Food Stall: Customers Chase Me across the Country

Chapter 594 - 567: Epiphany—Golden Legend Level Yubei Boiled Fish!

This was Wang Fan’s first attempt at making Wudu Boiled Fish, and he was a bit worried whether the fish was cooked properly. Despite the fresh aroma telling him it was the scent only cooked fish could emit, he still had to taste it to test the seasoning, didn’t he?

Picking out a piece of fish from the heap of chili and Sichuan pepper with disposable chopsticks, the translucent fish slice was lifted up, adorned with some bits of seasoning, which did not detract from its appearance but rather enhanced the appetite.

At that moment, everyone’s eyes were fixed on Wang Fan.

They watched him lift the fish slice, watched as the oil wrapped around it dripped off, the pale yellow oil forming droplets, caught by Wang Fan with a bowl.

They watched him open his cavernous mouth and eat the fish slice that was meant for these diners!

"You bastard, put down that fish slice! Even if you are Boss Wang, you can’t snatch our food!"

"Make it yourself at home if you want to eat! If you eat one more slice, one of us gets to eat one less bite. That’s a crime!"

"Put down that fish slice, come at me if you dare, you bastard!"

Many diners roared loudly in their hearts, with grins on their faces and drool dripping from their mouths, but their hearts were bleeding.

Can’t imagine how delicious this slice of fish must be!

It’s really embarrassing to say, this is one of the famous dishes of Wudu, yet it was made so well by an outsider visiting Wudu for the first time. This quality looks so much better than those we usually eat!

You’d think there’s a huge difference in ingredients? Impossible. Boss Wang used grass carp fished out from the pond by Brother Gang earlier.

Influencer filter effect? Sure, some are Boss Wang’s fans, but definitely not all. But there wouldn’t be anyone who thinks this boiled fish isn’t delicious.

It’s about attitude!

From the very moment Boss Wang touched the knife, you could feel this chef was different from other chefs. Others treat cooking as a job, while Boss Wang has genuine passion from the heart.

His movements were actually slow and very meticulous, but because each step was too precise and spot-on, it gave the illusion of speed.

One of Huaxia’s top ten chefs, Master Lin, once said, "A work-oriented chef wanting to improve needs to slow down, to slowly understand the science of ingredients, to slowly understand the art of cooking, to slowly comprehend the aesthetics of Huaxia—color, aroma, taste, and form—and to gradually absorb this understanding; it is not that you don’t learn, but that you lack the motivation to learn."

Wang Fan never met Master Lin nor heard this saying, but he was already well along this path.

As the saying goes, interest is life’s best mentor. When someone is obsessed with something, when they’re so busy with this thing that they never tire, they possess the potential to become a master in that field; what might be missing is just an epiphany.

An epiphany is not instantaneous nor baseless; it is the transformation triggered when quantitative changes accumulate to a certain extent, facilitated by an opportunity.

Wang Fan has never stopped learning and practicing; often, he even dreams of cooking. First, he spent three days crafting a high-demand dish requiring precise heat and care—Buddha Jumps Over the Wall—and then he immediately made a seemingly simple dish that nonetheless required demanding heat, marinade, and proportions—Boiled Fish—which suddenly led him to an opportunity for epiphany.

The fish slice in his mouth was soft, fresh, locked at the perfect maturity, without a hint of dryness, never forming garlic clove-like chunks, perfectly thin yet substantial, preserving its tender slide while giving the sensation of eating meat.

As the oil was poured, the generous amount along with the heap of Sichuan pepper and chili gave a bold appearance like a waterfall cascading down, yet when the fish soaked in oil was fished out and placed in the mouth, it bore no trace of greasiness, undeniably oily but not greasy.

A thin layer of bean starch served as the decisive touch.

Compared to the fish, bean starch’s ability to absorb flavor was much stronger, and it was precisely this thin layer of bean starch that perfectly absorbed the chili, Sichuan pepper, and salt flavors, being so closely bonded with the fish meat that distinguishing it as a separate paste was impossible, giving the illusion that the fish entirely absorbed the flavor.

Mainly, due to simplified marination, not a hint of the grass carp’s natural freshness was lost, with the mildly charred aroma of peppers and Sichuan peppers perfectly complementing the fish’s freshness.

Don’t be misled by the abundant oil and countless chilies and Sichuan peppers; this dish perfected to such an extent is, in fact, all centered around the original taste of the fresh fish. If the condiments steal the show, it can never be considered a success.

"Ding, congratulations to the host for creating a Golden Legendary Cuisine using a standard recipe."

"Congratulations to the host for stepping into a new realm—Half-Step Master."

"This achievement has no reward, but I hope the host can stay true to his heart, continue pursuing the pinnacle of culinary arts, and enjoy this journey. Amidst the advancement in professional cooking, there are also sights to delight in along the way."

Wang Fan merely smiled about the lack of rewards, but he was very satisfied with his title of Half-Step Master.

He felt that compared with those masters, indeed, he had a gap to bridge, but he was neither prone to undervaluing himself as ordinary, as that would undermine the effort he’d put in all along.