166: Chowder?

Seeing that it was his turn, He Jingrui stopped chewing, then looked at Lu Chuan with a surprised expression, and quickly rattled off the names of the dishes.

“Steamed lamb, steamed bear paw, steamed deer tail; roasted flower duck, roasted chick, roasted gosling; braised pork, braised duck, soy sauce chicken, cured meat, pine flower belly; air-dried meat, sausages, assorted cold cuts, smoked chicken white belly, steamed eight-treasure pork, glutinous rice stuffed duck; canned pheasant, canned quail, assorted braised dishes, braised gosling, wild chicken, rabbit loin, vegetable boa, silver fish, steamed hashima; stir-fried duck shreds, stir-fried duck gizzards, stir-fried duck strips, steamed duck feet, braised chicken feet, braised duck feet, braised bamboo shoots, stir-fried southern scallops, stir-fried southern scallops, stir-fried duck shreds, stir-fried tripe, steamed chicken, braised yellow chicken, large stir-fried chicken, stir-fried shredded chicken, crispy chicken, stir-fried chicken cubes, stir-fried chicken pieces, three-fresh cubes, eight-treasure cubes…”

Lu Chuan's expression twisted, and he quickly raised his hand to stop him.

“Wait, wait, are you performing a crosstalk routine here? Do I also have to play the role of your straight man?”

He Jingrui blinked innocently.

Lu Chuan rubbed his temples helplessly.

“Forget it, I can’t rely on you…”

He stopped agonizing over it; he would just make whatever he could.

He immediately picked a little here and a little there from the iron rack, quickly gathering enough ingredients for one dish, and then walked to the prep station.

Lu Chuan's actions quickly attracted the attention of the audience and judges.

However, after seeing the ingredients in his hand, everyone was confused.

“No, why are there all sorts of random ingredients?!”

“What dish is he going to make?”

Even the Association President, who were experienced chefs, couldn't guess, let alone the Regular Customers.

But the Regular Customers came to watch the competition for the excitement, and seeing that the young boss had finished selecting ingredients and started the cooking process, they all became excited.

And the Regular Customers, who believed that the young boss could create a miracle, also swept away their gloominess and couldn't help but stand up and loudly cheer for Lu Chuan.

“Young boss, go for it!”

“Young boss, I love you!”

“Young boss, we believe in you! You will definitely make a dish that amazes everyone!”

“…”

Among them, Lin Kai shouted the loudest.

Zheng Xingyao, sitting next to him, was startled by the sudden loud shouting.

But he quickly sneered again, looking as if he was waiting to enjoy a good show.

Many experienced Chinese cuisine chefs couldn't discern Lu Chuan's intention.

But with just one glance, he knew what dish Lu Chuan wanted to make.

Of course, this didn't mean his insight was particularly sharp, or that he knew more than the Association President on the judging panel.

It was because he was a chef specializing in Western-style cuisine and had dabbled in the representative dishes of various countries, excluding Southeast Asia.

Among them, Hungary's national dish, Goulash, was one of his restaurant's signature dishes.

Goulash is a famous European stew, known as “Hungarian Beef Soup.” It is characterized by beef, potatoes, and onions, supplemented with paprika and tomato paste, slow-cooked until the meat is tender and the sauce is rich.

In the 1960s, a famous person once used the phrase “Communism means everyone gets to eat Goulash” to describe its popularity, which later evolved into Hungary's national dish and influenced the cuisine of neighboring countries.

Therefore, when he saw that Lu Chuan had seafood, meat, potatoes, and onions, as well as various other assorted side dishes, he knew that Lu Chuan must be making a mixed stew.

“It’s indeed a good method. Mixed stew can effectively compensate for the shortcomings of ingredients that don’t look good and are scarce, but are you aware of the most important yet fatal problem with mixed stew?!”

Zheng Xingyao crossed his arms, eager to see Lu Chuan fail and be embarrassed.

“Mixed stew emphasizes the combination and mixing of various ingredients. It seems like anything can be cooked, but that's not the case. It's like a chemical experiment; the addition of each ingredient requires consideration of its proportion and whether it's compatible.”

“If you add things haphazardly, it will only turn into a monstrosity, not only with mixed flavors but also with a murky and unappetizing appearance.”

“Moreover, each ingredient requires different cooking temperatures. Under different temperatures and stewing times, some ingredients will turn to charcoal under high heat, while others will still be half-raw.”

“Every excellent Goulash master has their own carefully studied ingredient ratios and stewing order. This requires a lot of time for repeated deliberation and experimentation, ultimately summarized! But do you have such conditions?”

“Seeing that only low-quality, incomplete ingredients were left on site, he cleverly decided to break the deadlock with a mixed stew, unaware that this is the most foolish approach, falling into a trap without knowing it, truly laughable!”

The mockery in Zheng Xingyao's eyes grew stronger, and the pleasure on his face became more and more obvious.

He didn't believe Lu Chuan could make perfect Goulash with these random ingredients.

Or rather, no one in this world could do it!

Unless he wasn't human, but a god! A God of Cooking!

Just as Zheng Xingyao's thoughts were fluctuating wildly, the Association President on the judging panel also vaguely guessed the answer.

Dai Xuesong, from the provincial capital, sitting in the center of the judging panel, showed a complex expression and murmured:

“Could it be that this contestant wants to make a mixed stew?”

Many Association President nearby heard this and their expressions changed.

“Mixed stew? Hiss, the more I think about it, the more it makes sense! But…”

“How dare he? Doesn't he know that a mixed stew in this situation is simply a trap?”

“It seems like he's grasping at straws. I was expecting some brilliant move, but now the results can be announced directly.”

And Chairman Luo, sitting next to Chairman Neng Xing, now showed a mocking smile again.

“Hahaha, Chairman Neng, your contestant is truly clever. He knows it’s hopeless, so he’s making a last-ditch effort. I must say, this spirit is quite admirable.”

Chairman Neng Xing gave him a cold glance, then closed his eyes and paid no further attention.

Forget it, for so many National Chef Competitions, Yinhua City's results have always been unsatisfactory, and one more time won't matter.

It's just… alas!

...Lu Chuan carried the ingredients to the prep station, then washed them one by one under the faucet, removing the dirt and residue attached to them.

Just as Zheng Xingyao and Dai Xuesong had guessed, he was indeed making a mixed stew.

Or, to be more precise, min cuisine's Fujian Mixed Stew.

“However, many countries overseas also have mixed stews as representative dishes, with Hungary's Goulash having the most far-reaching influence.”

“But the mixed stews in these countries, whether in terms of ingredient ratios, stewing order, or even knife skills and heat control, all have special requirements. Just looking at them feels troublesome, although the taste is indeed special and enjoyed by many.”

“But in my opinion, it seems a bit overly elaborate. Many steps are meaningless, unlike the domestic mixed stews that are casually natural yet uniquely flavorful.”

Lu Chuan quietly introduced the differences between Chinese and foreign cuisines to He Jingrui while classifying and arranging the necessary ingredients.

Fujian Mixed Stew is a representative of min cuisine, slow-cooked with chicken, seafood, and delicacies from land and sea, emphasizing a fresh and clear broth with a complex sweet and sour taste.

The most famous among these is Buddha Jumps Over the Wall, which many Chinese people, even if they haven't eaten it, have surely seen or heard of in films and television.

However, due to limitations in ingredients, venue, and equipment, Lu Chuan was unable to make this dish here.

But a simplified version of “Buddha Jumps Over the Wall” could be attempted.

As time passed, soon, the prep station was filled with a dazzling array of cleaned ingredients.

After some tidying and trimming, the ingredients, which were originally in very poor condition, now looked much more refined.

The host was moving around the venue, and seeing that Lu Chuan had already prepared the ingredients, he quickly walked over.

Upon seeing the ingredients on the prep station, glistening with water droplets and shimmering under the lights, he quickly motioned for the camera to pan over them.

The next moment, close-ups of each ingredient were clearly displayed on the large screen on one side of the venue.

Aside from the contestants who were racing against time to cook, all the Regular Customers and judges present turned their attention to the large screen, then collectively showed surprised expressions.

If they remembered correctly, these ingredients were quite dirty not long ago, so why did they look so… But before they could recover, under the camera's gaze, Lu Chuan then showed them what the ultimate fusion of knife skills and aesthetics truly was.

Its name was, Art!