"Papa, bye-bye~"

"Bye-bye, be good and listen to your teachers, okay..."

After dropping off Qingqing and Weiwei at the Little (4) Class, Huang Jun turned and walked towards the kitchen.

When he reached the kitchen door...

He saw Liu Suyu busily overseeing the unloading of goods with the delivery master.

He approached and warmly greeted, "Manager Liu, good morning!"

"Good morning, Chef Huang."

Liu Suyu looked up, her beautiful eyes meeting Huang Jun’s, and responded with a smile, "The ribbonfish you needed has been delivered. Take a look at the quality."

Huang Jun walked up, opened the box containing the ribbonfish, and examined it carefully.

The fish’s eyes were clear and bright, the gills were a fresh red color, and the scales on the fish’s body were intact and undamaged...

Hmm.

One could tell at a glance that it was fresh quality!

He nodded with satisfaction, a smile of approval spreading across his face, "Manager Liu, you really put in the effort. This batch of ribbonfish looks bright and top quality, really nice!"

"Hmm!"

Though Liu Suyu’s expression remained calm, a hint of pride flashed in her eyes, and she felt a touch of comfort and satisfaction in her heart.

After all, her work had been recognized by a professional!

After a few glances, Huang Jun closed the lid and turned to the busy Aunt Li and Aunt Lin not far away, giving clear instructions: "Aunt Li, Aunt Lin, please process these ribbonfish, remember to cut off the heads, fins, and tails, they don’t need to be kept."

Despite the belief in some regions that ribbonfish heads are inedible, they actually can be eaten.

However, considering that the meat in the ribbonfish heads is sparse and cleaning them is time-consuming and laborious, coupled with the risk of cuts from the ribbonfish’s sharp teeth and the safety of the children eating them, Huang Jun decided to discard them.

Additionally, the fins and tails tend to scorch during frying, which could not only spoil the dish’s texture but also impart unnecessary bitterness, affecting the whole dish’s flavor.

To ensure the dish is perfect, Huang Jun also chose to remove these parts.

Aunt Li and Aunt Lin responded, "Okay, got it!"

No sooner had the words left their mouths.

They quickly moved to action, carrying the box of ribbonfish to the sink and began meticulously processing each one as per Huang Jun’s requirements.

Huang Jun turned and stepped into the break room, swiftly changing into his chef’s uniform, preparing to cook today’s main dish—boneless ribbonfish.

Prioritizing lunch preparation over starting with breakfast was because this boneless ribbonfish required at least an hour and a half of simmering, necessitating advance preparation to ensure it could be served on time for lunch.

He had just stepped out of the break room, ready to head to the prep area, when he saw that Liu Suyu, having seen off the delivery master, hadn’t rushed to leave but instead stepped into the kitchen.

This scene made him pause slightly, but he quickly put on a polite smile, "Manager Liu, not leaving yet?"

Liu Suyu smiled back, "I came to see if there’s anything I can help with."

Helping was just an excuse; sneaking some food was her true motive.

"Hmm, we’re managing fine today, no need for help for now," Huang Jun replied truthfully.

"It’s fine, you go ahead with your work, I’ll just help you pass ingredients and tools from the side." Liu Suyu’s mouth curled into a slight smile.

Seeing Liu Suyu’s determined expression, Huang Jun eventually did not insist on refusing, merely nodded silently, allowing her to follow him.

After completing the necessary sanitation procedures, he stepped into the bustling prep area.

Liu Suyu followed suit, accompanying him into this lively, smoke-filled place.

One must say.

Aunt Li and Aunt Lin work really efficiently.

Within moments, the ribbonfish had been mostly cleaned.

Huang Jun swiftly carried the cleaned ribbonfish over to the stove, joining Qian Guoxiang for the next step—making knife cuts.

For the boneless ribbonfish, this step is crucial.

This allows the bones to dissolve during the simmering process.

Of course.

This knifework is quite particular, not just a couple of random cuts on the fish.

He used the straight-cut technique, the simplest and most straightforward of all knifework techniques.

Though the simplest, Huang Jun meticulously adhered to the standard procedure, keeping each cut’s spacing at one centimeter, with each one precisely reaching the ribbonfish’s backbone.

Such handling not only helps the ribbonfish absorb the seasoning better but also allows the bones to gradually soften during frying and simmering, eventually achieving a boneless effect.

At about ten centimeters in length, Huang Jun cut the ribbonfish, each segment showcasing a perfect pattern of cuts.

After cutting all the ribbonfish...

Huang Jun didn’t pause for a moment but immediately moved into the next critical step of cooking—marination.

He added sugar, salt, and pepper to the stainless steel tray holding the ribbonfish segments, these basic seasonings infusing the fish with foundational flavors. Then, he poured in an appropriate amount of cooking wine, along with fresh scallions, ginger, and Sichuan peppercorns.

The Sichuan peppercorns not only removed the fishy smell of the ribbonfish but also added a unique fragrance, giving the ribbonfish a subtle Sichuan pepper aroma, thus enriching its flavor layers.

However, though Sichuan pepper works wonders during marination, they need to be discarded before frying to avoid bitterness that could affect the final taste.

After marinating, Huang Jun sealed the container with cling film, then placed the marinated ribbonfish in the refrigerator.

Marinating meat at low temperatures not only preserves its tenderness but also allows the marinade to penetrate better, intensifying the flavor deep within.

During this time.

Huang Jun didn’t remain idle, and instead began preparing breakfast—a fragrant osmanthus sticky rice cake.

"Assistant Chef Qian, please cut these washed red dates into evenly-sized small pieces!"

Huang Jun gave instructions while taking out a clean basin, mixing the appropriate proportions of sticky rice flour and corn starch together.

Next, he slowly poured in the milk, added the appropriate amount of fine sugar, and then gently and evenly stirred with chopsticks until all the ingredients blended into a thick and delicate paste, akin to flowing jade nectar.

To ensure the sticky rice cake could be smoothly unmolded, Huang Jun used a brush to take some cooking oil and evenly brushed a thin layer of oil on the inner wall of the mold.

"Chef Huang, should we pour the batter into these molds?" Liu Suyu observed Huang Jun’s every move and asked with a smile.

"Yes!"

Huang Jun’s focus remained on the task at hand.

"Why don’t I help you pour the batter?" Liu Suyu felt confident in her ability to handle this task and volunteered.

Huang Jun didn’t stand on ceremony and nodded in response: "Good! Then help me. Pour two-thirds of the batter into the mold, and place a small handful of red date pieces, eight pieces each."

He demonstrated by slowly pouring the mixed batter into the mold, with red date fragments adorning them like embedded rubies.

Liu Suyu understood, carefully following Huang Jun’s demonstration.

Huang Jun noticed the yellow croaker had been in the refrigerator long enough, so he entrusted the task of pouring the batter to Liu Suyu and Qian Guoxiang.

He specifically instructed Qian Guoxiang to immediately place the molds into the steam oven once all the batter was poured in, using the pure steam mode to steam for fifteen minutes.

As for him,

he took the marinated yellow croaker to begin frying.

Before frying, he donned disposable gloves and carefully sorted through the ingredients, removing the scallions, ginger, peppercorns, and other seasonings used for marinating, to prevent them from burning in the oil, which would affect the flavor of the yellow croaker.

Once all the ingredients had been cleaned out, Huang Jun poured the appropriate amount of oil into the pan.

After the oil temperature rose and the surface began to ripple, reaching the perfect state of seventy percent heat.

He started placing the yellow croaker into the pan.

The yellow croaker pieces had to be placed one by one, not poured entirely into the pan at once.

Only this way could ensure each piece of yellow croaker was evenly heated, achieving a crispy exterior and tender interior.

Moreover, the yellow croaker in the pan shouldn’t overlap.

This is because the yellow croaker had been filleted with cross-hatch cuts, only connected by the spine in the middle, and overlapping or turning them could cause the fish to break apart, affecting the appearance of the final dish.

Therefore.

Huang Jun carefully laid each piece of yellow croaker flat in the oil pan, maintaining appropriate spacing.

Once the yellow croaker entered the pan, Huang Jun immediately adjusted the heat, opening the flame for frying.

During this process, apart from occasionally shaking the pan to prevent the yellow croaker from sticking to the bottom, he avoided any excess movements to preserve the shape and quality of the yellow croaker.

As the frying process continued...

The yellow croaker slowly rolled in hot oil, gradually turning an enticing golden hue.

When the sizzling noises in the pan gradually subsided, and there were no more splashes, this was the signal that the yellow croaker had been thoroughly fried.

At this moment, the yellow croaker was crisp on the outside, fragrant inside, and light enough to almost float on the slotted spoon.

Huang Jun used the slotted spoon to scoop the fried yellow croaker out of the oil pan, placing them on a tray lined with absorbent paper to allow excess oil to gradually drip off.

Then, without any delay, he continued frying the next batch of yellow croaker.

Each piece of yellow croaker, under his skilled techniques, received an even treatment of oil temperature until they were fully golden, crispy, and enticing.

After all the yellow croaker pieces had been fried, Huang Jun began the final step of preparing boneless yellow croaker — vinegar simmering.

This step, though seemingly simple, could easily affect the final taste if not done correctly.

To enhance the flavor of the yellow croaker, Huang Jun abandoned using a pressure cooker, opting instead to braise them in a traditional large iron wok.

Before simmering the yellow croaker, it was necessary to sauté the seasonings to fully release their aroma, enriching the flavor of the yellow croaker.

Huang Jun set the large iron wok on the stove and began sautéing the ingredients.

Once the oil was hot, he placed some fatty meat slices in the wok and started frying until the slices became slightly golden and released a rich, meaty aroma.

He tossed in a few star anise pieces to enhance the fragrance.

Added the appropriate amount of salt, five-spice powder, cooking wine, and aged vinegar.

These seasonings quickly fused in the hot oil.

Added two bowls of water and a small handful of rock sugar, adding a subtle hint of sweetness to balance the vinegar’s tartness.

When the sauce in the wok began to boil...

Huang Jun skillfully placed each piece of previously fried golden yellow croaker into the wok, covered the lid, and lowered the heat to the smallest setting.

Allowing the yellow croaker to slowly simmer on the stove.

This way, the fish could fully absorb the aromas and flavors while the fish bones gradually softened during simmering.

At this moment.

Huang Jun only needed to patiently wait for time to pass, allowing the yellow croaker to slowly complete its delicious transformation in the wok.

Of course.

He did not idle.

He stood up, walked over to the steam oven where the osmanthus sticky rice cake was, and carefully checked the steaming process through the observation window.

Amidst the rising steam, the sticky rice cake gradually became plump and elastic under the heat, emitting the sweet aroma of red dates and sticky rice.

At the same time, three private cars were slowly moving towards the parking spaces near the kindergarten entrance.