Chapter 94 - Wensi Tofu (1/2)

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

Wensi Tofu was a famous dish that had been around for hundreds of years. It was the pinnacle of Huai Yang Cuisine that required extreme cutting skills. One had to cut the tender and smooth tofu as thin as a strand of hair, which was a great test of the chef’s cutting skills.

Originally, this dish could be made with the tofu from the supermarket, but the final product would not be as good as making it with raw ingredients.

After Xu Le ground the soybeans into soy milk, he removed the bean dregs and poured the milk into the pot to boil.

Li Qing crossed his arms as he watched from the side.

Ever since Xu Le had taught him how to cook imitation crab, he had developed a strange admiration for this child.

The reason why it was strange was because ever since he was young, Li Qing had never thought highly of anyone.

His master, whom he had acknowledged after joining the industry, claimed that he would need two years to finish learning a dish. However, Li Qing managed to cook better than his master in two months.

All these experiences made him proud and arrogant. After Xu Le gave him some pointers, his pride gradually turned into feelings of admiration and reluctance to give in.

Without at least ten years of cutting skills, it was absolutely impossible to cut the Wensi Tofu. Li Qing ordered this dish because he wanted to see with his own eyes whether Xu Le deserved his reputation.

This dish was created by a monk in the past. Monk Wensi had passed down the recipe, so it was naturally named after him.

The raw soybean milk was poured into the pot. He started a small fire and stirred as he cooked, since he was afraid that it would be overcooked. After bubbles appeared on the surface of the soybean milk, Xu Le scooped a bowl of clear water and poured it into the pot. Then, the bubbles slowly disappeared.

The raw soybean milk needed to be boiled repeatedly to ensure that the ingredients were edible.

Lu Yuxi was worried outside and asked Auntie Liu to look after the cashier area while she went into the kitchen.

Auntie Liu was confused. “What’s there to worry about?”

“I’m worried they’ll fight.”

Lu Yuxi knew that Li Qing was a troublemaker and was afraid that he would cause trouble for Xu Le. Unexpectedly, when she entered the kitchen, she saw Li Qing, who was initially full of disdain, standing behind Xu Le and watching him filter the soybean milk attentively. The boiled soybean milk was filtered with a sieve. After filtering the residue inside, the soybean milk was placed aside to cool to about 85 degrees.

At this moment, Xu Le took out a packet of white gluconate and mixed it with a suitable amount of warm water.

Lu Yuxi asked curiously, “What kind of dishes are you planning to cook?”

“Wensi tofu.”

“Oh, oh, I know this dish. You can also make chrysanthemum tofu, right?”

“The method is similar.”

After Xu Le answered, Lu Yuxi had an ignorant expression. She took out her phone and planned to film his cooking process.

Li Qing snorted.

Lu Yuxi immediately rolled her eyes.

After the tofu cooled down, Xu Le picked off the surface of the tofu. There was just nice a square mold in the kitchen. He poured the melted gluconate into it and added the soy milk.

The soybean milk was poured in from midair, and when it landed, it was just enough to completely flush the gluconate evenly.

Xu Le took a metal spoon and carefully removed the foam on the surface.

This step was especially important. Otherwise, there would be pits and holes on the surface of the finished tofu.

Now, he just had to wait for the tofu to cool.

Xu Le took out the chicken that he had specially asked for in the morning from the fridge. Li Qing glanced at the chicken feet and could immediately tell that it was at least three years old.