I Am A Gourmet: Just Eight And You Want Me To Start A Roadside Stall? Chapter 103 – Recording Variety Show

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

'As soon as he landed, there were many long range and short range cameras aimed at him.

'When he arrived at the hotel, he washed up and rested for a while. In the afternoon, Xu Le adjusted his mood and joined in the program recording.

The guests walked up to him and waved at him, but there were also people who directly passed him.

Zhang Liang asked curiously, “Who are the guest judges?”

Xu Le was used to it and replied, “It's me.”

The tall man in front of him lowered his head and said, “Eh? You're still a child. They said they invited a special guest who cooks very well. Is that you?”

It was unclear if he was really puzzled or if the program's effect was intentional, but Xu Le said in a neither servile nor overbearing manner, “It's me.”

Immediately, two or three people burst out laughing.

“How can a child like you know how to cook?”

“Don't joke around, time is of the essence. Where is the guest?”

“[heard from the production team that he's a very good cook. Child, what's your name? Can you even reach the potware?”

Xu Le replied calmly, “I can and I know how to cook.The temporary guest was invited here to promote Chinese dishes.”

With these words, he directly made the adults in front of him silent.

“Yo, are you that awesome?”

One of the female guest looked at the adorable Xu Le in disbelief and said, “Come, let Big Sister hug you.”

Xu Le took a step back and rejected her mercilessly. “No need, thank you.”

Seeing him acting like a little adult, the guests looked at each other. No one believed that Xu Le really knew how to cook and walked forward while laughing.

They did not forget to introduce the rules. “We are going to open a restaurant to earn money. Little kid, do you often go to restaurants with your parents?”

“Do you know how to order? Can you differentiate all kinds of vegetables?”

“What's your name? How old are you?”

Xu Le was slightly speechless as they threw out one boring question after another, but he still patiently and politely answered them.

“Not often.”

“I can differentiate all of them. I'm a chef.”

“Xu Le, eight years old.”

No matter what he said, he had a serious expression on his face. This formed a huge contrast between his face with his age. He instantly stimulated the female guest's overflowing maternal love.

“Oh my god, so cute!”

“Xu Le, you can ask me if you have any questions later. I should be able to teach you.”

“We're going to cook Chinese dishes today. The menu still lacks an unknown dish that can suppress the situation. Can you help us complete it?”

It was “help” and not asking him to make it. Xu Le knew that these people were still doubting whether he could cook.

'As soon as he entered the kitchen, he rolled up his sleeves and washed his hands. Then, he put on the chef's hat and apron according to the steps and said, “Please let me take a look at the menu. Um, do you have any requirements for the finale dish?”
“on”

Zhou Huangya pointed at the menu on the wall and said, “We are making potato stewed with pork ribs, cola chicken wings, garlic stir-fried romaine lettuce, and the others have the prices all marked at the back.”

“That's right.” Another female guest interrupted. “The most important thing now is to make a dish that can be sold for 300 yuan per serving. This is the rule set by the program team today.”

Xu Le checked the fridge and found no rare ingredients. He hesitated for a moment before pointing at the duck in the fridge. “Is this newly bought today?”

“That's right.”

Looking at Xu Le's expression of professionalism, the few guests gradually developed a sense of trust in him. Zhou Huangya asked, “What do you plan on cooking?”

Xu Le snapped his fingers and said with a determined look, “There's duck meat and yam. It's simple, I've already thought of it.”

“Lplan to make one dish: Crispy Yam Duck.”

Zhang Liang raised his eyebrows and said, “This is a famous dish from Guangxi. It has previously been used to host foreign guests from many countries, but… the failure rate is extremely high. I have tried many times at home and used all kinds of methods. In the end, I still failed to make it.”
“Because the procedures are complicated, and particularly stringent, and the failure rate is very high, it's very difficult to see them in restaurants now.”

“Is it that difficult?”

Zhou Huangya had never heard of it before. She hesitated and said, “Why don't we replace it with another dish?”

“Yeah, we're about to open for business soon. If some customers order this and we are unable to make it, won't it be awkward?”

“Don't worry, it won't be difficult. I can succeed in one try.”

'The reason why Xu Le had the confidence to say this was because he had already practiced countless times in the system. This dish was indeed easy to fail, but practice made perfect. With more practice, one would be able to grasp the oil temperature, the heat, the oven, and everything else perfectly.
He first prepared the required ingredients and took out a Cherry Valley Duck.

Xu Le took a deep breath and explained, “This dish needs to be made with Cherry Valley Duck because the duck skin has fewer wrinkles and doesn't have the stench of the duck…”

“Eh?” Zhou Huangya continued, “I can still accept the roast duck, but if there's a part of the ducks that hasn't been cleaned properly, there will be a strange odor.”

“That's right. This breed of duck is naturally tasteless. It's most suitable for making Crispy Yam Duck.”

“Regarding the yam, you need to use the yam from Guilin of Guangxi. There is also a lot of emphasis on the choice of yam.”

Xu Le took out a few of them and compared the skin in front of the camera. He said, “You have to choose the yam with a scar on the surface. After cutting it open, you will get a layer of powder on the blade. Only the yams with thick fibers inside can ensure the success of the dish.”
“Oh.” Zhang Liang gradually turned serious as he said, “I didn't expect you to really know how to do it. Could it be that I didn't succeed because I didn't choose the yam properly?”

“Step one, we're going to braise ducks now.”

Xu Le poured the cold water on the duck in the pot and placed the green onions and ginger slices inside.

“After blanching it, the impurities on the surface of the duck skin will be removed, and the stench and grease will be removed. It should be scooped out while it's hot and rinsed under cold water.”

As Xu Le explained, he said, “This way, the surface of the duck skin will be more compact. When it is almost ready, use the kitchen towek to absorb all the moisture on it. Then, you can make the sauce for the duck surface.”
As the steps were cumbersome, Xu Le planned to make many servings in one go. Since they had bought enough ingredients in advance, Zhang Liang, who could cook, rolled up his sleeves and worked with him.
“The main sauce used for the color is dark soya sauce, but the freshness and sweetness are not enough, so white sugar will be added to it. Everyone, based on your own preference to adjust the amount accordingly.”
Xu Le said as he put on his gloves and smeared the sauce on every inch of the duck's skin.

“We need to set it up to dry. At home, if you're not in a hurry, you can wait for it to dry slowly. But we'll use the bellows to shorten the time.”

While he was drying the duck meat, Xu Le placed the yam into the oven.

He said, “I am baking it at 180 degrees for an hour. The amount of moisture in the baked yam will be lower. If it's not convenient to use the oven at home, it's fine to steam in the pot..”

Chapter end