As Zhang Wei closed his eyes in meditation, the bald, muscular man sprang into action!
A three-meter diameter cauldron brimmed with boiling water, beneath which orange-yellow flames danced.
"Heh heh, the flames are still too small!"
The bald man flipped open his backpack and pulled out dozens of sections of crystal-clear wood.
"Yu Chai!"
The tall judge exclaimed, "It's Yu Chai!"
"What's that? Jade that burns? Or wood like jade?"
The tall man said, "No, it's a very precious type of tree that grows on the legendary land of no smoke – the Forbidden Fire Platform!"
"That's a continent full of various oils. All the animals that survive there store thick layers of fat, making their meat extremely greasy. Due to health concerns, it's not a prime source of quality ingredients!"
"Yu Chai is the wood that grows there. Its density is extremely high, causing it to sink immediately in water."
"One must be extremely cautious when cutting it. Otherwise, the heat generated by the collision of the wood and the axe could ignite the Yu Chai, causing a very serious fire and explosion!"
"After felling, it needs to be wrapped in heat-insulating cotton and transported with care. Moreover, there are countless ferocious beasts on the Forbidden Fire Platform, which is why Yu Chai is so rare!"
The bald man chuckled upon hearing this, "No, this isn't ordinary Yu Chai, but the most elusive grade 97# gasoline type! Even I don't have much of it in stock!"
Normal Yu Chai belongs to the grade 0# diesel type, which is relatively safer. It doesn't necessarily burn upon contact with an open flame and requires an igniter with a lower ignition point.
The gasoline type, however, is different. It burns rapidly and has a very low ignition point, capable of producing explosive heat with just a spark, akin to a bomb.
The gasoline type is further divided into grades 92, 95, and 97, with 97# burning the fastest!
The bald man put on his anti-static gloves and split one of the pieces. The wood was crystal clear as if soaked in oil. With a firm squeeze, the Yu Chai proved incredibly brittle, and the bald man's rubber gloves were covered in wood chips.
With a casual wave, the wood chips met fire.
A booming expansion of flames erupted, as if an explosion had occurred beneath the stove!
Even the orange flames turned blood red!
The excess heat evaporated the water, and thick white mist billowed up. The bald, muscular man laughed heartily and, with a flip of his wrist, slit the boneless black chicken's throat to draw its blood.
Centrifugal force and surging airflow converged, causing the boneless black chicken's feathers to fly off!
High-temperature steam defeathering!
It was more hygienic than boiling and better preserved the freshness of the ingredients!
In addition to the boneless black chicken, the bald man had also prepared duck, goose, crane, eagle, stork, falcon, and six other types of fowl!
Then, the bald man flicked his wrist, his palm coated with highly viscous honey, which he rapidly rubbed onto the poultry. Combined with the steam, the fine downy hairs were also quickly dealt with!
The plump judge exclaimed loudly, "Excellent craftsmanship!"
"Using high-temperature steam to open the pores of the poultry requires the moments just before death, when the bird is still alive but near its end. Otherwise, the muscles will stiffen, and if the temperature isn't high enough, the skin will clamp the feathers!"
"If it's not removed cleanly, it will inevitably affect the taste!"
"The honey appears to be specially made, much more viscous than ordinary honey, and its viscosity doesn't decrease when exposed to high-temperature steam!"
He brought another pot to a boil, into which he poured sizzling oil.
If Zhang Wei were present, he would have noticed that Morse oil was being used!
This premium condiment was something no excellent chef would forgo, nor would they be so unobservant as to not recognize it.
The bald man took a ladle and poured the boiling oil into the air!
With his other hand, he filled a strainer with spices, mixing them with the rolling oil in mid-air!
Fish maw, star anise, bay leaf, cinnamon, fennel...
Sizzle!
The aroma exploded instantly!