Chapter 3 Chapter 2 Famous House Club

"Jingyuexuan" may not be the best restaurant in Yangzhou, but it is definitely the most luxurious restaurant in Yangzhou.The majestic five-story antique-style high-rise is open 24 hours a day and is brightly lit all night.The interior of the restaurant is all made of nanmu, scarlet carpet, shiny black round table, purple sand teapot, crystal clear porcelain bowl, even the chopsticks and toothpicks are made of white jade. Every detail reflects the strong financial resources of the owner of the restaurant, Chen Chunsheng. Since its opening ten years ago, "Jingyuexuan" has never been closed for a minute, but today, for the first time, a "Closed Business" sign was hung at the entrance of the restaurant.

In the luxurious hall on the first floor of "Jingyuexuan", the original dining tables have been cleared away, and a circular stage has been set up in the middle of the hall. To be precise, it should be called a ring.The long-awaited Huaiyang Famous House Gathering will be held in this hall today, and the chefs from the three famous restaurants will also compete in this arena. In front of the arena, there are four seats. On the main seat on the far left, sits a well-dressed middle-aged man. He has a square face, thick eyebrows, and a high expression. Chen Chunsheng, the initiator of Famous Building Club and the owner of "Jingyuexuan".

The half-hundred man sitting on the far right is not tall, with a round face and smiling eyes, he looks very friendly, but he has an extraordinary bearing in his gestures, faintly revealing the demeanor of everyone.This is the owner of "Yixiaotian" who has become famous in Yangzhou's culinary world in recent years: Uncle Xu. The old man next to Uncle Xu was dressed in simple and unsophisticated clothes, with a thin body.He is stroking the three-inch white beard under his chin, calm and relaxed, with an air of indifference to the world. Needless to say, he is naturally the veteran of Yangzhou culinary circles and the owner of "Tianxiang Pavilion" Ma Yun.

Behind them is a circular stand, which has already been crowded with swordsmen from various restaurants in Yangzhou, and there are many people standing in the open space.Xu Lijie and Shen Fei were also among the crowd. The set time was coming soon, and the preparations on and off the stage were also ready, but Chen Chunsheng kept raising his wrist to look at his watch, as if he was still waiting for someone.The still-empty seat next to him proved it. Someone in the stands noticed something and started whispering.With Mr. Chen's past habits and style, only others have always been waiting for him. What kind of person would Mr. Chen sit here and wait for today?

Just as he was guessing, a chubby middle-aged man quickly approached the venue. He was the manager Zhou in the lobby of "Jingyuexuan" who was originally welcoming guests at the door.Manager Zhou walked up to Chen Chunsheng, bent down, and said two words softly: "Here we are." Chen Chunsheng's face showed joy, he stood up immediately, and under the guidance of Manager Zhou, he walked towards the door of the restaurant.There was a small commotion among the spectators. "What is Mr. Chen doing? Is it to pick up someone?" "Who has such a big background, actually wants Mr. Chen to meet him in person?"

"Could it be that this person's status in the culinary world is more prominent than Teacher Ma and Uncle Xu?" Just as everyone guessed, Chen Chunsheng had already led his distinguished guests back to the hall.It was a young man in his twenties, dressed in a white casual suit, with a confident smile on his face, followed Chen Chunsheng all the way to the front of the stage, and then sat in the vacant main seat calmly superior. "Mr. Chen, this is..." Ma Yun looked at Chen Chunsheng with some doubts. "Oh, let me introduce." Chen Chunsheng cleared his throat and pointed at the young man, "This is General Manager Jiang of Beijing Datang Catering Group. Matters concerning the investment branch in Beijing."

Chen Chunsheng spoke loudly, obviously not only Ma Yun wanted to hear it, his words immediately had an effect, and there were voices of surprise and admiration from the audience. "Jingyuexuan is going to open a branch in Beijing?" "Inviting such a guest, it seems that Mr. Chen is determined to win this 'Famous House Fair'." "Hehe, in my opinion, Mr. Chen's vision is not limited to the 'No. 1 building in Huaiyang'." Chen Chunsheng showed a smug expression on his face, but the young man didn't care about the comments from the audience. He nodded politely to Ma Yun: "This is Mr. Ma Yun, right? Mr. Ma is very knowledgeable. I am in Beijing and read I have benefited a lot from your many theoretical books on Huaiyang cuisine."

Ma Yun stroked the gray beard under his chin: "Oh, a little humble opinion, Mr. Jiang is young and promising, he is polite, polite." The young man smiled slightly, then turned to look at Uncle Xu again: "Boss Xu, I ate one of your lion heads yesterday, and it still smells delicious even now!" Uncle Xu waved his hand, and responded with the same polite words: "Hehe, Mr. Jiang is a good cook. You can laugh at me for being a master of cooking." This handsome and extraordinary general manager Jiang is exactly Jiang Shan, the royal chef who appeared in the "Yixiaotian" restaurant yesterday.Although Uncle Xu already knew that he would also come to the "Famous Building Club", he never expected that he would appear in such an identity and manner.

"The world's delicacies belong to Yangzhou, three sets of duck stewed with fish heads. The red building held a feast last night, and the gluttonous people of Kyushu are greedy." Jiang Shan softly recited this quatrain by Mr. Feng Qiyong, looked at Mr. Chen and raised his eyebrows, "Let's start? " Chen Chunsheng nodded to Manager Zhou beside him. Manager Zhou raised his hands and slapped his hands twice. The whole hall was suddenly quiet and silent. I could only hear Manager Zhou saying in a cadenced tone: "The Huaiyang Famous Buildings Fair has officially started, and three chefs are invited to come on stage!"

Everything is in place and everything is at its best. The white chopping board is spotless and cold to the touch.This chopping board is made of high-quality frosted nephrite jade, which is tough and does not hurt the knife. It has absolutely no miscellaneous smell, and has the miraculous effect of keeping fresh for a short time. The gorgeous and bright natural gas stove is authentic imported from France, with 36 small holes and 12 large holes for gas supply, free to adjust the firepower, and a circulating gas system to ensure that the natural gas is completely burned without any possible impact on the dishes. smelly exhaust.

Balsamic vinegar from Zhenjiang, soy sauce from Wang Zhihe, cooking wine from Shaoxing, refined salt from Haining, sucrose from the Pearl River Delta...all the seasonings are from the best producing areas, fresh and mellow, without any impurities. Large and small, all kinds of stainless steel knives are arranged in an orderly manner, with sharp blades and round handles.Each knife is exquisitely designed and has its own purpose, from shaving and boning to peeling and cutting meat. Looking at these things in front of me, even the laziest housewife will be unable to resist the desire to show off her cooking skills. What's more, the people looking at these things are not housewives, they are swordsmen, the three top swordsmen. Peng Hui, Sun Youfeng, Ling Yongsheng.When they were walking on the street, they were just three ordinary people, as ordinary as the big brother next door who drank Laobaigan and chewed peanuts.You glanced at them and never deliberately took a second look. But when they were wearing white kitchen hats and standing in front of the stove, the situation changed completely.Their waists are straight, their wrists are strong and powerful, and their eyes are focused and capable.They are already in the ring, here is the focus of attention, and they are the masters of the focus. Peng Hui on the far left of the ring is tall and thin, with long hands and long legs. Although Sun Youfeng is a head shorter than him, he is tall and handsome, and Ling Yongsheng on the right is the youngest, with the same expression. The most agile.Although the appearance of these three people is different, those who are familiar with them know that the three have a common characteristic: they are not very talkative. They don't need to let others understand themselves through language, because the tools they use to show themselves are the large and small kitchen knives on the table. The moment they picked up the knife, the atmosphere on and off the ring became serious: the competition of the three famous chefs finally started! In addition to the kitchen knife, Peng Hui also had a duck in his hand. This is a net duck.Clean duck means that the duck has been slaughtered, the blood has been drained, and the hair has fallen off, revealing a white and delicate duck body.In Peng Hui's hands, the clean duck looked extremely soft, trembling as if there was only a layer of fleshy skin left. "Boneless and clean duck!" Someone in the audience blurted out, and some spectators who reacted slowly showed stunned expressions.It turned out that the whole body of the duck's bones had been removed. Surprisingly, the duck's body was still basically intact, except for a five-centimeter incision under the duck's neck, which was the only way out of the duck's bones. Peng Hui gently opened the knife edge with the thumb and index finger of his left hand, held the knife in his right hand, and gently trimmed the two ends of the knife edge with the heel of the blade, and cut off a small piece of duck meat. Then he put down the duck in his hand and went to the case. After touching under the stage, he picked up another clean duck. Compared with the previous one, this clean duck has also lost its hair and bones, but it is much smaller, and the incision under the duck's neck is only about three centimeters long.However, judging from the fineness of the bill and paws, it does not look like an immature young duck. "It's just... a wild duck, right?" A dark-skinned young man was speaking. As soon as he said this, everyone around him immediately burst into approbation. red light. Peng Hui on the stage did the same thing first, cutting off a small piece of duck meat at the edge of the knife, and then raised the knife with his hand and lowered it, chopping off a pair of duck feet of the wild duck. After this operation, Peng Hui put the kitchen knife back to its original position, and picked up the previous clean duck. He made a round hole with the edge of the knife under the duck's neck, and stuffed it into the duck's belly first. Some mushrooms, ham, bamboo shoots and other accessories, and then stuffed the wild duck into the round hole.I saw that wild duck was slowly swallowed by the "big mouth" under the neck of the domestic duck bit by bit like a magic trick, first the duck legs, followed by the buttocks, abdomen, breast, and finally the whole body of the wild duck. In the belly of the domestic duck, only the duck head and duck neck are exposed outside the abdominal cavity of the domestic duck.The knife edge under the neck of the domestic duck is still as big as before, and it is tightly hooped around the base of the wild duck's neck. At this time, some experienced swordsmen watching in the audience have already understood Peng Hui's intention of cutting off a piece of duck meat at the edge of the knife: this is to blunt both ends of the edge of the knife, so that when it is opened and stuffed with wild duck, it can be fully utilized. To ensure the toughness of the duck meat tissue, it will not tear at both ends and expand the knife edge. Since Peng Hui did the same to the incision under the wild duck's neck, it means that there is still something to be stuffed into the wild duck's belly.Sure enough, Peng Hui took out another clean bird from under the desk. This bird had a smaller body and a pointed beak, but it was a pigeon. At this time, most of the spectators in the audience already knew that the dish Peng Hui was going to cook was the traditional Huaiyang dish mentioned in Jiang Shan's quatrains just now: three sets of ducks! As early as the middle of the Qing Dynasty, Yangzhou changed the practice of "civil and military duck": half a salted duck and half a fresh duck are stewed together in one pot, one soup with two flavors, which is unique.Later chefs in Huaiyang were inspired by the sentence in Li Yu's "Idle Love Occasionally Sending" "Staying poultry is more expensive than young while ducks are more expensive, and male ducks are more effective than ginseng antlers". They used one pigeon and two ducks with completely different physical properties as raw materials. The pigeon coats the wild duck, and then the domestic duck, which is delicious and has become a famous dish handed down from generation to generation. The key to cooking "three sets of ducks" is the process of deboning the whole poultry. The mediocre ones cut open the belly of the duck to get the bones, which is inferior.The clean duck used by Peng Hui only had a small incision under the neck, but all the bones and internal organs were removed, so some kind of unique secret technique must have been used. Peng Hui's movements were skillful and neat, and after a while, the three birds had been covered layer by layer, leaving only the head and neck exposed outside the duck's cavity.The three bird heads are neatly arranged from big to bottom, as if they were born on the same body. Someone in the audience began to admire softly. It was the first time that Xu Lijie saw such a wonderful cooking skill, and her eyes widened with an expression of concentration and excitement. Ma Yun stroked his beard lightly, nodded with a smile, and seemed very satisfied with his disciple's performance, then he turned his eyes and began to pay attention to the other two people on the ring. The ingredients Sun Youfeng used seemed less complicated than that of Peng Hui. On his chopping board, there was just a single fish.I saw that the fish was very flat, with a medium-sized head, a wide mouth, large and thin scales, and ribbed scales on its abdomen.The head and back are gray, the sides and belly of the body are as white as silver, and the top of the body has a slight blue-green luster. Sun Youfeng pressed the fish's body on the chopping board with his left hand, making it difficult to move, but still flapping its tail from time to time. , The mouth of the fish is also opening and closing, which looks very lively. Sun Youfeng held the knife in his right hand, and the blade stuck to the belly of the fish. With a light pull, the belly of the fish was cut open.After the fish suffered from pain, it struggled fiercely. Sun Youfeng pressed it tightly carefully, but he didn't seem to dare to use too much force, as if he was afraid of breaking every scale on the fish. Seeing this scene, Ma Yun couldn't help changing his face slightly, and someone in the audience saw the clue and blurted out: "Shad!" Anyone who knows fish knows that the most valuable and delicious freshwater fish are shad, saury and whirling fish, which are known as the "three delicacies of the Yangtze River", and this shad is the first among the "three delicacies of the Yangtze River". . Shad is a migratory saltwater amphibious fish, usually living in the sea, but every spring and summer, it enters the river from the sea to lay eggs and reproduce. The name.Because shad mostly feed on zooplankton, the meat is fat, tender, soft and smooth, and the shad that has just entered the river caught in the Huaiyang area every year is the best among shad.This is because shad often accumulate a large amount of fat in the body before entering the river to lay eggs, and stop eating after entering the river to consume body fat to survive. The leaner the fish, the poorer the taste. This characteristic of shad makes the diners full of food, but it brings a near-extinction disaster to the reproduction of its own population.Due to its delicious meat, it attracts a large number of fishermen to fish, and most of the caught fish are adult fish in the breeding season that are about to spawn. This has caused a sharp decline in the number of shad in recent decades, and it is now in an endangered state. .Now it is very rare to catch shad weighing more than two kilograms in the Yangtze River, and the shad on the market is also sold at an astonishingly high price. Now, the shad that Sun Youfeng is using is 50 centimeters long and weighs only 3 kilograms, and it is so fresh that it seems to have been caught not long ago, which is amazing! Ma Yun couldn't help but glanced at Chen Chunsheng beside him.Chen Chunsheng felt Ma Yun's gaze, which was calm on the surface, but secretly proud in his heart.This big shad was caught in Guazhou a week ago, and it looks at least ten years old.When the fish was netted together, it caused a sensation among the local fishermen.Chen Chunsheng operates chain stores across the province, and there are purchasing personnel in branches all over the province. The news immediately reached his ears through these people.He immediately asked his staff to buy the shad at an astonishingly high price, and raised it in low-temperature water to keep it fresh while avoiding the consumption of fat to the greatest extent.This time, Sun Youfeng used this fish as a raw material for the Famous Buildings Fair, just hoping to get an upper hand at the first shot. "Tianxiang Pavilion" uses the three-bird set as the raw material, and the techniques are exquisite. The rare and rare big shad in "Jingyuexuan" is amazing. What kind of raw materials will be used to compete with the chefs of the above two famous restaurants? Ling Yongsheng gave his answer to everyone. On the chopping board in front of him was a piece of tofu. Ma Yun and Chen Chunsheng glanced at each other, and they both frowned slightly. Today, "Yixiaotian" accepted the challenge of the two famous buildings with a reputation of hundreds of years. It really has worked hard and came prepared! In Chinese recipes, tofu is probably one of the most common raw materials.Frying, frying, steaming, deep-frying and boiling are all necessary. You can go to the royal banquet in the palace, and you can go to the grass mat in the countryside.It can be said that although the world is vast, it is extremely difficult to find someone who has never eaten tofu. Because of this, chefs rarely dare to use tofu as a raw material on important occasions: everyone can cook this tofu, and everyone has eaten it, which means that any mistakes in the operation process will be exposed to everyone. under the gaze. Wouldn't it be a terrible thing if anyone was qualified to comment on the dishes you made, and to explain the advantages and disadvantages clearly? What's more, although tofu is common, the technical requirements for cooking are not low at all.Tofu has a light taste and a fishy smell. When cooking, it can be used as a flavor or a flavor; it can be the main or supplementary; cheap can be served with vegetables and radishes, expensive can be served with sea cucumbers and shark fins...the corresponding cooking methods are more There are endless changes, and some people even said: To learn how to cook, you only need to learn how to make tofu. But looking at the culinary world, how many people dare to stand up and say: I have learned how to make tofu? Now, Ling Yongsheng of "Yixiaotian" is going to meet the challenge of "Tianxiang Pavilion" and "Jingyuexuan" with a piece of tofu. Such boldness and confidence are indeed eye-catching. Ling Yongsheng held the kitchen knife in his right hand and stared at the piece of tofu on the chopping board.Tofu is an ordinary ingredient, but this piece is by no means ordinary tofu.The tofu is as white as jade, as fine as curd, when you look at it, you seem to be able to feel its soft taste and faint fragrance.If Ma Yun and Chen Chunsheng knew the materials and craftsmanship used to make this piece of tofu, their current mood would be much more severe. Ling Yongsheng stretched out his left hand and gently pressed it on the piece of tofu. His movements were extremely gentle, as if he was touching the surface of water but he didn't want to cause ripples.Then he closed his eyes and remained motionless, only his chest was still rising and falling slightly. Xu Lijie gave a worried "Hey" and poked Shen Fei beside her with her elbow: "What's wrong with Xiao Lingzi?" Shen Fei put his index finger to his mouth, made a "shush" motion, then shook his head, and pointed to the stage, signaling her to keep silent and continue watching. Some other young and impetuous spectators in the audience made soft comments and guesses at this time, and these voices reached Ling Yongsheng's ears, his ears twitched, and his brows frowned slightly. He didn't move for a long time.It was precisely because he heard these voices from the audience, and the fact that he could hear those voices meant that his heart hadn't been quiet enough, and his spirit hadn't been concentrated enough. So, he can't draw a knife yet! Uncle Xu has been looking at his lover with concern.Ling Yongsheng frowned, and his heart also tugged.He knew that the most important part of the dishes prepared by "Yixiaotian" today is the first step. Although he has confidence in the strength of his apprentice, it is the first time for Ling Yongsheng to deal with such a big scene. If you can't hold your breath, you will inevitably fall short. Time passed by every minute, and the discussion in the audience became louder and louder, but Ling Yongsheng's originally locked brows slowly relaxed.He took a deep breath, and at the same time, veins protruded from the right wrist holding the knife. Uncle Xu had already brought a cup of tea to his mouth, and was about to open his lips to sip it, but his movement stopped in mid-air, his eyes narrowed, and the focus of his sight was fixed on the kitchen knife Ling Yongsheng was holding. The kitchen knife is seven inches long and three inches high. It has a sharp edge and feels heavy to the touch. It is made of high-quality fine steel. Suddenly, a cold light flashed, and the knife was swung out! The shiny blade danced on the white tofu, and every time it jumped, Ling Yongsheng's left hand moved back a little.That movement was so fast, from the audience's point of view, Ling Yongsheng's left hand slid across the whole block of tofu without stopping.The blade seemed to be chasing his fingertips, but it was always missing. In a moment, the blade followed Ling Yongsheng's fingertips to the end of the tofu. Ling Yongsheng retracted the knife and exhaled. It became a pile of extremely thin tofu slices!As soon as Ling Yongsheng drew his sword just now, the audience was silent. Seeing the tofu fall, everyone was about to applaud, but suddenly Ling Yongsheng took a deep breath, shook his wrist, and the light of the knife flashed again. The colorful sound that had not yet been made was immediately forced back. This time the knife came more urgently, and the sound of "duk-duk" when the blade collided with the chopping board was already connected, and it was impossible to distinguish which came first.The tofu seemed to come alive, dancing with the kitchen knife, and the chopping board was like snowflakes.The snowflakes fell bigger and bigger, and finally completely covered the shiny knife light, leaving only a piece of whiteness. Suddenly, the snow stopped, and everything returned to calm. Ling Yong let out a long breath, and a fine layer of sweat oozed from his forehead and the tip of his nose. After the second round of cutting, the tofu on the chopping board seems to be much less.Both sides of the kitchen knife are covered with white tofu. No wonder there was snowflakes flying on the chopping board just now. Ling Yongsheng calmed down slightly, gently raised his right hand, and dipped the kitchen knife covered with tofu into a basin of clear water that had been prepared. Immediately, countless strands of tofu as thin as hairs "swifted" from both sides of the blade. Scattered into the basin, the tofu shreds were white and elegant, like a gorgeous firework blooming in the water. The spectators in the audience only recalled it at this time, and they all exclaimed in unison: "Good!" Uncle Xu let go of his hanging heart.The dish Ling Yongsheng is going to cook today is a "Wensi Tofu Soup". The key to the success of this dish is the step of shredding the tofu.One can imagine the difficulty of cutting soft tofu into such slender shreds.The operator must hold a sharp and heavy kitchen knife, slice first, and then shred. Each process must be completed at one go with the fastest speed, without the slightest hesitation or pause in the middle, otherwise there will be broken wires and partial wires .People who don't know how to cook, when they see the tofu cut as thin as hair, are amazed and will think that it is made by slow carving with delicate knives.In fact, on the contrary, the more you cut this kind of soft thing, the more aggressive you have to be, the heavier the knife, the faster the cutting speed, the more complete and smooth the incision of tofu will be.And to what extent it can be achieved depends on the swordsman's eyesight, wrist strength and energy-raising skills.Today Ling Yongsheng performed so well under such an atmosphere and pressure, he did not disappoint Uncle Xu in the slightest.Ever since Ling Yongsheng drew the knife, Uncle Xu's cup of tea had been standing in the air, and now it was finally brought to his lips. He took a sip gently, and the cup was filled with the finest Longjing tea, and a fresh fragrance went straight to his heart .Uncle Xu clicked his tongue and put down his teacup. The solemnity just now was gone, and he changed into a calm and relaxed demeanor. Even Xu Lijie, who knows nothing about cooking, couldn't help clapping her hands after seeing Ling Yongsheng's performance: "Ah, Xiao Lingzi is so good? Shen Fei, do you think he can win this time?" Shen Fei smiled slightly: "This is just the batching stage, it's still too early to wait for the results to come out." The admiration from the audience naturally reached the ears of Peng Hui and Sun Youfeng. As famous chefs, their skills in nourishing Qi are naturally not inferior.The two knew that they had encountered a strong rival this time, but they remained calm and continued to prepare their dishes with full concentration. Peng Hui soaked the nested ducks and poultry in a boiling water pot for a while to remove the smell of soil on the ducks, then washed down the duck belly, put them into a casserole lined with bamboo mats together with the gizzard livers that were just taken out, and added Put ginger, scallion knots, Shaoxing wine, fill with water, bring to a boil on high heat, skim off the foam on the soup, then cover, turn to low heat and start to simmer. Here, Sun Youfeng removes the internal organs of the big shad carp, washes it in clean water, but does not remove the scales, but gently wipes the fish dry with a clean cloth. , wine, sugar, and salt, put them in a bowl and put them in a cage, and steam them quickly over high heat. After Ling Yongsheng finished cutting the shredded tofu, he continued to swing the knife, and in a short while, he finished the shredded bamboo shoots, shredded mushrooms, shredded ham, shredded vegetables and other accessories.Then he poured the clear chicken soup that had been prepared into the wok, put the shredded tofu and accessories into the soup, and waited for it to boil. The operation of the three seems to be nothing special, but in fact it is the key point in cooking.The taste of the final dish depends on the many auxiliary materials, such as onion, ginger, wine, sugar, salt, etc., all of which play a vital role.How to match and how much to match, any change will be reflected in the taste of the dish.For the same dish, each chef makes different tastes, and this is the secret.Foreigners only know that Chinese food is delicious, but they know nothing about cooking techniques.When they cook according to the recipe, they often prepare a precision balance. The recipe says "add 1.5 grams of sugar", so they add it according to the words, and it is accurate.But I don’t know that the changes in cooking are endless. It is the same as making a chicken. Whether the chicken is male or female, old or young, where it was produced, and how long it has been slaughtered, all of them will have different requirements for cooking; even In different seasons and in different moods, diners have different requirements for the taste of dishes.Therefore, in the eyes of experts, this kind of recipe with such clear ingredients and condiments is really ridiculous.When you really enter the culinary world, when the master teaches the recipes to the apprentices, he will use three words to summarize these dosages: "a little", "appropriate amount", and "a lot". High and low achievements, in the process, there is a difference. Not only that, even the adjustment of the size of the fire head on the stove is very knowledgeable.If the fire is high, the cooking time will be short, and if the fire is small, the cooking time will be long. Everyone knows this truth.But the impact of the size of the fire on the dishes is not only reflected in the cooking time. Experts usually use one word to describe the change of firepower and time during cooking: heat! In the case of the same raw materials and condiments, the heat plays a decisive role in the quality of the dishes.Whether the use of heat can be done just right is an important criterion to measure the skill level of a swordsman stove. In terms of firepower, it can be divided into many types, including high fire, medium fire, low fire, and slight fire, as well as open fire and dark fire. Needs are either increasing or decreasing; in actual use, there are many situations in which prosperous first and then small, small first and then prosperous, or prosperous, medium and small intersect, and the changes are complicated.What kind of firepower to use and how to change it, just like adding ingredients, change with the situation, and there is no agreement.Only in terms of raw materials, in terms of properties, there are old and tender, soft and hard, and the amount of water is different; in terms of shape, there are large and small, whole and broken, pieces and blocks, silk and silk Pills, there are strips, small pieces, and even various special-shaped designs and colors. They are matched with each other, and more changes are derived. Each change will require a different heat.In terms of cooking methods, it can be deep-fried or stir-fried, fried or roasted, fried, grilled, stewed, roasted, and the heat used is very different, so that it can meet the requirements of different dishes such as fragrant, crisp, crisp, soft, and tender. A truly first-class swordsman must have a good grasp of knife skills, materials, and heat, and be able to handle it freely no matter what the conditions are. Peng Hui, Sun Youfeng, and Ling Yongsheng are undoubtedly first-rate swordsmen.In their view, those complicated aspects are just a piece of cake.Therefore, when they each brought out the prepared dishes, their faces were all full of confidence. "Three sets of duck", "steamed shad", "Wensi tofu soup", three traditional Huaiyang delicacies have been presented in front of everyone. Famous chefs' famous dishes are fresh and tender in color, steaming hot and mouth-watering.Even the oldest diners may not be lucky enough to taste any of these three dishes after accumulating a year's worth of food. Now, these three dishes are lined up on the same table, and only one of them can win in the subsequent evaluation, and the remaining two are destined to become today's supporting roles. So which dish will win in the end? The onlookers, who were chattering while watching the cooking, all shut their mouths now, because they knew that they were far from qualified to evaluate the dishes prepared by the chefs of the three famous buildings. Looking at Yangzhou City, besides the current bosses of the three famous buildings, can there be a fourth person who can have this qualification? Manager Zhou, who was in charge of hosting the Famous Building Club, cleared his throat, and glanced respectfully over Ma Yun, Chen Chunsheng, and Uncle Xu in turn: "The chefs' works have been completed, please come to the stage to comment." Uncle Xu looked at Ma Yun: "Mr. Ma, you have a high reputation, so let's start with you." "Alas~" Ma Yun waved his hand, "Don't overwhelm the guests, Mr. Chen, you should come first." Chen Chunsheng leaned on the back of the chair, seemed to have thought of it long ago, and said calmly: "I see, we don't need to be humble. Today is a competition between the three famous buildings, and we will make the evaluation Somewhat inappropriate. Mr. Jiang is a visitor from afar, and he has a lot of research on Huaiyang cuisine. The so-called onlookers are clear, how about letting him judge these three dishes?" Uncle Xu frowned, unavoidably worried.Through yesterday's contact, he had no doubts about Jiang Shan's culinary attainments.But after all, this person is a guest invited by Chen Chunsheng. Whether he can be completely fair in the evaluation needs to be marked with a big question mark. Uncle Xu was meditating. Ma Yun stroked his beard and said, "Since Mr. Jiang is a descendant of the imperial chef in the capital, he must be well-informed and accomplished. He is indeed very suitable to be the judge. I believe that Mr. Jiang must The ability to analyze the advantages and disadvantages of these three dishes clearly convinced all three contestants." Ma Yun's words not only gave Chen Chunsheng enough face, but also concealed his edge.The implication is that if Jiang Shan makes a random assessment and fails to give a convincing reason, it is inevitable that some people will be dissatisfied. When Uncle Xu saw what Ma Yun said, he nodded in agreement, secretly admiring him: This old Ma has spent most of his life in Yangzhou's culinary world, and his words are really sophisticated, and he has two brushes! Seeing that the three bosses had reached a consensus, Manager Zhou bowed to Jiang Shan: "Then Mr. Lao Jiang will move over and come to the stage to taste these three delicacies!" Jiang Shan was very generous, and he didn't refuse. He smiled slightly: "Since everyone thinks highly of me, it's inconvenient for me to refuse. If there is something wrong, I hope everyone will not laugh." After finishing speaking, he got up and left his seat. Straight to the arena. Xu Lijie in the audience pulled Shen Fei's arm beside her: "Hey, why let him be the judge, he was invited by Mr. Chen, and he will probably speak to 'Jingyuexuan'." However, Shen Fei shook his head: "That's not necessarily the case. The result of the competition is of course important in this 'Famous Building Meeting', but what everyone values ​​most is to boost the reputation of the restaurant. If there is an unfair evaluation, only the ' Jingyuexuan's reputation is detrimental but not beneficial. Mr. Chen has a wealth of experience, so he will understand this truth." "Well, you're right." Xu Lijie tilted her head and thought for a while, then suddenly said with a smile, "This Jiang Shan ate the lion's head made by my father yesterday, and he was full of praise. Maybe he will speak for us. .” At this time, Jiang Shan had come to the table where the dishes were placed. He scanned the table with admiring eyes and said with admiration: "These three delicacies are light and elegant. The charm of Huaiyang cuisine." Ma Yun nodded, and interjected: "Mr. Jiang has lived in Beijing for a long time, but I didn't expect to have a lot of insight into Huaiyang cuisine." Jiang Shan turned his head and looked at Ma Yun: "China has a vast territory, and the dishes in each place have their own regional characteristics. Although it looks complicated, it is not difficult to master as long as you understand the rules." "Oh?" Ma Yun's eyes flashed, "Can you explain in more detail?" "Mr. Ma is an expert in dietary theory. When I say this, it seems a bit out of class." Jiang Shan said a few words politely, paused for a moment, organized his thoughts, and said: "Different regions always have different soil and water climates, and different soil and water climates breed Different things, and all things in the world are used by people. The so-called "one side of the water and soil nourishes the other side of people", the bridge between the two is the word "food". As soon as Jiang Shan's words came out, many people in the audience nodded silently, and the young people with little knowledge opened their eyes wide, as if they realized some truth, but they didn't fully understand it. I only heard Jiang Shan continue to say: "Shandong cuisine, Sichuan cuisine, Cantonese cuisine, plus Huaiyang cuisine, are called the four major cuisines in the country, each of which has strong regional characteristics. Shandong cuisine represents the northern cuisine. There are plenty of ingredients, big meat and oil. Northerners eat such dishes for generations, and they will naturally grow tall and strong. The reason is that the climate in the north is cold. If you don’t eat a lot of big meat with high calories, how can you grow taller? Fat to keep out the cold? When it comes to the characteristics of Sichuan cuisine, of course everyone knows it.However, among the four major cuisines, why is it that only Sichuan cuisine has such a deep connection with the word 'spicy'?Tracing back to the source, the answer lies in water, soil and climate.Sichuan was called "Shu" in ancient times, and it was humid and miasma-prone, with frequent outbreaks of diseases and epidemics.Eating more spicy food can strengthen the internal fire, resist moisture, and keep the body strong.The bold and forthright character of Sichuan people is also related to the diet structure caused by this climate. Guangdong is located in southern Xinjiang, and its climate characteristics are exactly opposite to those in Northeast China. The characteristics of Cantonese cuisine are naturally opposite to those of Shandong cuisine. It is not surprising that most of the Cantonese are lean and thin.The south is sweltering all year round, and it is difficult to expel heat and toxins from the human body. Therefore, Cantonese cuisine is particularly particular about conditioning, with a light taste, and various soups with detoxification effects are popular. Finally, let’s talk about Huaiyang cuisine.淮扬地处长江下游沿岸。最重要的地域特色便是四季分明，物产丰富。四季分明则饮食的季节性强，物产丰富则在烹饪用料上选择范围广，这两点便造成了淮扬菜崇尚本味的特色。扬州人常把'尝鲜'两个字挂在口上，所谓'尝鲜'，就是食用当令的果蔬肉禽。既然是尝'鲜'，在烹饪时当然就要突出原料的本味，以区别于可常年上市的其它原料；物产丰富也是同样的道理，拿鱼来说，淮扬地区水网密布，鱼类品种难以计数，于是每种鱼便有每种鱼的吃法，黑鱼宜汆、鲫鱼宜煨、鳊鱼宜烤、鲥鱼宜蒸、鲢鱼宜烩、鳜鱼宜焖……凡此种种，目的都是为了最大程度地发挥出原料自身的特色本味。在这一点上，川菜与淮扬菜的对比最为明显。进川菜馆，若服务员询问'您要什么鱼？ '，那首先问的是鱼的做法，如客人选定了吃水煮鱼，然后才问是要水煮草鱼，还是要水煮鲶鱼？而淮扬菜馆中，服务员询问'您要什么鱼？ '，则首先问的是鱼的种类，客人提出要吃刀鱼，服务员便会说'刀鱼宜清蒸或红烧，您想吃哪种？ '可见川菜重调味法而淮扬菜重本味原汁。 " 姜山这一番侃侃而谈，从地域区别的角度，分析了四大菜系的风格特点及成因，有理有据，通俗易懂，即便是马云这样的烹饪理论大师，也禁不住捋须颔首，脸露赞赏之色。台下的看客们对由姜山这个外来者充当淮扬名楼会的评判，本来还多少有些不服，现在听了他的这段言论，免不了议论纷纷，钦佩、溢美之词此起彼伏。陈春生更是客荣主耀，大声喝彩：“说得好，有道理，有道理啊！” 徐叔在暗自惊讶之余，心中又多了几分忧虑：此人学识不凡，如果真的想对'一笑天'不利，实在是个难以对付的角色。 站在台上的三位名楼总厨此时的心情亦各不相同。凌永生昨天就已见过姜山，此时和徐叔一样，心中暗自忌惮；孙友峰是陈春生的下属，对姜山当然毫无敌意；唯独彭辉和姜山毫无瓜葛，眼看到对方年纪轻轻，仅凭一番话语就大出风头，心里不免有些不太痛快，于是向前走上一步，瓮声瓮气地说道：“姜先生年轻有为，让人佩服，不过这品评菜肴，却不是纸上谈兵的事情，我们这三款菜到底如何，还得请姜先生发表高见。” 彭辉话中带刺，但姜山看起来却毫不在意，他淡然一笑：“那我就在诸位高厨面前献丑了。彭师傅，我就从你的这道'三套鸭'开始吧。” 彭辉所做的“三套鸭”盛在一只细瓷大砂锅里。锅中清汤纯美，色泽微绿，恰似一汪春水，套好的三禽端坐水中，三头相叠，六目紧阖，神态亲昵安详，看起来倒像正在熟睡一般。 “'三套鸭'，三禽合食，鲜中加鲜。而这三种禽类各具营养价值，更是令人称道。养生者有云：'烂煮老雄鸭，功效比参芪。'这句话是说吃老雄鸭，其进补的功效足比得上吃人参、黄芪；野鸭肉高蛋白、低脂肪，记载，具有'补虚乏，除寒热，和脏腑，利水道'之功效；乳鸽肉则含17种以上的氨基酸和多种维生素、微量元素，其性味甘、平，入肝、肾二经，可益气解毒。说到药用价值，彭师傅的这道菜在今天的三款菜肴中无疑是首屈一指。”说到这里，姜山顿了一顿，话头一转，“不过既是斗菜，首先讲究的还是味美，这家鸭肉肥，野鸭肉瘦，乳鸽细嫩，自是不用多言。作为炖菜，这滋味全在一锅汤中，大家既然让我来做评判，那我就先尝为快了。” 彭辉大手一挥：“请！” 姜山拿起用小勺舀起一匙清汤，俯身嘬入口中，细细地咂味了片刻，开口说道：“嗯。这三种禽类的美味已经完全融入了一锅汤中，鲜香饶舌，彭师傅必定是在起始以旺火急炖，才能在火候上达到这样的效果。” 听了姜山的这几句话，彭辉紧崩的脸上也露出了一丝笑意：“这一点你算是说对了。这炖菜本来讲究以小火焖制，但如果没有开头的那一把旺火，又怎能在喝一口汤的时候，便同时品尝到家鸭的肥美、野鸭的香酥和乳鸽的鲜嫩呢？” “一口尝三味，确实难得……”姜山沉吟片刻，忽然叹了一口气，“唉，只是这道'三套鸭'，却因此算不得上品了。” “什么？”彭辉显然没明白姜山的意思。台下众人也多半大感茫然，这姜山刚刚还称赞“鲜香饶舌”，怎么突然间话锋又转了过来？ “这汤怎么就算不得上品了？”彭辉稳住阵脚，反问道，“难道说这汤中的鲜味越少，品次反而越高吗？” “彭师傅，我想请教你一个问题。在上锅炖制之前，你把这三禽层层相套，究竟是为了什么目的？” “这个……”彭辉蓦地一愣，竟一时语塞。他从二十年前出师后就开始做这道“三套鸭”，既然叫做“三套鸭”，那把三禽相套似乎是天经地义的事情，他一度勤思苦练，琢磨的都是如何在工艺上套得好，使菜形更加美观。而究竟为什么要相套，却真的从来没有想过。现在姜山突然抛出这个问题，其中必有深意。 姜山见彭辉答不上来，又说道：“我再问你，如果要融三种美味于一锅，把乳鸽、野鸭、家鸭拆开烩制不就行了？又何必先穷思竭技，把三禽层层相套，到上锅后，再用旺火把内层原料的鲜香之味逼出，那不成了多此一举吗？” 姜山这几句话说得声音不大，但在彭辉听来，却如同霹雳一般。多年来，这三禽相套的手法一直是他最为自负的绝技，可听姜山一说，却成了画蛇添足的可笑之举。想到这里，他的额头上禁不住沁出了细细的一层汗珠，口中喃喃地自语：“为什么要三禽相套？为什么要三禽相套？” 马云看到自己的弟子如此狼狈，轻轻地咳嗽一声，插话道：“姜先生既然提出这样的问题，自己当然是知道其中的答案了？” 姜山点头以示回答，然后又笑着说：“我能想通这个问题，其实还是受了马老师您的启发。在您主编的《淮扬名馔录》一书中曾经提过，这'三套鸭'在最初还有一个名字，叫做'七咂汤'。” “不错，这是我考证清代的淮扬古菜谱时得到的收获。” “您在书中说：'三套鸭'三味合一，鲜香叠复，余味无穷。饮者往往意犹未尽，咂香多次，故又称为'七咂汤'。” “嗯，正是我的原话，一字不错，姜先生不但所读广博，记忆力也令人佩服。” “马老师过奖了。”姜山客气了一句，话锋一转，“但我当时读到这个地方，却产生一些疑惑。按照您的解释，这'七'乃是虚意，用来表示次数很多。可按照古人的习俗，数字上的虚词，少者用'三'，多者用'九'，这里为什么偏偏要用'七'呢？” 马云捋了捋胡须，微微蹙眉。当初他也曾有过同样的疑惑，但只是一带而过，并没有深究下去，听姜山的口吻，难道这里面真的有什么玄妙不成？ 只听得姜山继续说道：“当时我百思难解。恰好马老师在书后列出了编撰时的参考文献，于是我便来到国家图书馆，找到了您当初考证过的那本古谱，并且阅读了上面的原文。那古谱上关于'三套鸭'是这样描述的：举箸自外而内，美味层出，汤汁微绿，清澄而味厚，饮者咂香七次，回韵悠长，故称'七咂汤'。我正是从这句话中有了新的发现。” “哦，愿闻其详。”马云看着姜山，心中越来越惊讶，先前只是知道这个年轻人在商界颇有建树，现在看来，他思维缜密，过目不忘，还是个治学的奇才。 “这'七咂汤'的'七'字，并非虚数，所谓'咂香七次'，指的是在这道汤中，能够品出七种滋味。” 姜山此话一出，台下顿时哗然，众人或惊叹，或诧异，或质疑，一片议论之声。 台上的彭辉则是一脸茫然，难以置信地摇着头：“只有三种原料，怎么会品出七种滋味？不可能，不可能……” 姜山不慌不忙地缓缓踱步，边走边数：“家鸭单独是一味，野鸭单独是一味，乳鸽单独是一味，家鸭野鸭两两相融是一味，家鸭乳鸽两两相融是一味，野鸭乳鸽两两相融是一味，家鸭野鸭乳鸽三者相融又是一味，你算算看，这一共是几味？” 彭辉张口结舌了片刻，愕然道：“这倒确实……是七味，可这些都是由三种原味变化搭配而成……” “你说得对。”姜山停下脚步，转身对着彭辉，“这'搭配'两个字，正是这道菜的奥妙所在。原料虽然只有三种，但按照不同的搭配方法，却能品出七种不一样的味道来。像你这样，一上来就把三种滋味融于一锅，实在是弄巧成拙的多余之举。” 彭辉这时才有些明白过来，两眼一亮：“你的意思是，这三种原料在开始应该各成一味，互不相融？” 姜山点点头：“不错。这三禽之所以要层层相套，原因正在于此。家鸭味居外，野鸭味居中，乳鸽味居内，在品尝时拆开家鸭，野鸭味方出；拆开野鸭，乳鸽味方出，这样随情搭配，便可在一锅中尝到七种汤味，这才是古谱中记载的'美味层出'、'咂香七次'的真正含义。” 彭辉恍然大悟，没想到自己做了二十年的“三套鸭”，直到今天才算真正窥到了其中门径，羞惭之余，却又免不了有些兴奋，脸上也是红一阵，白一阵，一时也不知道该说些什么。 马云轻叹一声，由衷地赞道：“姜先生一番高见，真是让人茅塞顿开。我研究了几十年饮食，自以为学识广博，嘿嘿，现在看来，也不乏昏言聩语。还是后生可畏啊。彭辉，今天你的这道菜想要胜出是不可能了，你先下来吧。” 彭辉走下擂台，垂手站在马云身后，轻声自责：“师傅，我学艺不精，让您失望了。” “哎～”马云呵呵一笑，“不失望不失望，这擂台上获胜，只是一个虚名而已，今天得蒙姜先生赐教，我们都长了学问，收获不小，收获不小啊，” 马云在饮食界德高望重，声名远播，难得心胸也如此豁达。姜山不禁为之折服，客气地拱了拱手：“马老师太自谦了，我只是站在您的肩膀上，多看到了一些风景，要说到学识功底，我又怎能和您几十年的积累相比？” 马云神色泰然，笑着说：“不用客气。姜先生，请接着评点下面的菜肴吧。” 成化年制的白瓷大盘，釉质细腻平滑，盘缘处一圈波浪状的青花通润明亮，纹饰生动，让人禁不住会产生以手轻拂的欲望。 这是“天香阁”酒楼中最名贵的一只瓷盘，只有这只瓷盘，才有资格用来盛放那条更为名贵的鲥鱼。 这也是“天香阁”酒楼中最大的一只瓷盘。它的外沿直径达43公分，但却仍然无法完整地盛下那条更大的鲥鱼。 洁白如银的鲥鱼卧在一片青花细浪中，鳞翅俱全，头尾微翘，稍稍悬于盘外，似乎正要从这江水碧波中破浪而出。姜山细细地欣赏了片刻，开口吟道：“网得西施国色真，诗云南国有佳人。朝潮扑岸鳞浮玉，夜月寒光尾掉银。长恨黄梅催盛夏，难寻白雪继阳春，维其时矣文无赘，旨酒端宜式燕宾。” 孙友峰听后微微一笑：“姜先生所念的清代谢墉所作的一首七绝，用来赞美鲥鱼形态优美，就好比古代南国的绝色佳人西施一样。这诗的前四句活灵活现地描绘了鲥鱼之美，后四句却是在感叹鲥鱼上季时间太短，等到黄梅雨季到来的时候，就只能一边回忆鲥鱼的美味，一边写下赞美的诗词文字，空想解馋了。” “嗯。”姜山点了点头，“不过与现代人相比，谢墉还是幸运的。至少他每年都能吃上新鲜的鲥鱼，而如今即便是在当令的时节，长江中的鲥鱼也稀少得像凤毛麟角一般，要想一尝鲥鱼的美味，真是难之又难啊。孙师傅能找来这么肥大的鲥鱼烹制菜肴，一定是得益于陈总的雄厚财力吧？” 陈春生听到这话，脸上禁不住露出了得意的神色，他侧过身体，看着众人神采飞扬地说：“既然姜先生说到这里，大家不妨猜猜看，'镜月轩'为了得到这条鲥鱼，花了多大的代价？” “我看至少得上万吧？”一个胖子粗着嗓门说了句。 “岂止岂止！”他旁边的同伴把头摇得像拨浪鼓一般，“这条鱼得有个七、八斤吧？即使按照市价，上万元也远远不够，更何况这么肥大的鲥鱼，堪称极品，又怎么可能按照市价计算？” 他这么一说，立时有不少人表示赞同，随即众人七嘴八舌，议论纷纷，有说三万的，有说五万的，更有说十万的，一时也达不成什么共识。 姜山见到这副情景，笑了起来，他伸手往台下一指，说道：“诸位何须费力猜测，这个问题，为什么不问他呢？” 大家转过头去，只见姜山所指的是一个三十岁左右的男子，他的衣着和相貌均不起眼，唯独双目中灵光闪动，透出奕奕的神采。见到众人都把目光投向了自己，他轻轻地摸着下巴上的胡子茬，露出一副似笑非笑的精怪表情。 “飞哥！”早有认识的人脱口叫出了他的名号。 这个人正是“一笑天”酒楼的菜头――沈飞。 沈飞已经在“一笑天”当了十年的菜头，这意味着十年来，他每天工作的地点就是扬州城内的大小菜场。要想知道某种烹饪原料的价格，不问他，你还想问谁呢？ “飞哥，你说说看，这条鲥鱼能值多少钱？”刚才说话的胖子看来性子很急，总是迫不及待地抢在别人前头说话。 胖子的话使沈飞脸上的表情凝固住了，他微微蹙起眉头，似乎在思考着什么，片刻后，他缓缓张开嘴，却不说话。 众人见到沈飞这副欲言又止的郑重模样，都安静了下来，期待着他的高见。 只见沈飞突然猛地一晃脑袋，“啊切”一声，打了一个响亮的喷嚏。在众人的哄笑声中，他怡然自得地用手捏了捏鼻子，惬意地叹了口气：“唉，憋了好久，终于喷薄而出，舒服，舒服。” 一旁的徐丽婕笑吟吟地看着他：“你舒服了，大家还都憋着呢，快给大家说说吧。” “鲥鱼。”沈飞抬起头，“嘿嘿”一笑，“我十年前刚到'一笑天'的时候，市价是两百元一斤，最旺季每日上市量大约在千斤左右；五年前，市价已经涨到了千元每斤，旺季日上市量却锐减至百斤左右；近两年，鲥鱼的市价已经报到了三千元每斤，但实际情况却是有价无市，市场上的鲥鱼已经绝迹。去年有几位从香港慕名而来的富商，点名要吃鲥鱼，订餐价开到了十万，可最终也没能如愿。今天的这条大鲥鱼，别说我没法估价，即使我能够估出来，这个数字只怕我也不敢说啊。” 众人闻言，都是面面相觑，那胖子更是咂着舌头，连连惊叹：“不得了，不得了，只怕会比黄金都贵呢。” 陈春生听着众人的议论，心中大感得意。这沈飞虽然只是一个菜头，平日里嬉笑不羁，但今天说出的一番话倒是颇有水平，使自己在姜山和众人面前挣足了面子。他清了清喉咙，故作姿态地摆摆手：“嗨，既是斗菜，味道如何才是最关键的，这原料的贵贱，本来就不值一提。姜先生，现在就劳烦你评点一下我们孙师傅打理的这道'清蒸鲥鱼'吧？” “好！这可是求之不得的美差啊。”姜山一边说，一边拿起筷子，向着肥硕的鱼身伸了过去。那筷子头触及鱼身时，此处的鱼皮便如一层具有弹性的薄膜，微微地凹陷了下去，但却依然紧崩光滑。姜山手指微微加力，筷头轻轻往下一戳，那层鱼皮应势而破，立时有冒着热气的肉汁从破口处汩汩地涌了出来。 姜山夹起一块连着鳞皮的鱼肉，沾汁带水地送入口中，立时间，一股奇鲜顺着口鼻直渗入全身的每一个毛孔，而鱼肉之细嫩，几乎是触舌而溶。只见姜山闭起眼睛，两唇轻轻一抿，随即全身便一动不动，便如同入定了一般。 众人都知道此时姜山已把自己的味觉系统发挥到了极致，以品尝那至鲜的美味。无数双眼睛都目不转睛地盯着他的嘴唇，似乎那鲜味也能通过视线来传递一般。有几个定力稍差的年轻人喉头“咕咕”作响，已经情不自禁地咽起了口水。 半晌之后，姜山缓缓睁开眼睛，从案台上拿起一只空碟，舌尖伸出嘴唇，灵巧地一翻，将一绺鱼刺吐于盘中。只见那些鱼刺纤细柔软，虽然被顺成了一绺，但却根根分明，不带半分残留的鱼肉。 孙友峰比姜山矮半个头，他昂首而立，一副信心十足的模样，问到：“姜先生，我这道清蒸鲥鱼，滋味如何啊？” 姜山舔舔嘴唇：“鲜、嫩、肥、美，不愧为人间至味。尤其是肉质的细嫩，最是出乎我的意料。张爱玲曾有一叹：人生之恨事，一恨鲥鱼多刺，二恨海棠无香，三恨红楼未完。这第一恨便是说鲥鱼虽然味道极美，但刺多且细小，食用时颇多不便，难以尽兴。可惜她没有机会尝到孙师傅烹制的鲥鱼，这鱼肉细嫩无比，触舌而化，只须用舌尖轻轻一顺，鱼肉和鱼刺便已自行分开，何来多刺难食的烦恼？” 孙友峰呵呵一笑，显得很是高兴：“姜先生不愧是名厨的后代，一口就尝出了我这道鲥鱼最为独特的关键所在。我在宰杀清洗这条鱼的时候，虽然没有动及鱼皮和鳞片，但手指暗暗使力，已经揉碎了鱼肉中的纤维和经脉，所以这肉质才会如此细嫩。” 听了孙友峰的这番解释，台下不少人都恍然大悟地“哦”了一声。本来“镜月轩”用名贵的鲥鱼参赛，原料上占了很大的便宜，众人心中多少都觉得有些不平。但孙友峰这手生揉鱼肉功夫，却的的确确是真才实学，令人自叹弗如。 这时，人丛中有人“唉”地重重叹息了一声，语气中充满了失望之意。大家徇声看了过去，只见沈飞垂头晃脑，似乎大有遗憾。 徐丽婕歪过脑袋，好奇地问：“孙师傅这道清蒸鲥鱼做得那么好，你为什么叹气？” 沈飞摸摸鼻子，仰天又是一声长叹：“就是因为做得好才叹气啊。这么难得的美味，只能看得到，却吃不着，难道你们都不觉得遗憾吗？” 沈飞的话令不少人深有同感，一时间台下的叹息声此起彼伏，不绝于耳。 陈春生哈哈大笑：“大家不用遗憾。今天来到镜月轩的，都是我的客人。等比赛结束之后，我让服务员将这条鲥鱼按人头分好，让诸位都来尝一尝。” 台下众人无不大喜，齐声喝彩。在场的虽然有好几十号人，但那条鲥鱼如此肥大，大家分食，倒也都能有尝鲜的机会。 就在这气氛热烈的时候，台上的姜山却又轻轻地叹了口气。陈春生仍陶醉在先前的得意情绪中，呵呵一笑，说道：“姜先生如果还没过瘾，尽可以再多尝几块，为什么要叹气呢？” 姜山摇了摇头：“我倒不是这个意思。我叹气，是因为这道鲥鱼虽然美味，但终究留有遗憾，不够完美。” 略显喧闹的大厅刹时间又安静了下来。孙友峰瞪着姜山，不服气地追问：“遗憾，这菜的色、香、味，哪一点差了？”陈春生则皱起眉头，不动声色地端起茶杯喝了一口，然后静待姜山的下文。 姜山用筷子拨了拨鱼身上的鳞片：“色、香、味都无可挑剔，只可惜这鱼没有刮鳞，未免影响了口感。” 姜山一说完这话，现场顿时一片哗然。陈春生莫名其妙地摇着头，孙友峰更是哑然失笑，说道：“这鲥鱼的鳞片是储存脂肪的地方，尤其在产卵季节，鳞片中膏肥脂厚，鲥鱼在产卵期间所需的所有营养都要靠其供给。因此鲥鱼对自己的鳞片爱惜倍至，又称'惜鳞鱼'，它在落入鱼网时，甚至会为了保护身上的鳞片而放弃挣扎逃生的机会。在烹制菜肴时，鲥鱼的鳞片也是极为鲜美肥厚的部分，做鲥鱼不能刮鳞，这是人人皆知的道理啊。” 在场的不少人都默默点头，对孙友峰的话表示赞同，同时心中也暗自奇怪，在淮扬一带，即使是寻常人家的主妇，也多半听说过