Fighting for One Breath!

Chapter 97 Fighting for a breath!

On the large counter of the Imperial Kitchen, the spare rib that Liu Fengyu had picked up was now placed in the very center, as if it were offered to an ancestor.

He was surrounded by a circle of heads, all wearing white hats and gray cuffs, all top chefs from the Imperial Kitchen.

Liu Fengyu held a silver skewer in his hand, carefully scraping off the solidified sauce, and sipped it repeatedly.

"This color is a bright red, it's not dyed with soy sauce."

An old imperial chef in charge of the red dishes squinted and his beard twitched. "The soy sauce is dark, and this stuff has a reddish-brown tinge; that's sugar."

"sugar?"

The younger kitchen helpers were puzzled. "The sugar just melts when you put it in the pot, so where does the color come from?"

"saute."

The old imperial chef reached out and touched the bone; it was sticky. "This is an old method from the south, called caramelizing sugar."

The heat is extremely difficult to control; if the oil temperature is too low, it will turn into frosting; if it's too high, it will become bitter and burnt. Only when it's just right can you achieve this amber-red color.

Liu Fengyu's eyes lit up instantly!

It turned out to be the case.

Once this thin veil is pierced, the rest is no big deal in the eyes of an expert.

"No wonder His Majesty complained that our dishes were tasteless."

Liu Fengyu stuck the scalpel into the cutting board. "We used to only use sugar for seasoning, never for coloring or adding aroma."

He leaned closer and smelled the bone again.

"There's vinegar in here, quite a lot of it. The sour smell is pungent, but it's masked by the sugar, so it's not so sharp."

Liu Fengyu was also an expert. With a flick of his tongue, he analyzed the flavor quite thoroughly. "There's also a hint of spice, which should be to remove the fishy smell."

"What's so difficult about that!"

The old imperial chef slapped his thigh and exclaimed, "Isn't it just sweet and sour? We have top-quality Shanxi aged vinegar and freshly delivered sugar in our warehouse."

As for the ribs, they came from a freshly slaughtered black pig, raised on high-quality feed; the meat is far superior to the scraps from the woodshed.

The imperial chefs immediately perked up.

Previously, we were so overwhelmed by those bowls of spicy strips and crayfish that we couldn't lift our heads. Today, we finally have a chance to win back some ground with authentic dishes!

"Get moving!"

Liu Fengyu rolled up his sleeves and raised his voice eight octaves, "Start cooking! Take out the best spare ribs, only the middle section, discard the ends! Chop them into inch-long pieces, make sure they're neat!"

The Imperial Food Bureau erupted in chaos.

The knife work was swift, and the sound of chopping meat filled the air.

The eunuch in charge of the fire pulled the bellows so hard that the flames shot up three feet high.

Liu Fengyu personally took charge of cooking.

Grease the wok with plenty of oil, pour it out, and leave some oil in the bottom of the wok.

Sprinkle in a handful of sugar and stir quickly at the bottom of the pot with a spatula.

Everyone held their breath and stared at the pot.

It's saccharified, it's bubbling, and it's changed color.

It's now!

With a flick of his wrist, Liu Fengyu sent the blanched, carefully selected pork ribs splattering into the pot.

With a loud sizzle, smoke billowed up.

Stir-fry, toss in the wok.

The ribs were tossed and turned in the pot, and soon they were coated with a layer of bright red sugar.

"good!"

The imperial chef standing nearby couldn't help but exclaim, "Eunuch Liu's caramelization skills are absolutely superb!"

Liu Fengyu smiled, his hands moving without stopping.

Add water until it covers the ribs.

"Bring me the vinegar!"

The kitchen helper quickly handed over a sealed jar of aged vinegar.

Liu Fengyu estimated the amount and poured it in.

The sourness was instantly released by the heat, a rich and mellow flavor unique to aged vinegar, even stronger than the rice vinegar Su Mu used.

They threw in all sorts of spices like they were free, and even added a spoonful of wine at the end to remove the fishy smell.

Cover the pot and simmer over low heat.

Fifteen minutes later.

As soon as the lid was lifted, a rich aroma of meat mixed with sweet and sour flavors wafted out.

Liu Fengyu took a deep breath, his face full of smugness.

This is the essence of authentic imperial cuisine!

Compared to the haphazard activity in the woodshed, this aroma was noticeably richer and more sophisticated.

Reduce the heat to high and simmer until the sauce thickens and coats the spoon.

Remove from the pan, place on a gilded white jade plate, and garnish with a few finely chopped scallions.

Red meat, white platter, green scallions.

It looks excellent.

Liu Fengyu picked up a piece and tasted it.

It has a sweet and sour taste and a firm texture, which is the chewiness of high-quality black pork.

"become!"

He put down his chopsticks, straightened his clothes, and said, "Bring it on! I'll personally deliver it to His Majesty!"

A side hall of the Liangyi Hall.

Li Shimin was sitting at his desk, wiping his mouth with a handkerchief in his hand.

On the plate in front of me, only a few bare bones remained.

That was just delivered by Xiao Sizi. Although there was only half a pack left and it was a bit cold, the taste was still quite potent.

It was sour enough to whet the appetite, sweet enough to soothe the palate, and the meat was so tender that even his teeth, which had been a bit sore from the past few days, could easily handle it.

"That kid—"

Li Shimin swallowed the last bit of shredded meat, smacked his lips with lingering satisfaction, and said, "This sweet and sour pork ribs is quite a good dish to eat with rice."

Just as he was savoring the moment, Wang Dequan entered, bowing low.

"Your Majesty, the Imperial Kitchen says they have developed a new dish and would like to invite Your Majesty to taste it."

"Oh?"

.

Li Shimin raised an eyebrow, somewhat surprised.

These imperial chefs are usually so easy to get things done, but today the sun seems to have risen in the west?

"What dish?"

"Liu Fengyu said, 'It's called—Sweet and Sour Pork Ribs with Soy Sauce.'"

Li Shimin was delighted.

This name sounds familiar.

My daughter just brought me sweet and sour spare ribs, and now she's brought me sweet and sour pork ribs.

It seems someone caught wind of it and went to steal the technique!

"Let him in."

Li Shimin tossed the handkerchief he was using to wipe his mouth aside, and suddenly became quite interested.

He also wanted to see if this episode of "The Imperial Kitchen," featuring renowned chefs from all over the world, could replicate the culinary skills of Su Mu, that woodshed boy.

Liu Fengyu carried a tray and walked in with his head bowed and eyes downcast.

The sweet and sour aroma wafted over even before it reached us.

Li Shimin shrugged.

The flavor is quite authentic, even a bit stronger than Su Mu's.

"Your Majesty, this is a new method that we servants have come up with."

Liu Fengyu gently placed the plate on the table, bowing extremely low. "I used aged vinegar from Shanxi, paired with a secret-recipe caramel coloring, and selected the finest black pork ribs, which were slow-cooked for 45 minutes. Would you like to try some?"

Li Shimin looked down.

The ribs on the plate were reddish-brown and glossy, each piece coated with sauce, and cut into neat, uniform sizes, unlike Su Mu's haphazardly chopped pieces of varying lengths.

That's what rules are.

Li Shimin nodded to himself and picked up a piece.

Put it in your mouth.

The teeth snapped shut.

The sourness of the vinegar hit my head, followed by the sweetness of the rock sugar.

It has a strong flavor.

"Um."

Li Shimin chewed twice, nodded, and said, "Not bad."

Liu Fengyu's heart, which had been pounding with anxiety, instantly relaxed, and he almost couldn't help but smile.

"This meat—"

Li Shimin commented, "It's chewier than what I ate earlier."

"Of course!"

Liu Fengyu quickly chimed in, "This is a black pig that's been presented as tribute. It's fed with high-quality feed every day, so its meat is firm."

Li Shimin didn't say anything, but picked up another piece.

The first bite was truly amazing.

Since it's a high-oil, high-sugar product, even if it's poorly made, as long as you're willing to use plenty of ingredients, the taste won't be too bad.

But when he reached the second entrance, Li Shimin frowned slightly.

It is too sweet.

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