Chapter 136 - Chapter 136: How Does She Know Everything?
Chapter 136: How Does She Know Everything?
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
“What is He Jing doing?”
“I don’t know. Maybe she’s steaming the sole? She poured the rest of the red wine on the sole. It is for cooking, isn’t it?” “She added so many spices. What is she doing?”
“I don’t know. I don’t understand at all!”
He Jing put down the empty bottle of red wine and prepared the sauce.
The most important thing in French cuisine was the sauce. It was the essence of a dish and the foundation of any good chef of French cuisine.
He Jing had decided on the tried and true combination of mixing ketchup and mayonnaise, along with a large serving of chopped celery and a pinch of black pepper. The pepper would stimulate the taste buds and complement the mix of ketchup and mayonnaise. As there was no ready-made mix of the latter, He Jing had to make it from scratch.
The process was smooth – almost as if she had done it a thousand times before. Bright red tomatoes were crushed, and onions and carrots were diced, which were soon mixed into a bowl with butter and ketchup. All that was left was the mayonnaise. He Jing may have omitted some ingredients that made up the authentic French ketchup, but she would make up for it with chicken stock and the bacon she had thawing in the fridge.
Zhou Xue’er spied on He Jing’s sauce, watching it inch closer to completion. Gritting her teeth, she sped up, not wanting to be outdone. She washed her sole fish and started on the sauce. However, in her hurry, Zhou Xue’er forgot the recipe, and it took her a long time to remember what to do.
The pressure she felt was immense…
And He Jing was the cause.
‘Damn! How does she know everything?!’ Zhou Xue’er silently cursed.
She quickly forced herself to calm down when she recalled her biting words about He Jing.
‘Zhou Xue’er, you can’t lose here!’
Perhaps it was the encouragement she gave herself, but Zhou Xue’er finally suppressed her fear and tallied her advantages. She had learned cooking from chefs all over the country since she was young, and her experience was far beyond that of ordinary people…
He Jing’s technique might be exquisite, but as the saying goes, taste is king. He Jing’s cooking might not taste as good as it looked.
A mouth-watering fragrance permeated the kitchen as time passed.
The longer she immersed herself in cooking, the more confident Zhou Xue’er became. Watching the transformation of her sole from a hapless fish to a stunning dish while He Jing was still slaving away at the stove, Zhou Xue’er could not help but feel proud.
One’s cooking speed was often a direct indicator of a person’s skill level. Since He Jing had not finished cooking yet, it was obvious her skill was inferior to hers.
To think she had been frightened by the ability He Jing demonstrated earlier! It was ridiculous!
Shen Qiuyu and the others grew more anxious as time passed. They began discussing in hushed tones:
“Why isn’t Sister Jing done yet?”
“It feels like the fish is only halfway cooked… Ah! It’s finally in the pot.”
“What is she trying to do? What? Is it also a pan-fried sole?”
“It can’t be. Isn’t that Zhou Xue’er’s specialty? Is He Jing trying to compete with her head -on?”
Zhou Xue’er had already plated her fish. It looked very tasty. She cocked her head, her nose in the air, and said, “Teacher, He Jing hasn’t finished cooking yet. You can try mine first. I’ve made a lot. You can eat more of it later when He ling is done.”
Zhou Qiu, who had been watching the competition, noted how Zhou Xue’er was the first to finish and thought victory was certain for his cousin. He felt relieved. Cheng Yi must have been bragging about He Jing’s skills on WeChat. Perhaps her real ability was only so-so. In terms of cooking, who could compare to the Zhou family?
He nodded and pretended to be serious. “Alright, then bring it over. The rest will be given to the other students.”
Just as Zhou Xue’er was about to serve her French pan-fried sole, a powerful fragrance suddenly engulfed the kitchen from He Jing’s side. Everyone turned around and saw He Jing lift the lid of the pot as if she had detonated an aroma bomb..