The Seventy-two Faces of Soaring Dragon (Part One)

Seeing Qin Hong's expression of enjoyment, the remaining four Dragon Kings immediately stopped tasting the dishes. They first took a slice of ginger and put it in their mouths to clear away the aftertaste before signaling the staff to bring over the First-grade Steamed Dumpling.

Four plates of steamed dumplings were brought to the judges' table, and the host immediately began enthusiastically:

"Number 92, contestant number 92, ah, it's Chef Ao Qing's creation, the First-grade Steamed Dumpling. Although the name is ordinary, this steamed dumpling can be said to be the benchmark in the world of steamed dumplings. Whether or not a pastry chef can create their own unique steamed dumpling combination can almost be regarded as a direct reflection of their filling preparation..."

At this point, Guang Qing had already eaten a steamed dumpling, spoke up:

"The base filling is buttered fish paste, which has a smooth texture. Although it has been beaten to develop its elasticity, it is still slightly soft. The caviar and Black Truffle are classic combinations, so there's not much to say about them. The key is the yellow sauce."

As he spoke, Guang Qing gently pressed another steamed dumpling with his chopsticks. It was fortunate that dumplings and shumai were sold by the "basket" rather than by the "piece," otherwise he would have had a hard time explaining it.

"This sauce is a combination of cooked grated radish, brown algae, a small amount of Pine Nut, steamed and then mixed with wasabi. White radish with wasabi and mustard is a fairly common combination, but the real classic part here is the Distilled Liquor and Pine Nut mixed in the filling."

"The small Pine Nut nuts effectively reduce the presence of wasabi, preventing the flavor of the steamed dumplings from becoming too unbalanced. The Distilled Liquor is mixed in with the wasabi puree after the dumplings are steamed, which gives the fish filling a fresh fruity aroma, which is a great breakthrough."

Upon hearing this, Run Wu nodded in agreement.

"That's right. Steamed pastries are difficult to retain their aroma due to moisture and other factors, especially since the competition format requires the food to rest for a period of time. However, adding aromatic ingredients later can easily lead to an uneven flavor and ruin the overall taste of the food. Contestant Ao Qing's approach effectively mitigated this problem. However, her use of wasabi was a bit too bold. For many diners who can't handle pungent flavors, this might be a drawback."

Although opinions on the food were mixed, as the only dish to be completely finished so far, Ao Qing rightfully retained his position as the number one seed.

However, as more and more dishes were reviewed by the judges, the mixed reviews made the outcome increasingly unpredictable.

In the first three-quarters of the competition, there were hardly any edible dishes, but in the last quarter, one excellent dish after another appeared. Some keyboard warriors on the internet have started to spread conspiracy theories, even saying that the overall level of the competition is not good and that they can only hype up the dishes in the later part in order to increase viewership.

In reality, excellent pastry chefs are very good at managing their time. Since the competition organizing committee has given them four hours, the more they can make use of those four hours, the higher their skill level will be. On the contrary, those contestants who lack confidence will leave themselves more time to avoid making a mistake.

But this lack of confidence is itself proof of insufficient ability.

Of course, this doesn't mean that everyone who drags on to the end is a pro; after all, there are players who manage to recover after a mishap and finish just above the finish line.

However, regardless of the specific number, it is an undeniable fact that better works are more likely to be produced from later numbers.

With seven or eight dishes already being evaluated, Feng Xue's ridiculously large "Dragon Riding the Clouds," which was half a meter long, was finally served.

As the first person to taste this dish, Li Huang looked at the enormous "crispy" pastry and said with a slightly helpless expression:

"As the host said before, this dish is already a work of art. Even among the Renowned Master pastry chefs I've eaten at before, none of them could handle such a massive creation. In terms of shape and color alone, no one in today's competition can surpass it. It's just that I really feel a little reluctant to put my chopsticks on such a work of art!"

Hearing his words Shun Bai, standing to the side, said irritably:

"If you can't bear to do it, then I'll do it!"

"That won't do!" With that, Li Huang immediately reached out with his chopsticks, but instead of touching the distinct layers of the dragon's mane or the clearly colored dragon scales, he picked up a cloud that the dragon was trampling under its feet.

Unexpectedly, upon clamping it, the feel was somewhat off. As a seasoned connoisseur, he immediately discerned the essence of the tactile sensation—

"This isn't just crispy! No, it's more than just crispy!"

"Not crispy? Then what is it?" Almost instantly, everyone, including the other four judges, the host, the eliminated and non-eliminated contestants, and even the clueless audience, perked up. Judge Li Huang picked up the fist-sized cloud and took a bite.

Beneath its crisp exterior lies a soft and smooth interior; a touch of molten filling flows into the mouth as you squeeze it, creating an unparalleled smooth and delicate texture.

"Bread, this cloud is Puff Pastry Bread!"

As he spoke, he seemed to recall the unusual steam when the dragon was taken out of the pot. Forgetting about maintaining the dragon's shape, he reached out with his chopsticks, grabbed a dragon claw, and then...

"Snap!"

The crispy dragon scales encasing the dragon claw shattered with a crack, and he presented the entire claw to his face. With a slight press of his chopsticks, the delicate and delicious broth flowed from the broken end. Watching the faint glimmer of crystalline flavor beneath the crispy skin of the dragon claw, he took a bite.

First comes the extreme crispness of the cracked layers, followed by the chewy texture of the scalded dough. As you squeeze it, the delicious broth bursts into your mouth, and the sweetness of the shrimp and the rich aroma of the pork spread with each bite.

"Shrimp! No wonder the Dragon Scale Crisp exterior for shaping, that's what gives this steamed dumpling its unique texture!"

Seeing the expression on Li Huang's face, the other four judges didn't wait for him to say anything more and immediately called the staff to bring over their own portions.

Qin Hong used her chopsticks to pick up pieces of dragon scales. With a crisp snapping sound, the faintly browned dragon skin came into view. She used her chopsticks to pull off a piece of dragon skin, revealing the distinct strands of Dragon Meat inside. At the same time, a refreshing aroma wafted out.

"This crust is a shortbread! The combination of butter and cheese, with a touch of Desiccated Coconut, and the fact that it's crispy on one side and chewy on the other, despite being fried on only one side, doesn't leave any flaws. Instead, it gives the pastry a strong sense of layering, making it perfect even on its own!"

"Then I'll try the Dragon Meat inside." Guang Qing imitated Qin Hong, tearing open a piece of dragon skin and pinching the boneless Dragon Meat inside. The aroma of meat with the dual flavors of pork and chicken immediately wafted out.

But only when his teeth were clenched did Guang Qing's eyes widen in disbelief, and he said:

"This isn't meat! It's gluten! They've actually managed to make gluten taste just as good as meat, with that chewy texture and perfect doneness. Is this really fried through a layer of crispy pastry and a layer of pancake?"

Although it may sound a bit unconventional, the food pairings in this book are all well-proven and can be found in the field of food flavor pairing. For example, fish goes well with Pine Nut, cream, grated radish, and wasabi. In addition, it's true that white wine paired with fish will give it a fruity aroma. You can try it when steaming fish; sprinkle some white wine on it after steaming, let it sit for a while, and it will have a very nice fragrance.

The reason I'm bringing this up is because when I was writing food articles back then, some people criticized my sixth taste (the five tastes are sour, sweet, bitter, salty, and umami) and the taste of oil (fat, fatty meat), saying that oil is negative and so on. But this is something that has been documented in academic papers, okay? Besides, spiciness and astringency are not tastes; spiciness is a sensation of pain, and astringency is a sensation of dryness.

When I write about food, I do research, so if you see any strange combinations, please check them first before arguing. I generally won't claim that unverified combinations are delicious.