Siheyuan: Tanjia Cuisine He Daqing, destroying Yi Zhonghai

He Yuzhu nodded solemnly. He knew what the master's words meant. This was not only a requirement for his cooking skills, but also a requirement for his conduct. He secretly vowed in his heart that no matter what the future held, he would remember the master's teachings and take every step down to earth.

The next morning, He Daqing got up early and decided to go to the market to buy some fresh ingredients. Although He Yuzhu was responsible for most of the purchases in the courtyard on weekdays, today he wanted to pick some things himself. This was not only for the daily needs of the kitchen, but also for He Yuzhu to experience a new training.

In the market, He Daqing walked through the stalls, scanning the various vegetables, meats, and seasonings. He skillfully picked a few handfuls of fresh garlic and a bag of fine ginger. These ingredients may seem ordinary, but they have special uses in He Daqing's mind.

After returning to the courtyard, He Yuzhu was busy in the kitchen. When he saw the chef coming back with a large bag of ingredients, he quickly put down his work and went to greet him. "Master, why did you go shopping in person today? I was just about to go out."

He Daqing smiled, put the garlic and ginger on the table, and said casually: "Today I want to teach you something new, using these simplest ingredients."

He Yuzhu looked at the garlic and ginger on the table curiously, wondering. They usually use these things as daily condiments. The chef bought them specially today. Is there any special use for them?

He Daqing saw his apprentice's confusion and said, "Xiao Zhuzi, don't underestimate these garlic and ginger. Although they are ordinary, they play a key role in many dishes. Today, I want to let you experience how to influence the taste level of the whole dish by controlling these basic seasonings."

He Yuzhu nodded. Although he was still a little confused, he always took his master's teachings seriously, so he listened attentively.

He Daqing first picked up a garlic, peeled it and handed it to He Yuzhu, "Come, smell the garlic first. You usually use it to cook, and you may be used to its spicy taste, but you have to learn to distinguish the different parts of the garlic and the different ways of cutting it, and how the taste will be different."

He Yuzhu took the garlic cloves and sniffed them. As the chef said, the garlic tasted very strong and spicy. He had used garlic to add flavor to dishes countless times, but this time he deliberately slowed down his movements and savored the garlic carefully. The chef continued, "The taste of garlic is very direct. It is spicy and stimulating when eaten raw, but after different processing, such as slicing, smashing, or even frying garlic, it will have a completely different taste. Your task is to control the flavor of the whole dish through these changes."

He Yuzhu nodded and began to think about how to apply this knowledge in the next cooking. He understood that the master wanted him to learn not only basic techniques, but a deeper understanding of taste.

Then, He Daqing picked up another piece of ginger, cut off a small piece, and handed it to He Yuzhu, "Come, taste the ginger."

He Yuzhu hesitated for a moment, but still put the ginger slice into his mouth. The ginger tasted spicy with a hint of freshness, and the taste was slightly stimulating. He couldn't help but frowned, but soon felt a warm breath spreading in his body.

He Daqing smiled and continued, "Ginger also has a rich flavor. It is fresh and spicy when eaten raw, but if it is cooked, the spiciness will be weakened, and the aroma and warmth will be increased. Learning how to use ginger is the key to making the flavor of dishes even better."

Hearing this, He Yuzhu began to realize that there was so much knowledge contained in these ordinary seasonings. He suddenly felt that his previous understanding was too superficial. He only saw the surface effects of the seasonings, but did not think deeply about how they interacted with each other in the dishes to form complex flavor levels.

He Daqing looked at He Yuzhu's thoughtful expression and nodded with satisfaction. He knew that He Yuzhu had already understood the key, and what was needed next was more practice and continuous attempts.

"Now, I want you to use these garlic and ginger to make a dish that you are good at, but there is a condition - you have to try different cutting methods and cooking methods during the cooking process to see how they will affect the taste of the whole dish." He Daqing proposed a new task with an expectant tone.

He Yuzhu's heart tightened, but he was more excited. He knew that this was a new test from his master, and also a trust from him. He nodded and said in a deep voice: "Master, I will definitely do it with all my heart."

He Yuzhu decided to make his favorite dish, stir-fried lamb with ginger and scallions. He first divided the garlic into several parts, some of which were smashed, some were sliced, and some were kept whole. He also processed the ginger into different shapes, some were sliced, and some were shredded. He had a clear plan in his mind for each processing method.

When he started to fry the mutton, he added the processed garlic and ginger at different time periods. Each time he added them, he would carefully observe the reaction between the mutton and the seasoning, and try to find the difference from the changes in smell and color.

Throughout the whole process, He Yuzhu found that adding crushed garlic and ginger slices at the beginning can make the base flavor of the dish richer, while adding garlic slices and ginger shreds later brings a more refreshing layered feeling. Although it is the same seasoning, the different processing methods and timing of adding it will produce completely different flavors.

When the dish was out of the pot, He Yuzhu brought it to the table. He Daqing also came over and carefully looked at the color of the dish and smelled its aroma. He smiled with satisfaction, "Xiao Zhuzi, you did a good job this time. The flavor is very rich. I can feel that you have a deeper understanding of the use of seasonings."

He Yuzhu was very excited when he heard the master's affirmation. He knew that this was another solid step forward in his culinary career. Although he still had a lot to learn, he was no longer a beginner who only knew basic techniques.

He Daqing looked at He Yuzhu and felt a satisfaction he had never felt before. He knew that this apprentice was gradually growing into his ideal successor. In the future, the He Family Restaurant might usher in new glory because of He Yuzhu's efforts.

But He Daqing did not relax his requirements for He Yuzhu. He continued, "Xiaozhu, remember, there is no shortcut to improving your cooking skills. Only through continuous practice and summary can you truly master the essence of seasoning. Today is just the beginning. In the future, you must practice more and incorporate these techniques into every dish."