The Cheat Emperor of the Culinary World-Chapter 178 - 177: Where Were You Earlier?

Yao Shi saw that Fu Yu was listening intently, and felt a deep sense of satisfaction, so he spoke in greater detail.

"In fact, there are subtleties to carving the duck."

"During live demonstrations, you must first carve the duck skin while it's hot to let customers taste it. At this moment, the duck skin is crispy and fragrant, with the best texture."

"When it comes to slicing the duck meat, each piece should be with skin and meat, thin yet intact. A two-kilogram duck can yield over 100 slices of duck meat, and each piece is as even as a clove leaf. The taste is crispy, aromatic, and tender, with a unique flavor."

At this point, Yao Shi remembered something and laughed, "When I was learning to carve roast duck from my master, he was very strict with me. He often said that if you master the art of carving roast duck, you can accurately carve a duck into 108 pieces, with the right thickness and size. When I practiced diligently back then, I could achieve it, but having cooked less in recent years, my skills have regressed."

Most customers come to the restaurant to enjoy the lively atmosphere.

A big name like Yao Shi rarely handles the cooking himself, and the customers who can invite him to cook generally wouldn't order roast duck just to satisfy a craving.

So, when it's time for a live demonstration, Yao Shi often uses speed and plating techniques to cover up his shortcomings in knife skills.

When aiming for 108 pieces, he usually stops around 100 before serving.

No customer would really watch and count how many slices he made.

Moreover, to prevent any mishaps, he would intentionally serve the breast skin and meat slices on a small plate before carving, under the pretense of tasting them while hot, coaxing the customers to try them first.

This way, no one truly knows how many slices he has made.

However, this is something he definitely wouldn't tell Fu Yu.

If he leads Fu Yu astray, Zhao Meng would definitely have a bone to pick with him!

Fu Yu is a promising apprentice now and needs to be nurtured well, certainly not led down a crooked path like him.

Therefore, Yao Shi paused, gathered his thoughts, and continued to teach: "But I observed in practice that the current duck carving methods actually affect the overall aesthetic of the roast duck. The traditional methods don't fully showcase the essence of this delicacy. So, I intentionally practiced the sliding knife carving method later."

"To best showcase the essence of this delicacy, you must present the most flavorful parts of the roast duck to the diners at the optimal temperature as soon as possible. This way, the diners can truly appreciate the crispiness, aroma, and tenderness of Peking duck."

"The sliding knife carving method allows the quantity for each diner to be controlled, enabling portioned serving. This not only satisfies the visual appeal but also engages the diners' taste buds, providing a sense of satisfaction from tasting the delicacy."

"Once in the mouth, the duck meat is crispy, aromatic, tender, and juicy, with a slightly warm temperature, offering the best experience to engage diners' love for the dish..."

Fu Yu listened intently to Yao Shi while his hands kept moving without pause.

The carving method Yao Shi was talking about was actually one of the techniques he learned in his practical training classes.

In addition, Fu Yu also practiced the almond slice, which is the most traditional carving method, where the sliced duck meat resembles almonds.

There's also another method where the slices resemble willow leaves.

These knife skills have no shortcuts.

To excel, besides talent, diligent practice is mainly required.

Looking back, he realized how challenging the practical training classes were.

To master each cutting method, he had to repeat the same operation dozens or even hundreds of times.

If not for the time-stopping aspect in the practical training classes, he estimated it would take at least a year or more to truly master it.

Having figured out the intricacies involved, Fu Yu felt a pang of regret.

Why didn't he do this earlier?

If he had this drive during high school, he wouldn't have failed to get into any school!

Fu Yu multitasked.

Listening to Yao Shi while reflecting internally, his hands never stopped moving.

He swiftly and neatly sliced the duck meat.

Yao Shi paused in his speech.

The slices of roast duck were beautiful!

Even without careful counting, Yao Shi could estimate that the number of slices was roughly around 108.

At the very least, they were sliced thinner and more uniformly than his own.

Because Yao Shi was very skilled at this dish, he could instantly tell how impressive Fu Yu's slicing skills were!

While Fu Yu felt relieved as he put down the knife.

Done!

He knew clearly that he had sliced exactly 108 pieces of duck meat.

Not more, not less, just right.

With the duck meat sliced, the next step was plating.

Following the traditional method, Yao Shi divided them into three plates. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝕨𝕖𝗯𝚗𝚘𝕧𝕖𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝕞

The duck breast skin on a small plate, the whole duck meat on two plates, and the third plate had the duck head placed in the middle, topped with two slices of duck tenderloin and two slices of duck tail skin.

Fu Yu followed suit.

Once the final duck tail skin was placed, the whole roast duck dish was ready to be served for the customers to taste.

"Clap, clap, clap!"

Yao Shi couldn't help but applaud: "Beautifully done!"

To be fair, Yao Shi even felt that Fu Yu's duck slices were superior to his own.

With such knife skills, anywhere he goes, people would respectfully call him 'Master'!

Remembering the past.

Yao Shi always thought he was very talented in culinary skills, which was why he progressed so smoothly in his career after entering the industry.

But now seeing Fu Yu, he truly understood what it means to be a genius!

Fu Yu is a genius!

A rare genius that comes once in a century, if not a millennium.

Otherwise, how could he have improved so rapidly in such a short time?

This made Yao Shi feel a bit dazed.

Just yesterday, it seemed, Fu Yu was quietly chopping on the cutting board, and in the blink of an eye, he had become this skilled!

For the first time in his life, the self-assured Yao Shi felt a sense of crisis.

The feeling of being surpassed by the next generation at any moment gave him a sense of urgency, like being washed up on the shore by the new waves.

However, this thought was instantly shattered when he saw Fu Yu trying to appear calm despite his clear excitement.

Alright!

This kid is clearly still green!

The way his thoughts show so easily on his face reveals his lack of sophistication.

Young in age means fewer experiences.

Without enough experience, it's natural that he hasn't reached the level of veterans like them who have navigated through life for so long.

Thinking of this.

The feelings of being threatened retreated instantly from Yao Shi's mind.

Given his experience and life lessons, there was still plenty he could teach Fu Yu!

If someone really wants to overshadow him, it's not an easy task!

If that day ever comes, Yao Shi imagined, although it would be bittersweet, he'd likely feel more satisfied and proud.

After all, there's someone to follow in his footsteps!

Thinking this over, Yao Shi couldn't help but feel tempted again.

Such a promising talent, why not just bring him over and train him himself?