Chapter 13: The Making of the Golden Fragrant Ring (Middle Part) _1

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After hearing the words, Wo Wo, Candy Roll, and Golden Fragrant Ring, three types of pastries, Nian Bing couldn't help but be intrigued. He had heard of two of them, the Candy Roll and Golden Fragrant Ring were renowned snacks, but very few could properly control the heat and make them well. However, what exactly was this Wo Wo? Since Ming Yuan was known as the Wonderful Chef King, he was presumably adept at intricate cooking methods, so if there's a chance, Nian Bing would definitely have to ask him how to make Wo Wo.

Xue Jing thought for a moment and said, "Uncle Ming, I want to eat the Golden Fragrant Ring, you know, it's my absolute favorite. Why don't you teach me how to make it, what do you say?"

Ming Yuan pretended to look frightened and said, "You? Let's forget about that unless your father agrees to let you burn the Qingfeng Vegetarian Restaurant's kitchen, then I'll teach you. Otherwise, your uncle still wants to live a few more years and make you tasty treats several more times. But, let me tell you, although the Golden Fragrant Ring is crispy and richly flavored with oil, it's quite oily which isn't very good for the skin."

Xue Jing giggled and said, "I don't eat it every day, it's okay to have it once in a while, right?"

Ming Yuan stood up and said, "Well, follow me then, Uncle will make it for you now, we have everything we need anyway."

Xue Jing gently smiled, leaned into Ming Yuan's ear and whispered something. After listening, Ming Yuan furrowed his brows, his gaze landing on Nian Bing who was not far away. He thought for a moment and said, "You little troublemaker, always causing problems for me. But like I said, I'll do it once, how much he can learn is up to him."

Xue Jing happily said, "I knew you're the best, Uncle."

Ming Yuan chided her, "Just make sure you haven't been charmed by that pretty-boy. You're too much!" After saying this, he lead the way towards the kitchen.

Nian Bing noticed that Ming Yuan shot him a glance as he was leaving, a warning look in his eyes. Could it be that what Xue Jing had whispered in his ear earlier was about him? Just as he was thinking about this, he suddenly heard Xue Jing say, "Nian Bing, come here and help Uncle Ming." At her words, all the chefs focused their eyes on Nian Bing, their faces full of curious expressions. It's well known that the Wonderful Chef King, Ming Yuan, values his privacy when cooking, never allowing others to watch. With Xue Jing's call, it was clear she meant for Nian Bing to learn how to make the Golden Fragrant Ring from him.

Nian Bing stood up, pointing to his nose and said, "Miss, are you calling me? I'm just a wood chopper!"

Xue Jing glared at him and said in annoyance, "Just come over when I ask you to, why all this nonsense? Hurry up."

With no other choice, Nian Bing walked over to Xue Jing's side, lowering his voice to ask, "What are you up to?"

Xue Jing flashed a faint smile, saying, "Consider it repayment for the slap to your face. Let me tell you, countless people want to learn Uncle Ming's masterful skills, this opportunity is truly rare. You must strive diligently, if you can learn even a fraction, you will always have a living. If you train well, I will ask Uncle Ming to transfer you from the woodshed to the kitchen."

Nian Bing stared curiously at Xue Jing. This fiery-tempered young girl, it seemed, had her lovely aspects too.

Xue Jing's face turned slightly pink as she pushed Nian Bing, "Hurry up. Don't get the wrong idea. You accompanied me for half the day yesterday and got hit by me, it is just a little compensation. Besides, in the future, maybe I will still need your help."

Even as the two of them were talking, they already entered the kitchen. Qingfeng Vegetarian Restaurant, as its reputation suggested, had a kitchen that spanned thousands of square meters. Although vast, it was neatly arranged with various ingredients and not a shred of mess, a clear sign that it was meticulously maintained. All kinds of kitchen utensils were neatly arranged. Xue Jing, leading Nian Bing towards the back of the kitchen, said: "Uncle Ming doesn't usually cook personally, only important guests get to taste his personally prepared dishes. Of course, I am the exception."

Ming Yuan's cooking area was shielded by a ring of curtains, clearly wanting to prevent anyone from seeing his cooking process. Nian Bing shook his head in disbelief, why were these famous chefs so stingy? How could the art of cooking flourish this way?

Xue Jing and Nian Bing lifted the curtains and entered Ming Yuan's private cooking space of around twenty square meters. Ming Yuan glanced at them and said coldly to Nian Bing, "I am only doing it once. Be quick to observe. How much you learn depends on yourself." As soon as the words ended, his hands started moving.

Ming Yuan's left hand quickly reached towards a clean empty basin on one side, while the other scooped about a pound of flour into the basin. Simultaneously, his left hand scooped a shallow spoonful of water from the other side, pouring it slowly into the flour. His hands were performing different actions without any confusion. Nian Bing was familiar with this renowned technique used in the culinary world, called 'Double Hand Technique', which required focused handling. Ming Yuan's right hand reached into three white condiment boxes and added some white powder into the flour. Casually he said, "Warm water, mix in some salt, soda and a small amount of alum. This is the basic." His hands swiftly finished their tasks and returned the tools to their original positions. Both hands plunged back into the basin to stir quickly. In the blink of an eye, the previously scattered flour and seasoning turned into a dough.

Nian Bing was clear that the addition of what ingredients was secondary, the most important part was the addition quantity. The kneading technique was also crucial. The wrist must be powerful and the kneading direction sequence could lead to different final products. Even though the preparation of Golden Fragrant Ring was just beginning, Nian Bing had already gained insight. Nodding inwardly he thought 'A master indeed is a master. It was not a mistake to come to Qingfeng Vegetarian Restaurant.'

The speed of Ming Yuan's hands increased, the dough constantly reshaping, now a long strip, then a flat slice, with no breaks in-between. Any average chef would need to rest for an hour and a half after kneading the dough for the Golden Fragrant Ring before continuing the process. The reason Ming Yuan was constantly kneading the dough was that he wanted to skip this resting phase. This required superb skills and an understanding of the perfect blend of flour and a few kinds of seasoning. In just accomplishing this step, Ming Yuan demonstrated that the title 'Wonderful Chef God' was not unfounded.

Finally, after approximately quarter of an hour, the dough was shaped into an oval on the chopping board. Ming Yuan appeared very calm, as if the ten-minute extensive kneading did not affect him at all. He glanced at Nian Bing and said, "Watch carefully, the next part is the key." As he spoke, he lit the stove with a flint, mounted a clean iron pan over it, and poured in half a kettle of oil.

A thick rolling pin about a metre and a half long was in his hand. With a few simple movements, the dough on the chopping board turned into a flat piece. The subsequent actions were very quick. Clearly, Ming Yuan did not want Nian Bing to learn too much from him. A small knife specifically used for making dough food was taken in his hand, the flashing knife sliced the flat dough into even long strips of about two inches wide. The dough was placed on the board, one hand pressed on its end, the other hoisted the other end of the dough, stroking it into a long flat strip, about two inches thick. Then cut the strip into pieces about one and a half inches wide. Each pair of pieces stacked and a knife cut in the middle, Nian Bing noticed; it wasn't cut through completely, leaving a little attached on both sides. By this time, the oil was heated up to medium heat.

Ming Yuan's right hand swiftly gestured, the half-finished Golden Fragrant Rings slid gracefully into the pot. A pair of chopsticks arose from nowhere, landing in his left hand. The chopstick prodded the center of the dough submerged in oil and lo and behold, it turned into a round ring, resembling a bracelet. Directed by the chopsticks, it kept flipping continuously. His other hand was not idle either, one after the other, Golden Fragrant Rings continuously floated into the pot. Xue Jing hurriedly fetched the dishes while the golden rings kept coming. The aroma filled the room, tempting one's appetite. After the tenth uniformly-sized Golden Fragrant Ring was scooped out, Ming Yuan stopped his actions. As he covered the stove to extinguish the fire, he said to Xue Jing, "Jingjing, have a taste. See if your uncle's craftsmanship has declined."

Xue Jing giggled and said, "Uncle Ming's skills are the best. How could he regress? Ah, Nian Bing, you..."