As Gan Lan walked into the kitchen, she pondered over tonight’s dinner menu. She figured she would choose from the dishes she had made before. However, she hadn’t actually cooked many proper meals, leaving her with few options.
After filtering through the recipes she had made in her head, she came up with a few more that were both simple to make and delicious. Then, she opened her Light Brain, logged onto the Star Network to buy the ingredients, and got to work.
Braised pork belly was definitely a must; it had been a long time since she last had it. She would also stew a lotus root and pork rib soup, steam an egg custard, and make braised fish, minced pork with eggplant, and Kung Pao chicken. Throwing in some blanched greens would round it out nicely.
Seven dishes for three people might seem like a lot, but evolved humans of the future had hearty appetites. It would be just the right amount.
After washing the pork ribs, she blanched them in boiling water. She chopped the lotus roots into chunks and tossed them into the pot together with the ribs, adding an appropriate amount of cooking wine and ginger slices. She set the timer; she would season the soup right before taking it off the stove.
Gan Lan couldn’t help but marvel at how incredibly handy robot assistants were. They could handle all the ingredient prep on their own. All she had to do was cook and season the dishes. It undeniably skyrocketed her efficiency.
She chopped the pork belly into cubes, blanched them, and drained the excess moisture. Heating up a pan with some oil, she tossed in the pork belly and stir-fried it until the fat rendered out. Once the meat turned slightly golden on both sides, she scooped it out.
Next, she added rock sugar to the pan and stirred it gently. Right as the sugar was about to completely melt, she poured the pork back in, stir-frying quickly to coat the meat in a caramelized sheen. She tossed in some scallions, ginger, cinnamon bark, star anise, light soy sauce, and cooking wine.
Once the rich aroma began to waft through the air, she poured some water into the pot, added a pinch of salt, brought it to a boil over high heat, and then turned it down to medium heat to let it simmer slowly.
Taking a cleaned fish, she scored both sides in a crisscross pattern, rubbed an even layer of salt inside and out, and marinated it with cooking wine and ginger slices.
She then mixed the chopped chicken thigh chunks with cooking wine, white pepper, salt, starch, and cooking oil, setting them aside to marinate as well. Lastly, she mixed the minced pork with light soy sauce and salt for its marinade.
"Smells so good!" Gulu, who had been fully immersed in the beauty of dreamy, sparkling desserts, was snapped back to reality by the tantalizing aroma. He noticed the two men sitting in the living room looking at their Light Brains but ignored them, heading straight into the kitchen to cozy up next to Gan Lan. "I haven’t seen you make any of these before~"
"There are plenty of things you haven’t seen," Gan Lan replied perfunctorily.
She patted the marinated fish dry and dusted its surface with a thin layer of starch. This starch coating would prevent the skin from breaking when she pan-fried it later. Of course, another way to keep the fish skin intact was to coat it in a layer of egg wash.
She heated some oil in the pan, sprinkled in a bit of salt, and pan-fried the fish until both sides were a crisp golden-brown. Then, she tossed in ginger, garlic, and bird’s eye chilies to release their fragrance before pouring in boiling water, cooking wine, sugar, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, and oyster sauce. She covered the pot and let it simmer over medium-low heat for over ten minutes.
"Hmph! I’m going to eat some later, too!" Gulu declared. He felt that although these foods weren’t as pretty and sparkling as the desserts, their aroma was absolutely enchanting. Even a robot like him was captivated, let alone the two men sitting absentmindedly in the living room who kept shooting glances toward the kitchen.
Gan Lan cracked a few eggs into a bowl, adding salt and warm water before whisking it all evenly. She passed the egg mixture through a sieve—a crucial step to ensure a silky-smooth custard. Covering the bowl with cling film, she poked a few holes in the top and placed it in the steamer once the water was boiling. It only needed to steam for about ten minutes.
Next up was the Kung Pao chicken. First, she prepared the sauce by mixing salt, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, black vinegar, sugar, ginger juice, minced garlic, white pepper, cooking wine, and starch water in a clean bowl.
She poured some oil into a pan and tossed in Sichuan peppercorns, frying them until their numbing fragrance was released before scooping them out. She added the marinated chicken thigh chunks, stir-frying until they changed color. Then, she tossed in dried chilies and scallion segments to release their aroma. She poured the pre-mixed sauce into the pan, stirring over high heat until it thickened. Finally, she tossed in the fried peanuts, gave it a quick mix, turned off the heat, and plated it.
A plate of vibrant, reddish-brown Kung Pao chicken was complete. Looking at the finished dish, Gan Lan swallowed hard. She hadn’t even been that hungry, but the mouthwatering scent had instantly whetted her appetite. She placed the Kung Pao chicken into a temperature-controlled box to keep it from getting cold.
By this time, the savory aroma of the fish had grown intense. She lifted the lid; the fish was ready. Transferring it to a fish platter, she drizzled the remaining savory broth from the pan over it. A plate of gorgeously braised fish was done.
Completing each delicious dish filled her with an overwhelming sense of accomplishment.
She plated the braised pork belly and placed it in the temperature-controlled box along with the fish. Next, she started on the minced pork with eggplant and the stir-fried leafy greens.
She cut the eggplant into strips and coated them in a layer of starch. She fried them in hot oil until they changed color, then scooped them out. Leaving a little base oil in the pan, she added the marinated minced pork, along with chopped scallions, ginger, and bird’s eye chilies. She stir-fried the meat until browned, then tossed the eggplant back in. Seasoning it with light soy sauce, oyster sauce, sugar, and salt, she mixed everything evenly before drizzling in some starch water. Once the sauce boiled and thickened, she plated it.
She drizzled some light soy sauce and sesame oil over the freshly steamed egg custard and garnished it with chopped scallions, completing a plate of golden, silky-smooth egg custard. Following that, she swiftly stir-fried the leafy greens, resulting in a vibrant, fragrant, and visually appealing dish.
"Gulu, serve the rice. Four bowls, please. And grab the utensils, it’s time to eat." Gan Lan lifted the lid off the lotus root and pork rib soup, met with a burst of savory fragrance. She seasoned it with a touch of salt and ladled it out.
Gan Lan had the robot carry the soup bowl while she carried the temperature-controlled box to the dining table, taking out the freshly cooked dinner one dish at a time.
"Dean, Mr. Liang, thank you for waiting. Dinner is ready~" Gan Lan introduced each dish as she placed it on the table. "This is braised pork belly, braised fish, egg custard, Kung Pao chicken, minced pork with eggplant, stir-fried lettuce, and lotus root rib soup."
The two men sat at the table, nodding occasionally as they listened to her introductions. Their eyes were glued to the mouthwatering array of delicacies that made their mouths water.
"This is truly a feast!" Chu Yuanyi accepted the bowl of lotus root and pork rib soup from Gan Lan. He took a gentle sniff and couldn’t help but nod. He was very fond of light, savory soups like this. Scooping up a spoonful, he blew on it and took a sip. "Fresh and fragrant! It tastes wonderful."
Liang Cong nodded in agreement; Gan Lan’s culinary skills were simply beyond reproach.
"I’m going to take a photo to show off!" Gan Lan opened her Light Brain, picked up a piece of braised pork belly with her chopsticks, and held it near her mouth. Smiling brightly, she flashed a peace sign with her left hand. Behind her, the Dean, Mr. Liang, and even Gulu cooperatively threw up peace signs of their own.
CLICK.
The frame froze.
Gan Lan pulled up the photo and admired it repeatedly, a satisfied smile on her face. She sent the picture to the Foodie Group to share with her friends, mainly just to make them jealous.
Then, feeling slightly wicked, she posted it on her account’s forum: [Image] [Having dinner with my teachers. I’m doing great, no need to worry ^^]
Once she was done, she finally started eating. Although the Dean and Mr. Liang looked refined and elegant, their eating speed was astonishingly fast yet graceful. Before long, half the food was gone. If she didn’t start eating now, there might not even be a drop of sauce left for her. She had no choice but to join the battlefield at the dining table.
Not long after, the two teachers, having eaten their fill, took their leave. They left Gan Lan alone, sighing as she stared at the squeaky-clean plates. She... hadn’t eaten enough.
"Gulu, why did you eat so much? Don’t forget, you’re a robot! A little taste would have been enough, but you snatched up the food so fast! It’s all your fault that I’m still hungry!" Gan Lan wanted to weep but had no tears. She had cooked so much, yet she hadn’t gotten enough to eat. Feeling wronged, she aggrievedly took out a zongzi and started munching on it.