Gan Lan had cooked a large pot of broccoli, fresh shrimp, and tofu soup. Though it looked like a lot, there wouldn’t be much left once it was distributed. She had no choice but to set aside a large bowl and put it in the temperature-controlled box. After all, if this was an all-shrimp feast, it wouldn’t look good if the dishes were eaten as soon as they were made, leaving only a few types by the time the table was completely set.
Gan Lan wanted to lay out all twelve or so shrimp dishes she made today on the table. She was going to show them how she could use the shrimp they had just picked up to make them cry from craving!
She took a sip of the soup. It contained the fresh scent of broccoli, the savory umami of the shrimp chunks, and the faint, earthy fragrance of tofu. It was light and delicious. The tofu, in particular, had absorbed the savory flavor of the shrimp meat and the fresh scent of the broccoli. It melted in the mouth, leaving a lingering fragrance. It was a simple method but produced an extraordinary taste. Gan Lan’s eyes crinkled into a smile as she took sip after sip.
"This student, Gan Lan, really has a lot of knowledge in her head. She said she was making an all-shrimp feast, and she actually did it. From the looks of it, she’s going to keep going. This is a bit too demoralizing..."
"Today has truly been an eye-opener. How did I never think of such a simple cooking method before? Just thinking about how I’ve lived all these years in vain makes me feel uncomfortable. Some people can really draw inferences from a single instance, but Gan Lan has done far more than that. She’s simply..."
"Then why don’t you think about how many Huaxia series recipes she has created over the past few months? It’s over a hundred, isn’t it? Can you even bring yourself to be jealous of that?"
Chu Yuanyi leisurely drank his soup and took a bite of a fried shrimp. Hearing the discussions among these teachers, he couldn’t help but feel a surge of pride. Once the competition ended, he would have to properly reward Ye Lanyu. It was because of her initial help that Gan Lan was able to shine so brilliantly. Of course, it was mostly because Gan Lan was outstanding enough on her own that Ye Lanyu’s minor effort back then appeared so precious.
Gan Lan set down her bowl and let out a satisfied burp. She needed to make the garlic butter shrimp and then finish the final two dishes. Only then would today’s all-shrimp feast be considered a complete success.
She heated butter in a pan—this time using a skillet—and added the shrimp she had just marinated. She pan-fried them until they changed color, then poured in an appropriate amount of minced garlic. She flipped the shrimp and continued frying. Once they were fully cooked, she took them out of the pan, plated them, and sprinkled black pepper on top. The rich, glossy, and tender-red garlic butter shrimp were done.
"Isn’t this dish very simple? You guys can try a lot of the shrimp I made today. It will definitely be foolproof! I believe in you!" Gan Lan held up the plate of garlic butter shrimp, speaking to the live-stream audience with a delighted expression.
[I’m Here to Learn]: "I’m a little excited right now. My mom has been tasting and commenting on the side, saying that this dish and that dish are far from what the streamer made. Even though she wasn’t very satisfied verbally, the way she looked at me was incredibly proud. It’s the first time I’ve received affirmation from my family. Thank you, streamer. I really appreciate it. You’ve made me confident again."
[Crystal Shrimp Dumplings Are So Fresh]: "If I madly fell in love with shrimp after tasting the heavenly Crystal Shrimp Dumplings for the first time, then after today, I’m more than just crazy about it. I want to grovel at the feet of these ugly-looking shrimp! Plus, I actually managed to successfully make two edible dishes myself today!"
[Anxious and Uneasy Mood]: "Streamer, can these dishes really be used commercially once we learn them? If I learn a few, can I set up a food stall to sell them? I saw the ’available for commercial use’ tag, but I still can’t quite believe it. Is it really true!? Once I set up a stall and make my first pot of gold, I will definitely buy you virtual gifts! Can I owe you for now?"
"All of these dishes can be used commercially. If possible, please label them as products of the ’Huaxia series’ cuisine. I want more people to know about it. If these recipes can improve your lives, then I’m happy for you. However, I still hope you won’t bring shame to the recipes," Gan Lan said. Feeling that wasn’t enough, she added another sentence. "The Credit Points from every video you download on the homepage serve as my compensation, so only give gifts if it’s within your means. Also, I wish you a prosperous business!"
Gan Lan was very happy today. Someone had finally asked this question, and someone was about to put it into practice. Was the day when Huaxia recipes blossomed everywhere still far off? The thought of being able to see all kinds of Huaxia cuisine as soon as she stepped out the door was simply too exhilarating. However, the revolution was not yet successful; Comrade Gan Lan still needed to work hard!
For today’s twelfth dish, she was making garlic vermicelli shrimp. Because she didn’t have vermicelli, Gan Lan used sweet potato noodles as a substitute.
Using scissors, she cut open the sashimi-grade shrimp that had already been deveined. She gently patted the backs of the shrimp with the back of her knife to prevent them from curling when they were steamed later. The softened sweet potato noodles were divided into small portions and rolled up, leaving a hole in the middle where she placed the butterflied shrimp. She moved on to the next one, continuing until the plate was completely filled with noodles and shrimp.
Moving on to the next step, she heated oil in a pan, added an appropriate amount of mashed garlic, and stir-fried it until fragrant. Then, she added light soy sauce, oyster sauce, cooking wine, white sugar, salt, bird’s eye chilies, and clear water, stir-frying everything into a spicy garlic sauce. She drizzled it evenly over the arranged vermicelli shrimp. Once the water boiled, she steamed it over high heat for five minutes before letting it simmer in the residual heat for another two to three minutes.
The enticingly fragrant garlic vermicelli shrimp was done. Gan Lan proceeded to make a second portion while her three senior assistants also eagerly began to try their hands at it.
"Why does it always feel like something is missing when I make it, even with the exact same method? And the texture is still different," Rong Liqun said. After eating one of the vermicelli shrimp he made himself, he tasted one of Gan Lan’s and felt that his texture still couldn’t compare.
"I feel the same way. Even though student Gan Lan was guiding us right next to us, why is the texture still not very satisfying? Though it is pretty delicious, I suppose," agreed Shang Lin, the second beautiful senior assistant.
"This is very normal. You are all Culinary Masters, so you should understand that even with the same dish, the same recipe, and the same technique, the taste can never be completely replicated. Every Culinary Master has their own unique touch. The fact that you managed to make it like this on your very first try is already absolutely perfect," Gan Lan said, nodding approvingly after tasting the garlic vermicelli shrimp made by each of the three senior assistants.
This wasn’t her first time making this garlic vermicelli shrimp. In her original world, she had made it many times. It could be said that she had practiced dozens, if not hundreds, of times just for one dish. For them to make it so delicious on their very first attempt almost made Gan Lan jealous.
"But isn’t this your first time making it too?" Senior assistant Brother Li looked confused. Could it be that because Gan Lan was someone with both talent and genius rolled into one, she could make it so delicious on her first try? He couldn’t quite believe it.
"It’s not my first time making it. I’ve already practiced it in my mind hundreds of times, so I’m quite proficient. As the saying goes, practice makes perfect. If you go back and practice more, you’ll definitely be able to achieve a taste that satisfies you."
The three of them looked at Gan Lan with suspicion. That actually works? They weren’t fools, but they didn’t press the matter. Every dish did indeed require a lot of practice. To achieve such a result on their first try, they were actually quite satisfied. However, compared to Gan Lan, their skills still seemed a bit immature, even though they were the older and more experienced Culinary Masters.
Yet Gan Lan, at such a young age, was so seasoned. It really made people feel a bit...