The most succulent fish in the river is the bianhua.

Though it looks like the Wuchang fish, it is not very large.

Now it’s well past the season for river openings, so the bianhua bought in the store weighs only five or six ounces. Fortunately, cooking and seasoning can make up for the lack of freshness in the fish’s texture.

The bianhua is scaled, gilled, cleaned, and drained, with crosshatch cuts made on its body.

Fu Yu wielded his chef’s knife, swiftly operating on the fish.

A strong fishy smell hit him in the face.

The moment he smelled it, an idea popped into Fu Yu’s mind: This bianhua was cleaned just 15 minutes ago, and its flesh is still firm.

As the blade delved into the flesh, the fishy scent became more pronounced. Fu Yu relaxed his wrist and lifted the knife.

Cutting deeper would slice through the thin layer of flesh attached to the fish bone.

It was the perfect moment to stop the knife.

The fish was coated in flour and pan-fried until golden.

In the midst of the action, Fu Yu suddenly recalled something Yao Shi, under system control, had said when teaching him these little tips.

"Coating in flour prevents sticking to the pan. This trick to prevent fish skin from sticking is definitely more effective than any other method."

And indeed, it works remarkably well.

Sauté scallion whites, sliced garlic, and ginger, then add an appropriate amount of water.

Add doubanjiang and cooking wine.

Following a classic old-style recipe, Fu Yu also added tomatoes, thereby eliminating the need for sugar and vinegar.

The bianhua was put in, ready for stewing.

Fu Yu then went on to cook red-braised jianhua.

The fish was cleaned and air-dried.

It was placed in a pan and fried golden on both sides, then taken out.

Jianhua, with its thin and tender skin, required Fu Yu to be extremely cautious when flipping it, as the skin was so thin.

While a thin skin is manageable, the fish meat required even more delicate handling.

For this reason, when making red-braised jianhua, it’s typically coated in a layer of batter and fried before being stewed.

This avoids any damage to the fish skin affecting the presentation.

Typically, when frying fish, Fu Yu relies on his intuition to flip it at the right moment.

This intuition is quite complex; without the special effect of a non-stick wok, he depended solely on his tactile sense, yet without physically touching the ingredients, the effect was often greatly diminished.

At this point, visual and olfactory senses became crucial.

Holding a wooden spatula, Fu Yu felt that peculiar sensation he hadn’t experienced in a while.

This feeling was subtle.

He sensed that the discernment of the fish’s flavor had considerably improved!

What is... going on?

Fu Yu had noticed this issue before, attributing it to an improvement in his sense of smell.

However, while frying fish today, this sensation grew even more evident.

Could it be...

The enhanced effect of the scent-sensitive mask?

Suddenly, it dawned on Fu Yu.

The scent-sensitive mask had initially improved his sense of smell.

Now, after training in culinary practice classes, his sense of smell had become very acute.

Advanced olfactory skills, aided by the mask, were becoming more and more refined.

Fu Yu couldn’t help but feel thrilled!

This skill might not be very useful for other professions.

But for a chef, it’s practically a divine skill!

The cooking of ingredients involves many extremely precise operations, and the more advanced the ingredients, the higher the degree of precision required.

Cooking fresh fish requires careful attention to seasoning, heat, and technique!

At this moment, Fu Yu found the previously strenuous frying process was not so difficult!

Moreover, Fu Yu’s cooking skills became more refined and exquisite.

This gave Zhang Zhen and the two other chefs observing a strange chill down their spine.

Because Fu Yu’s entire cooking process appeared too effortlessly adept!

When the jianhua was flipped, the whole fish’s skin was intact, showing a beautifully even golden-brown color.

This was... impressive.

The minced meat was mixed with oyster sauce.

Oil was added to the wok, followed by the minced meat, stir-fried to turn white.

...

The sauce was reduced on high heat, then seasoned with chicken essence and sprinkled with scallions for serving.

The fluid cooking technique left the onlookers somewhat dumbfounded.

This didn’t seem like cooking in the kitchen at all.

Soon, the red-braised jianhua was served, and the fragrant-stewed bianhua was also done.

Zhang Zhen handed over the marinated copper-gong fish, while taking over the ready-to-serve fragrant-stewed bianhua.

Both dishes of river fish were cooked to perfection!

Fu Yu began making fragrant-smoked copper-gong fish.

The hardest part of smoking fish is the frying.

But for Fu Yu, whose skill in controlling heat was maxed out, the difficulty of this dish was essentially halved.

The characteristic of fragrant-smoked copper-gong fish is its rich, sweet aroma.

Thus, Zhang Zhen had extended the marination time.

And because the copper-gong fish meat is like garlic cloves, Zhang Zhen had Tian Lei handle it entirely, instead of the apprentice.

Fearing any damage to the fish skin, which would affect the cooking result.

Typically, when making fragrant-smoked copper-gong fish, you use a vigorous fire to heat peanut oil to a boil, fry the fish until cooked, remove it from the fire to cool.

Then heat the oil to a boil again, fry the fish until reddish-brown, remove, and soak briefly in Shao wine before taking it out.

However, while preparing the Shaoxing wine mixture, Fu Yu adjusted the ratio of wine to white sugar.

Fragrant-smoked copper-gong fish is a common dish, often appearing at banquets.

Because even when the fish is cold, its taste remains unaffected, making it ideal for banquet settings.

That’s why Zhang Zhen and others were also familiar with its preparation.

The Shaoxing wine mixture has a fixed ratio—how much wine to how much sugar for just the right taste.

This ratio, handed down over generations, functions like a formula in a book—no need to know its origins. Simply apply the formula to get the desired taste.

However, during the preparation of the copper-gong fish, Fu Yu abruptly changed the formula for the Shaoxing wine mixture.

Zhang Zhen was the first to notice the differing ratio and couldn’t help but ask, "Chef Fu, the wine seems less. Should we add more?"

Fu Yu shook his head: "No need, the current amount is fine. I’ll try adding some sugar... maybe it will balance things out."

Chef Liu, watching Fu Yu mix, voiced his concern: "Wasn’t the original ratio fine..."

The original Shaoxing wine mixture was an all-purpose dip—great, regardless of dipping method, as long as the ratio was followed.

Yet now, Fu Yu intended to alter the mix—what for?

Could it be better than the age-old recipe?

Fu Yu began carefully adjusting the wine and white sugar ratio.

Little by little, he added sugar to the dip, mixing it while gauging the taste to determine the proportions.

Fu Yu added sugar.

Zhang Zhen and his companions slightly frowned and thought: Isn’t there too much wine?

Fu Yu added wine.

Zhang Zhen and his companions shook their heads: Isn’t there too much sugar?

There’s really no need!