Chapter 482 - 228: Master’s Obsession! Fulfilled

Chapter 482: Chapter 228: Master’s Obsession! Fulfilled

"My master will definitely want to learn from you later," Zheng Qiang said.

Xiao Lei waved his hand. "Go on, take it out. This dish is best eaten hot."

"You got it!" Zhou Yan and Zheng Qiang replied in unison, carrying the dish out the door.

Mrs. Zhao had already served the rice, and everyone sat down to eat.

"Fish-Flavored Tofu! My favorite!" Zhou Momo sat next to Zhou Yan, her eyes lighting up as she looked at the tofu coated in a glossy, red sauce.

"Be careful, it’s hot," Zhou Yan said, placing a piece of tofu dripping with thick sauce into her small bowl, which was heaped high with rice.

"Mhm, mhm." The little one nodded, leaned in to blow on it, and took a small bite. She immediately shoveled in a mouthful of rice, looking perfectly happy.

"Fish-Flavored Tofu... it certainly looks the part. Let’s have a taste." Xiao Lei picked up a piece and put it in his bowl. The fish-fragrant aroma hit him immediately—it was very authentic. The tofu was fried to a golden brown on all six sides, giving it an excellent appearance.

He popped it into his mouth and took a bite.

The savory, sweet, sour, and spicy fish-fragrant flavor was prominent. Zhou Yan’s control over the fish-fragrant taste profile was indeed spot-on.

After soaking up the sauce, the tofu’s outer shell became soft and tender, while the inside remained quite smooth.

"Master, how is it?" Zhou Yan asked, a little nervous.

"The fish-fragrant flavor is authentic, and the seasoning is flawless," Xiao Lei said with a nod. "But the texture of the tofu isn’t right. The soybean flour coating is too thick. After frying, it soaks up and holds the sauce well, but the texture is a bit mealy. There’s no satisfying, crisp bite, so you lose that ’crispy on the outside, tender on the inside’ feeling. It needs to be adjusted."

"The Fire Control during frying also needs to be adjusted. You’ll have to tweak it slowly based on the thickness of the coating; it’s something that’s hard to explain in words. Finally, when you’re simmering, you need to adjust the heat as well. The flavor hasn’t penetrated the tofu; it’s just sitting on the surface."

"I see, so that’s how it is. I’ll try to improve it later." Zhou Yan nodded repeatedly as he listened, feeling a sense of sudden enlightenment.

The problem had started right from the step of coating it in soybean flour. No wonder the frying process had felt off to him.

One wrong step leads to another.

If he had been left to figure it out through trial and error, he probably would have been stuck on the frying step for a very long time.

But with this guidance from his master, he now had a clear direction, and improvement would come much faster.

’A master really is essential!’

"Zheng, what do you think?" Zhou Yan asked, turning to Zheng Qiang, who had also tasted the Fish-Flavored Tofu.

Zheng Qiang gave an awkward but polite smile. "I think it’s more delicious than what I make."

Zhou Yan: "..."

Well, there was indeed a significant gap between a Third-level Chef and a Second-level Chef.

Mrs. Zhao and the others tasted the Fish-Flavored Tofu and exchanged bewildered glances.

’Isn’t this delicious?’

’How can there be so many problems with it?’

’No wonder professional Chefs make such amazing food. Their standards are just too high!’

After lunch, the guests had still not arrived.

Zhou Yan pulled his master into the kitchen, took out a block of tofu, and asked Xiao Lei to demonstrate the approximate amount of soybean flour to use.

Xiao Lei held up a strip of tofu coated in soybean flour. "Just a thin layer like this," he said. "You need to ensure the entire surface is covered, but it can’t be too thick, otherwise it will ruin the texture."

"I see! I definitely coated it too thickly," Zhou Yan nodded.

For the same amount of tofu, his master used less than half the soybean flour he did.

’So that’s the problem!’

’I’ll try making it again tonight. I will master this Fish-Flavored Tofu, sooner or later!’

"Oh, right, Master," Zhou Yan asked, looking at Xiao Lei. "Where did you buy your steamers? I want to get a few."

Xiao Lei looked at him, a little surprised. "You’re planning to add steamed dishes to the menu?"