Abnormal Gourmet Chronicle-Chapter 697 - 357: Could I Really Have a Talent for Being a Master?

Zheng Siyuan, who was quietly kneading dough on the side, paused.

Zang Liang was quite surprised, "How did you know? Didn’t we have trouble capturing the essence of the Crab Yellow Sauce before? Tan Wei’an even mocked me over it. I thought since Zheng Siyuan knows how to make Double Crab Bun, it’s normal for me not to know what kind of Crab Yellow Sauce we need. If he made a Double Crab Bun and let me taste it, I’d instantly get it."

"But Zheng Siyuan just refused to make it, saying that if he couldn’t make it well, forcing it wouldn’t help, and that he wasn’t ready. I can’t understand his logic; what preparation does one need to make buns? Isn’t making new dishes supposed to be like this? Who can get it right the first time?"

Zheng Siyuan quietly said, "It’s not a new dish."

Zang Liang didn’t hear him and continued babbling, "I begged him for days, talked until my lips almost dried up, then he finally made it once for me."

Qin Huai was a bit shocked that Zheng Siyuan actually did it.

Qin Huai knew why Zheng Siyuan didn’t want to make Double Crab Bun. The last time it went horribly wrong, leaving a significant psychological shadow. Zheng Siyuan managed to mess up every possible aspect, and the final product was a perfect example of failure. The most crucial part was that Zheng Siyuan actually knew how to make this snack. The disastrous Double Crab Bun was blatantly telling him, "You still need more practice."

If this were a trial in an immortal cultivation novel, the obstacle Zheng Siyuan faced would definitely be that damn Double Crab Bun during his Heart Demon tribulation.

"So, how was it?" Qin Huai asked.

"It was a disaster," Zheng Siyuan straightforwardly said, "Just like last time, the bun didn’t look like a bun, and the dish didn’t taste like a dish. It tasted like crab yellow veggies wrapped in a bun."

Zang Liang had a different opinion, "But I thought it was okay, quite unique."

"The filling of the Double Crab Bun was meant to use the meat cooking approach for pastry filling, so it’s normal that it tasted a bit like a dish. We just didn’t get the balance right; the fusion wasn’t smooth, making it taste odd."

"After I ate it once, I knew what kind of Crab Yellow Sauce we needed. Zheng Siyuan, if you had made the Double Crab Bun for me earlier, I would have known which direction to practice in, and wouldn’t have wasted those few days." Zang Liang said as he turned off the heat and stirred the Crab Yellow Sauce in the pot.

Zheng Siyuan had already kneaded the dough well. He didn’t say anything, washed his hands at the sink, and slowly said, "It’s different. You rarely came in contact with Crab Yellow Sauce. Without those days of intensive practice, even if I had made the Double Crab Bun for you, you wouldn’t have understood it."

Qin Huai looked at Zheng Siyuan and asked, "Did you make more Double Crab Buns afterward?"

Understanding Zheng Siyuan, Qin Huai knew that if Zheng Siyuan agreed to make it, even if Zang Liang had persistently pestered him, it meant Zheng Siyuan was already planning to make the Double Crab Bun.

"Tried a few times." Speaking of this, Zheng Siyuan couldn’t help but frown. Qin Huai could tell from his expression that those attempts didn’t go well.

"The results weren’t ideal. It’s the same old problem. Zang Liang says I didn’t get the balance right, but I think that’s not the only issue."

"More of a...technical problem."

This was admitting to himself that he was not skilled.

Qin Huai was even more surprised when Zheng Siyuan admitted it. What had Zheng Siyuan encountered when making Double Crab Buns that made him admit to being unskilled?

If Zheng Siyuan is considered unskilled, then Pei Xing would need to start over, and everyone there would be in the "unskilled" category.

Zheng Siyuan is a standard hexagonal warrior—proficient in pastry and not bad at meat cooking. In theory, he should be the most suitable for making Double Crab Bun. Qin Huai, while better than Zheng Siyuan in some individual items, was on par with Zheng Siyuan in overall strength.

Qin Huai’s Four Happiness glutinous rice can consistently score an A, and Zheng Siyuan’s fresh meat mooncake is not inferior. Most importantly, Zheng Siyuan doesn’t have a cheat system. If it wasn’t for Qin Huai’s unorthodox background, Zheng Siyuan would undoubtedly be the leader of the younger generation of pastry makers.

"Is it that exaggerated?" Qin Huai asked.

"You’ll know how it is by watching how Zang Liang does it."

Qin Huai nodded, shifting his gaze away from Zheng Siyuan and back to the Crab Yellow Sauce.

Zang Liang: ...Oh, so you guys know I’m the one making the Crab Yellow Sauce now? The way you both were talking, I almost thought I was just a background character.

Soon, the Crab Yellow Sauce reached the point where it needed thickening.

Zang Liang was visibly a bit nervous. He glanced at Qin Huai and, seeing Qin Huai had no intention of stepping in to thicken the sauce, asked, "Do you want to do it, or should I...?"

"You go ahead, let me see how you’re thickening it now." Master Qin chimed in.

Zang Liang nodded and began to thicken the sauce.

When it comes to thickening skills, Zang Liang is certainly better than Qin Huai.

He is purely a meat Chef, and all his meat cooking stats, except for seasoning, are higher than Qin Huai’s. Thickening is a standard meat cooking technique, and for Zang Liang, it’s an indispensable part of daily cooking.

Before, when Zang Liang thickened the sauce, everyone didn’t think his technique was faulty—they simply thought he didn’t understand the Crab Yellow Sauce.

Now that Zang Liang understood, his level quickly improved, and the results became apparent.

Everyone watched as Zang Liang went about with a circular maneuver.

Qin Huai nodded slightly, commenting internally: Messy.

Cao Guixiang’s thickening actions were dramatic because the sauce had to be drizzled evenly. With Crab Yellow Sauce that requires a thin layer of thickening, to achieve a real suspended drizzle, the motion must be fast, swift, and skillful, with very detailed control over the wrist.

The motion might look like he’s waving his arm aimlessly, but the key is in the wrist.