BXBX NOVEL Chapter 98 - 98: Cold Dish
[Liao Ning has so many scenes. The organizers are so considerate!]
[Of course. After all, Liao Ning is the best!]
[The organizers are quite discerning. They know who cooks the best.]
[I think Yu Ni, who’s next door, is doing well too.]
As numerous citizens couldn’t witness the competition firsthand at the venue, they eagerly huddled around the official livestream of the food competition. However, as the officials hadn’t activated sensory sharing mode, everyone could only watch the scene unfold with a tinge of regret, unable to savor the fragrant aromas of the dishes.
After six hours of diligent work, Liao Ning had already prepared six hot dishes and a main course. She now had four cold plates and a soup left to complete. Her plan was to start with the cold plates.
Examining the ingredients thoughtfully arranged by the production team, Liao Ning’s eyes lit up with delight when she discovered that the mushrooms and dried tofu had been pre-soaked. Encouraged by this, she decided to prepare a dish of marinated dried tofu with mushrooms and cucumber.
After washing the cucumbers, she gently tapped them with the blade before slicing them into pieces. Then, she retrieved a clean bowl for the seasoning sauce. In the bowl, she combined minced garlic, chili flakes, white sesame seeds, two generous spoonfuls of hot oil, salt, white sugar, MSG, raw soy sauce, and vinegar. Finally, she briefly blanched the mushrooms and dried tofu in boiling water for a minute, then scooped them out and added them to the bowl with the cucumbers. Carefully mixing everything with the seasoning sauce, Liao Ning arranged the dish beautifully, sealing it with plastic wrap before placing it in the incubator.
Next was the jade bamboo shoots.
She peeled the outer skin of the green bamboo shoots and marinated them with a spoonful of salt for ten minutes. After rinsing off the marinade, she created a four-centimeter hole in the middle of each bamboo shoot, threading them through to give them the appearance of twisted dough.
Once styled, she immersed the bamboo shoots in a pot of boiling water for 40 seconds, then swiftly transferred them to a bowl of cold water to cool. In a separate pan, she heated oil and added segments of onion and chili peppers, frying them until golden brown before removing them. Drained and cooled, the bamboo shoots were seasoned with garlic, salt, chicken essence, and the fried onion-infused oil. With careful precision, she arranged the shoots neatly on a pristine white porcelain plate, sealed it with plastic wrap, and set it aside.
The third dish was a lemon-infused shrimp.
For this particular creation, Liao Ning sourced lemons provided by the production team. The sight of the golden, plump lemons made her mouth water involuntarily. She could already anticipate the tangy sourness that would elevate the dish.
After thoroughly washing the freshwater shrimp, she removed the shell, shrimp head, tail, and thread, retaining only the succulent meat for cooking. The broccoli was also cleaned and separated into small florets. Corn pieces were prepared by cutting the kernels, while the cucumbers were flattened and sliced.
Liao Ning assembled the cooked shrimp, broccoli, corn, and cucumber slices in a bowl.
Next, she added chili powder, fresh minced chili, white sesame seeds, minced garlic, and finely chopped onions to the bowl. Pouring in hot oil, she incorporated vinegar, soy sauce, oyster sauce, and a hint of white sugar. Finally, Liao Ning squeezed the juice from two lemons into the mixture, ensuring all the ingredients were evenly coated.
[What is Liao Ning doing?]
[I know this. She’s preparing a cold dish. I’ve seen Zhu Fei make something similar before.]
[Zhu Fei, that name sounds familiar.]
[You have a short memory, my friend. It’s that food livestreamer who was involved in child abuse not long ago.]
[Now that you mention it, I recall. They truly deserve the consequences.]
The staff overseeing the official livestream were caught off guard by Liao Ning’s decision to create a seemingly ordinary cold dish, and the mention of Zhu Fei by Star Web users caught them by surprise.
Nervously monitoring the live comments, the staff swiftly deleted any potentially troublesome remarks to maintain a peaceful livestream environment.
Liao Ning remained unaware of the happenings in the livestream as she focused on preparing the final cold plate.
The fourth dish was lemon-infused shredded chicken.
She blanched the cuckoo bird leg meat in a pot and delicately tore it into thin strips. The remaining lemons were sliced and placed in a bowl, ready to accompany the shredded meat.
In a clean bowl, Liao Ning combined chili noodles, minced garlic, sesame seeds, raw soy sauce, vinegar, oyster sauce, white sugar, spring onions, and coriander to create a flavorful seasoning sauce.
Finally, she poured the sauce into the bowl of shredded chicken drumstick and stirred it thoroughly.
Liao Ning carefully sealed the last cold plate with plastic wrap and placed it in the incubator. After a brief rest, she began preparing the final soup.
Observing Liao Ning from below the stage, Zhou Ling’s heart ached as he watched her toil, drenched in sweat. He longed to step forward and assist her in completing the remaining dishes. However, the rules of the finals strictly stipulated that only the contestants could complete the cooking process alone..