Chapter 875 - 752: Who Could Have Thought

Zhang Jinyu agreed quickly and rushed over to assist.

The water gluten was soon steamed, and Fu Yu asked Zhang Jinyu to take it all out.

After it cooled down, he then slowly sliced it into thin pieces.

As Fu Yu started cutting, he couldn’t help but frown!

Once the water gluten is steamed, it’s not easy to cut; it wobbles at the slightest touch, and slicing it into the thickness of pork slices is even more challenging.

Seeing this, Zhang Jinyu immediately suggested, "Is it hard to cut with the kitchen knife? Why not try a small knife?"

By this time, Fu Yu had already finished slicing one piece. Looking at the sliced water gluten, it was at best passable, a bit too thick.

Fu Yu didn’t stop his hands, adjusted the angle, and continued slicing.

"A small knife won’t work, not enough strength. I’ll try again."

Zhang Jinyu stood by and watched, not daring to interrupt Fu Yu’s operation.

Usually, when cutting water gluten, if the pieces are too big, you just tear them along the grain into strips, which is also convenient.

However, trying to cut them into large, thin slices makes it easy for the knife to slip because of the heavy grain; it’s hard to get the angle right, resulting in uneven thickness of the sliced gluten.

Fu Yu tried a few times, his movements slowing down, but the results were becoming clearly better.

He was quite relaxed, while Zhang Jinyu, who was watching from the side, inexplicably grew a bit nervous!

Water gluten is quite elastic and very bouncy; the thinner you slice, the easier it is for the knife to slip. Sometimes, when the tip of the knife hits the grain, if you don’t have enough force, the angle immediately veers off.

Moreover, since the goal was to mimic pork slices, Fu Yu had to adjust the grain to a flat plane, which made cutting even more difficult.

While preparing it, he didn’t think too much, but when actually operating, Fu Yu realized it was not as simple as he imagined!

It’s often said that "old meat is hard to cut," referring to coarse fibers.

Although water gluten isn’t real meat, its texture is closer to beef.

Fu Yu cut two pieces and found them unwieldy, so he thought about using the method for cutting lard, sprinkling cold water while cutting.

Dipping the water gluten in cold water and then cutting on the board made it easier; the gluten didn’t slip, making it easier to slice thinly.

Having successfully sliced several pieces of water gluten with suitable thickness, Fu Yu’s subsequent slicing went much smoother.

Zhang Jinyu watched from the side, and when he saw the thin stack of water gluten slices quickly grow on the board, he happily exclaimed, "Chef Fu, these slices are really thin!"

Fu Yu finished slicing the last piece, glanced at his prep, and felt it was about right, so he put down the kitchen knife.

"Once they’re fried, they won’t shrink, so they have to be thin, or else the texture won’t be right."

Zhang Jinyu nodded repeatedly, tactfully handing over a plate.

Fu Yu plated the sliced water gluten and started preparing the batter to fry the gluten slices.

"Heat up the oil!"

Fu Yu instructed, as he began placing the gluten slices into the batter.

Zhang Jinyu quickly started pouring oil into the pot.

The sliced water gluten looked thin but was comparable to pork tenderloin, and it couldn’t be too thin, or it would fry up dry.

Covering the water gluten slices with a uniform layer of batter, they easily absorbed the batter, resulting in a thick coating with just one dip.

Fu Yu had to shake them off a bit to avoid a thick coating, which would not be crispy when fried.

When the oil in the pot was five to six parts hot, the gluten slices coated in batter were placed in the oil to fry on medium heat.

This frying process was another attempt.

The water gluten isn’t real meat; it’s already cooked, so as soon as the batter is done, the water gluten inside is ready too.

Controlling the heat is crucial — ensuring the batter is golden and crispy, while the gluten inside isn’t too hard or too soft.

Fu Yu rarely taste-tests his dishes while cooking.

He has a good sense of his cooking techniques and is extremely precise with seasoning ratios. Any dish he handles is sure to taste right.

But this was his first time frying water gluten, so he had no idea about the texture.

Fu Yu fried the first batch and tasted it himself.

Just as he thought!

Unlike pork, water gluten can’t fry for too long; as soon as the batter is done, it must come out of the pan immediately.

A few more seconds, and the texture is off!

Fu Yu felt a bit relieved, glad he had the idea to substitute with water gluten.

If not, this sweet and sour pork might not have satisfied the old lady wanting to eat it.

If customers were disappointed, it would certainly affect his confidence.

Reflecting on this, Fu Yu suddenly realized how much his self-expectations had risen unwittingly.

In the past, culinary failures were common.

But now, no matter what happens, his instinctual response is confidence that he can succeed.

Perhaps a bit overly confident.

Turning the heat from medium to high, Fu Yu put the fried gluten back into the oil to fry until crispy and colored.

This time, it was even shorter.

Zhang Jinyu exclaimed in surprise, "Chef Fu, these fried gluten slices really look like pork!"

Fu Yu smiled, "It worked out quite well."

After the second oil immersion, the hot oil was poured out, leaving a little base oil. Scallions, ginger, cilantro, and carrot shreds were added and stir-fried evenly.

This time, Fu Yu didn’t use the pre-made sauce but made a new one separately.

Around the end of the year, the sweet and sour pork is a popular dish in the shop.

They serve the old-fashioned Northeast sweet and sour pork, with an incredibly authentic taste that’s unparalleled elsewhere, making it a frequently ordered item.

Because they prepare a large amount daily, the pork slices are pre-fried by the helpers. Once a customer’s order comes in, they are quickly given a second fry.

As the main chef, Fu Yu only needed to stir-fry the vegetables, add the pre-fried pork slices, pour in the pre-made sauce, and give it a quick stir-fry before serving.

The sauce is pre-made in a large bowl, ready for use — convenient and efficient.

However, since this was making fried gluten instead of pork, the sauce needed to be richer.

With a sharper vinegar kick.

And a bit more sugar.

The taste starts with the sweet and sourness unique to sweet and sour pork, a bite that is crispy and rich, with the gluten inside being just the right firmness, fitting even for those with poor teeth. Even on closer inspection, aside from being slightly darker than real pork, there’s not much difference.

Fu Yu placed the extra two pieces of fried gluten separately, taking a bite himself.

One bite in, Fu Yu felt relief.

It worked!

Zhang Jinyu followed up curiously, "How is it?"

Fu Yu raised an eyebrow, handing the remaining piece to him, "Try it."

Zhang Jinyu picked it up, took a bite, and chewed, his eyes lighting up in surprise, "Amazing! If you didn’t know it was made with gluten, who would think it isn’t pork! It tastes just like it!"

Putting the rest of the piece into his mouth, he savored it carefully.

Yes, the texture was very crispy, and the gluten inside was perfectly firm and tender, softer than what pork would achieve, yet it didn’t lose the fibrous texture of meat.

Wonderful!

After tasting it, Zhang Jinyu couldn’t stop praising it, "Chef Fu, you’re incredible! Serving this dish at the table is sure to satisfy the customers!"

Fu Yu chuckled, "Good to hear."

Just at that moment, Xiaolin returned from her errand.

Before she could ask, Fu Yu called out, "Come on, the sweet and sour pork is ready. Take it to the customer."

Xiaolin came close and asked in surprise, "Chef Fu, did you replace the ingredient?"

Fu Yu nodded, "Yes, watch the customer’s reaction. If they’re unhappy, I can redo it."

With Fu Yu’s reassurance, Xiaolin quickly responded with a smile, "Sure, Chef Fu!"