi Zhengliang, who had been silent all along, slowly spoke, "Actually, in terms of taste, I personally find both dishes evenly matched. But the reason I gave Master Liao Jie a 95 is because—"

"The victory lies in the details."

"We all know today's event is the Dragon Gate Banquet. From the mountains and seas, to the renowned avian delicacies, each has their role."

In Zhao Hui's abalone with sauce, he used Dragon Gate's three-yellow chicken, which conflicted with the avian delicacies. In other contexts, this wouldn't be inappropriate, but since this is the Dragon Gate Banquet, rules must be followed!"

His words were reasonable, and although Zhao Hui was unwilling, he didn't say anything.

As the host, Zhang Zhi then said, "In the first match, Master Zhao Hui scored a total of 283 points, and Master Liao Jie scored 287 points. Master Liao Jie wins!"

Upon hearing this, Liao Jie and his group were overjoyed, unable to resist hugging each other.

Zhang Zhicheng continued, "Please prepare quickly; the second match is avian delicacies, which will begin in ten minutes."

With the end of his words, both sides began their intense preparations.

Seeing Liao Jie's prepared ingredients, Cheng chuckled, "As expected of Flying Dragon, I once tasted their Niu Sect's 'Flying Dragon in the Sky' years ago and have been longing for it ever since."

"Flying Dragon? Isn't that a pigeon?" Yan Xiaoman leaned closer to Lin Xian's ear, puzzled.

Lin Xian explained, "Flying Dragon's scientific name is hazel hen. There's a saying: 'Dragon meat in the sky, donkey meat on the ground.' The so-called dragon meat refers to Flying Dragon."

In the past, when Lin Xian fell off his bike and got injured, Lin Guodong once bought one to make soup to nourish him.

With no seasoning added, just a pinch of salt, the taste was incredibly delicious, leaving an impression on him even to this day.

Now, wild Flying Dragons are very rare and are protected animals, so Liao Jie must be using a farmed Flying Dragon.

Just as Liao Jie moved his knife like flying, quickly handling the Flying Dragon.

He then took a specially made needle board and gently pressed it onto the Flying Dragon's tender white meat.

With each press, numerous tiny holes were left behind.

Immediately after, Gao Jianxiang picked up a small brush and spread golden honey over the Flying Dragon.

Taking advantage of Gao Jianxiang brushing the honey, Liao Jie said, "This dish is called 'Flying Dragon in the Sky.' The main ingredients are farmed hazel hen, elvish honey, and white truffle!"

The farmed hazel hen isn't expensive, with the highest quality only a few thousand yuan.

But the elvish honey and white truffle, these two side ingredients, aren't cheap.

Elvish honey is reputed to be the best honey in the world, refreshing and sweet, with floral fragrance permeating. Just 500 grams costs over 30,000 yuan.

As for the white truffle, that doesn't even need mentioning.

Lin Jianjun nodded and said, "The needle board perforation allows the Flying Dragon to fully absorb the honey, a great idea!"

"Is Master Zhao Hui planning to make...?" Hou Cheng quipped.

Upon hearing this, Lin Xian and Yan Xiaoman couldn't help but look over.

Only to see Zhao Hui taking out ten pairs of incredibly plump chicken feet from a steaming pot.

Such chicken feet, he hadn't seen before.

Zhao Hui solemnly announced, "Ladies and gentlemen, the dish I'll prepare here is called 'Universe Phoenix Claw.' The main ingredient is Dongtao Chicken's chicken feet."

Hou Cheng suddenly realized, "Ah, so it's Dongtao Chicken. No wonder the chicken feet are so peculiar."

Yan Xiaoman couldn't help but ask, "Master Hou, is Dongtao Chicken very famous?"

"Dongtao Chicken is native to Southern Yue and was once exclusively a royal tribute. Only in recent years has it become available to the public, so many people are unaware. The most unique feature of this chicken is its large, meaty feet. And the most valuable part of the entire chicken is its feet. According to the current market, premium Dongtao chicken feet cost over twenty thousand yuan per pair." Master Hou patiently explained.

"Thank you, Master Hou."

Yan Xiaoman showed a look of understanding.

She gained more knowledge.

It turns out there are such unique chickens in the world, and their prices are really high.

By now, Liao Jie had started cooking the Flying Dragon.

After absorbing the honey and being filled with a generous amount of white truffle, the whole Flying Dragon was placed on the stove for slow roasting.

The enticing aroma gradually filled the entire hall.

Many people in the country love to eat chicken feet, especially when drinking or watching a match.

The texture of chicken feet is excellent, and the only downside might be that they have too many bones and too little meat.

But Dongtao Chicken is completely different; those plump feet are so irresistible that they make you salivate just looking at them.

The key is that at this moment Zhao Hui is holding a specially made deboning knife, swiftly removing all the bones from the chicken feet.

Boneless chicken feet, how satisfying!

Yan Xiaoman's eyes were shining as she stared at those pairs of exceptionally plump chicken feet with anticipation.

Actually, two hours is ample time.

Although their dishes are complex, most of the ingredients had been pre-prepared beforehand.

For instance, in the previous dish 'abalone with sauce'.

Typically, a double-head abalone of such size requires at least five or six days, or even longer, to soak, so Zhao Hui had soaked them in advance to have them ready for cooking at the time of competition.

Moreover, a dish is never prepared by one person; there are two or three top chefs assisting alongside, so you can imagine the efficiency.

For instance, while Liao Jie was focused on roasting the Flying Dragon, Gao Jianxiang was busy carving and plating, cooperating with high efficiency.

Half an hour later, the aroma of roasted meat thoroughly permeated the hall.

Liao Jie quickly took the Flying Dragon off the charcoal, holding a small knife, moving with precision.

He sliced the roasted meat on the Flying Dragon as if slicing a duck, piece by piece.

Each slice of roast was evenly thick, with skin and meat connected.

Having absorbed the honey, the roast appeared in an extremely tempting golden hue.

Beside him, Gao Jianxiang used chopsticks to pick up slice after slice of roast and arranged them.

In a short time, the classic dish of the Niu Sect, 'Flying Dragon in the Sky', was completed.

The entire dish was beautifully arranged, with slices of roast meat arranged in a dragon's shape, while slices of white truffle composed clouds at the bottom of the plate.

It's as if a golden dragon was soaring among the clouds.

"Flying Dragon in the Sky", certainly lives up to its reputation!

Just then, a lady in a cheongsam pushed a trolley forward.

Lin Xian and the others didn't act ceremoniously, sipping the palate cleansing soup before digging in.

Picking up a piece and putting it in his mouth, Lin Xian slowly savored.

The texture is crispy on the outside and tender inside, with a crunchy surface, audible cracks echoing during chewing.

The Flying Dragon's meat is inherently tender, absorbing the honey makes it even more tender.

The flavor is delightfully sweet, mingling the roast aroma, honey's floral scent, white truffle's mushroom freshness, and even a hint of fruitwood's fragrance, continuously resonating in the mouth.

It is absolutely phenomenal.

Without exaggeration, this is the most delicious roast Lin Xian has ever had, an unparalleled experience.

Enticed by the taste, he picked another bite of sliced meat.

With slices of white truffle, he brought it to his mouth.

Yan Xiaoman said nothing throughout, focusing solely on the delicacies before her, her slightly squinted eyes full of bliss.

For a foodie, nothing could be more delightful than this.

Hou Cheng slowly opened his eyes and commented, "Compared to the Flying Dragon in the Sky tasted years ago, the current dish is even more delicious. The elvish honey and white truffle elevate this dish further. At the same time, the roast includes an elusive fruitwood aroma; I believe Master Liao Jie used some kind of fruitwood charcoal."