Siheyuan: Tanjia Cuisine He Daqing, destroying Yi Zhonghai

After removing the feathers, He Daqing began to cut the duck. He handed the knife to He Yuzhu and motioned him to start. He Yuzhu took the knife, took a deep breath, and moved his hands carefully. He knew that cutting a duck must be not only steady but also fast, and the internal organs must not be damaged, and the knife skills must be accurate.

He Daqing watched his son's every move carefully, with a hint of satisfaction in his eyes, but he still did not intend to relax his requirements for his son. "You need to be more stable, and the depth of the knife should be moderate, so as to ensure the integrity of the duck." He instructed slowly, with a serious tone. He adjusted the strength of his hands, feeling a little nervous, but more focused. He knew that his father's eyes were always sharp and any small details would be captured.

Finally, He Yuzhu finished the steps of cutting the duck. He looked up at his father. He Daqing checked it carefully and nodded, "Not bad, your technique is much more stable than before. But remember, you can't be lax in every step of cooking." He Daqing began to prepare the marinade for the duck. This step is the key to determining the taste of the duck. He Yuzhu knew that his father's grasp of the ingredients was always amazingly precise. His father could tell him the amount of each seasoning, the control of time, and even the ambient temperature during marinating.

"Today's weather is a bit dry, so you can add a little more wine in the marinade to help the duck absorb the flavor better." He Daqing said casually while seasoning the duck, his tone revealing his keen perception of natural conditions.

He Yuzhu stood aside, watching his father's every move carefully. His father's seasoning skills were as skillful as ever. He lightly pinched salt, sugar, pepper and other seasonings with his fingers, sprinkled them on the duck accurately, and then massaged them evenly with his hands to let the seasoning penetrate into the duck meat.

He Yuzhu was a little nervous. This delicate seasoning technique was still a challenge for him. He knew that to reach his father's level of perfection, he would need a lot of practice and experience. But he also secretly made up his mind to master these skills as soon as possible and become a truly qualified chef.

After marinating the duck, He Daqing began to prepare for the next step - scalding the skin. This step requires a very high level of duck skin. If you are not careful, the skin and meat will separate, affecting the taste. Watching his father pour boiling water on the duck skin, his movements were smooth and precise.

"Watch carefully, this step is to make the duck skin firmer and tougher, so that when frying, the skin can be crispy and the meat can be tender." He Daqing explained as he operated, his voice steady and powerful.

He Yuzhu was mesmerized by his father's craftsmanship. He knew he still had a long way to go to reach this level, but he was not discouraged. Instead, he became more determined to learn.

After the skin was scalded, the duck was placed aside to dry. He Daqing walked to the stove and prepared for the next step of frying. He turned to look at He Yuzhu with a serious look on his face, "This step is the most critical. The control of the heat directly determines success or failure. You try it."

He Yuzhu got nervous when he heard his father's order. He knew frying was a technical job. If the temperature was not right, the duck would be overcooked or undercooked. He walked to the stove, lit the fire and heated the oil. He stared at the temperature in the pot, and sweat oozed from his palms.

"Don't be impatient, the heat needs to be stable, take your time." He Daqing reminded from the side. Although his tone was stern, it was also encouraging.

He Yuzhu nodded and carefully put the duck into the pan. Oil splattered everywhere and his heart beat faster, but he still tried to stay calm. He held the spatula in his hand, ready to turn the duck over at any time to ensure even heating.

The oil in the pot gradually began to boil, and the color of the duck surface gradually turned golden. The heat was well controlled, but he was still holding his breath and did not dare to relax. He looked at his father from time to time, trying to find some guidance from his father's eyes. He felt a little relieved and reluctant. He knew that this dish was a huge challenge for his son, but he believed that his son had the ability to complete this test. Finally, the duck was almost fried, and He Yuzhu took it out of the pot and put it aside to drain the oil, but he did not dare to relax.

He Daqing walked forward, carefully checked the condition of the duck, and nodded, "The cooking time is good, the duck skin is crispy and the color is even."

He Yuzhu was excited when he heard his father's comments, but he remained calm on the surface. He knew that this was not the final result, and there was still one step to complete, which was to put the duck in the oven for the final baking, which would make the meat inside the duck more tender.

After putting the duck in the oven, He Daqing stood in front of the stove and was silent for a moment. He stared at the duck in the oven, and a complex emotion surged in his heart. This was a dish he was most familiar with, but in the process of guiding his son to operate it, he felt a long-lost sense of responsibility and uneasiness.

He Daqing knows that as a chef, experience and skills are important, but what is more important is a balanced mentality. He looked at the duck gradually becoming golden and crispy in the oven, and his thoughts became more and more complicated. He couldn't help but start to recalculate his investment and methods in the inheritance of culinary skills over the years.

"Am I asking too much of Yu Zhu?" he asked himself silently.

Since He Yuzhu started learning to cook, He Daqing has always used the most stringent standards to require him, because he knows that there is no shortcut on this road, and only rigorous and repeated practice can hone real skills. But today, when he saw his son's nervous look in front of the oil pan, he had a little doubt in his heart: Is his strictness making his son lose the fun of cooking? He thought of He Yushui's innocent smile, and then compared it with He Yuzhu's nervous and focused expression, and the uneasiness in his heart became stronger.

"Yuzhui, let's talk." He Daqing said suddenly, his tone less harsh than usual and more fatherly and concerned.

He Yuzhu raised his head and saw his father's expression, and his heart moved slightly. He noticed that his father's mood seemed a little different today, but he still nodded, put down the spatula in his hand, and walked to his father.

"Dad, what's wrong? Did I do something wrong just now?" He Yuzhu felt a little nervous, fearing that his father would be dissatisfied with his performance.

He Daqing shook his head and looked at his son deeply. "You did very well, really well. But I want to ask you, Yuzhu, do you feel happy learning to cook these days?"

He Yuzhu was stunned for a moment. He didn't expect his father to ask such a question. He was silent for a moment, lowering his head to think about how to answer. He knew his father's expectations and knew that this road was not easy, but he did feel pressure during this period of time, and sometimes even felt a little tired.