Chapter 24 - Chapter 24: Chapter 24: Fish Scale Badge

Chapter 24: Chapter 24: Fish Scale Badge

Translator: 549690339

“Is this a Mandarin fish?!” Zhou Yun blinked, staring intently at the dish on the table, a look of astonishment on his face.

No matter from which angle it was viewed, the dish looked so similar to a squirrel.

As a Food Fight Judge, he had seen many uniquely plated dishes, but he had never seen such a dish before.

Everyone knows that a fish and a squirrel have disparate forms, so what kind of plating technique was able to fuse the two together?

Zhou Qing, compared to Zhou Yun, was much more composed.

Although he was initially surprised, his intimate familiarity with fish quickly helped him discern the details.

“Is the squirrel’s head made from the little fin area behind the fish’s head?” Zhou Qing nodded slightly, “It’s surprising how similar it looks from this angle. This is something I’ve never discovered before.”

With careful observation, he quickly picked up on more details.

Were the fish slices made by meticulous knifework and coated with starch before being deep-fried?

He hadn’t expected that this cooking technique could be applied to fish.

At this moment, Zhou Qing was somewhat glad that he chose to test Qin Lang in this way, as the latter had once again surprised him.

Since it was cooked by deep-frying, it was normal for the dish to have a strong aroma.

However, Zhou Qing noticed that the fragrance wasn’t purely from the deep-fried starch.

It also contained the fresh taste characteristic of Mandarin fish.

If the scent of fried starch was overpowering, Zhou Qing would be dissatisfied with the dish.

But at this moment, the fresh taste of the fish was just right, which made him nod in approval.

What was even more ingenious was that the fragrance also had a hint of citrus.

At a glance, Zhou Qing could roughly ascertain that the citrus scent came from the sauce poured on the surface.

The slightly sweet and sour scent of the orange perfectly counterbalanced the greasiness of the fried starch, an undoubtedly scoring point for the dish.

Both visually and in terms of aroma, the dish was flawless.

The golden squirrel was lifelike and vibrant, and could hold its own among the platings of all the dishes Zhou Qing had ever seen.

It didn’t overly emphasize flamboyance, but nailed vivacity.

It was excellent.

Zhou Qing picked up his chopsticks.

His first bite was from the squirrel’s tail.

“Crack!”

Accompanied by a very slight crunch, a piece of fish was cleanly snapped off, leaving a small portion of fish skin exposed at the end.

This made Zhou Qing nod in approval.

He knew what this signified.

It represented Qin Lang’s outstanding knifework.

Only with each cut precisely made on the fish skin, without cutting through it, could each piece of fish break cleanly from its base.

Otherwise, fragments of the fish slice would remain, causing an unpleasant dining experience for food guests with obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Coincidentally, Zhou Qing was somewhat obsessive-compulsive.

This made him have an even better impression of the dish.

Biting into half of the fish piece, Zhou Qing slowly chewed.

The initial taste was sweet and sour.

The thickly-dressed sweet and sour sauce adhered better to the outer coating of the starch, its citrusy sweet and sour flavor stimulating the senses and enhancing the appetite.

After a bit of chewing, the taste underwent a new change.

The crispy outer shell made of deep-fried starch had a slight stickiness, a result of its loose outer layer being permeated with the sweet and sour sauce, lessening any greasy flavor while adding richness to the texture.

Contrasting with it was the juicy tender fish meat inside.

Zhou Qing couldn’t help but scrutinize the half piece of fish left on his chopstick.

Through the cross-section, the juicy and tender state of the inner fish meat was clearly discernible.

Could the cooking time really be controlled so well?

He couldn’t help but praise it a little.

Meanwhile, Zhou Yun silently picked up his fifth strip of fish with his chopsticks.

It’s so good.

While his father was still savoring the taste, he quickly snatched the opportunity to eat more.

Zhou Qing noticed his son’s sneaky action and immediately glared at him.

Afterwards, Zhou Qing slowly stood up and walked towards a cabinet at the side, pulling out a badge from within.

“This badge is unique to me, the Fish Scale Badge.” Zhou Qing handed the badge to Qin Lang seriously, “You cooking gained my approval, now, I will give it to you.”

“Thank you!” Qin Lang took the badge, examining it carefully.

This is a bronze badge, the front of it is decorated with fish scale patterns and an image of a leaping koi fish, the words “Dongxia City-Fish Scale” were etched at the bottom.

Is this the First-Level Food Recommender Badge?

He cherishingly held the Fish Scale badge close to his chest, a smile of joy surfacing on his face.

Getting the first badge was an auspicious omen.

He hoped that acquiring the next two badges would be just as smooth sailing.

“Gurgle!”

He got the Food Recommender badge!

Sensing Qin Lang’s joy, Dan Bao couldn’t help but cheer.

“It’s almost noon, why not stay for a quick lunch.” Zhou Qing suggested with a smile.

After tasting the Squirrel Mandarin Fish cooked by Qin Lang, his fingers were itching to show off his skill.

“Then, 1’11 take you up on your offer.” Qin Lang nodded politely, anticipation shining in his eyes.

He also wanted to see just how good the Food Recommender who was said to excel in cooking fish dishes, actually was.

During lunch, both host and guest were greatly entertained.

Zhou Qing, who had spent a lifetime cooking fish dishes, naturally wasn’t lacking in skill.

More importantly, his culinary style embodied many local cooking methods and philosophies of the Food Spirit World.

The cooking styles of the two worlds could not be judged as better or worse than the other, but each had their own distinctive characteristics honed through long-term development.

Therefore, tasting Zhou Qing’s dishes greatly stimulated Qin Lang.

“Grandpa Zhou, I will take my leave now.”

After the meal, Qin Lang’s addressing of Zhou Qing had become more affectionate.

“Alright, feel free to drop by any time.” Zhou Qing said with a smile.

The exchange at the dining table had not only impacted Qin Lang, but also him.

Every insight from this insightful young man always brought him fresh perspectives.

“I look forward to seeing you at the cooking competition in a week.”

“I definitely will.” Qin Lang nodded and left Zhou’s house.

During lunch, Zhou Qing had relayed some information about other Food Recommenders to him.

Although it was just some general precautions that did not delve into any secrets, it still gave him more confidence in obtaining the other two Food Recommender badges.

As for how to get the Food Recommender badges next, he already had a plan.

Zhou Qing watched Qin Lang leave and slowly withdrew his gaze.

“Father, what place do you think he will take in the city-level cooking competition in a week?” Zhou Yun already took it for granted that Qin Lang would successfully get the three badges.

The eleven First-Level Food Recommenders were also the eleven final judges in the city-level cooking competition.

Zhou Qing must have made an accurate judgment of Qin Lang’s capabilities.

“What rank?” Zhou Qing shook his head, “Competition rankings involve elements of luck. If the assigned task does not fit one’s strengths, it is difficult to fully unleash their abilities; I can’t say for sure.”

“But one thing I can assure.”

“In no time, you will see him in the provincial-level events..”