Cooking System: Street Food Rules

The delicacy Jiang Feng was making today was called Five-Flavor Pan-Fried Crab.

It was also a highly popular local dish.

The main ingredient was river crab.

Li Yuan said to Jiang Feng with a cheerful smile, "Boss Jiang, with you cooking crabs this week, the crabs in the market are almost sold out!"

"Yesterday, a lot of people went out to order food, specifically Crab Fried Rice Cakes, and you just couldn't get that dish in the evening."

"We have our connections, which is how we were able to get so many crabs."

"Don't worry, we'll supply enough crabs for your stall."

Hearing this, Jiang Feng nodded and responded, "Thank you very much."

Since customers had already started queuing, Jiang Feng busied himself at the chopping board.

He took out the cleaned river crabs, chopped off their large claws, removed the carapaces, cut off the tips of their legs, and then chopped the remaining bodies into small pieces with a series of horizontal and vertical cuts.

The crab meat was now ready.

As usual, he tapped the crab legs a few times to crack them open, then coated all the crab pieces with flour, setting them aside on a plate.

The key to pan-frying crabs lay in the "frying" itself. However, some preparation was required beforehand.

Numerous cameras were focused on Jiang Feng, fully capturing his food preparation steps for the online audience.

Jiang Feng remained calm and composed, his expression showing neither fatigue nor a smile, a style quite distinctive to him.

Nowadays, many popular street food stall owners online often looked worried due to the overwhelming number of customers. There was just no way to finish all the orders. After netizens reported them to the Bureau of Culture and Tourism, the bureau sent staff to placate the owners, who were then compelled to put on forced smiles for the cameras. The scene was quite amusing to watch.

But Jiang Feng was an exception. He was always serene, with an excellent demeanor. After all, as a chef, he naturally possessed the poise of one.

One after another, the beautifully prepared crab pieces were arranged on plates.

Neatly placed to the side were about twelve or thirteen small bowls of various seasonings—green onions, ginger, garlic, salt, sugar, vinegar, sesame oil, oyster sauce, and more.

The Five-Flavor Pan-Fried Crab was indeed a genuinely delicious dish. The method wasn't complicated, yet the flavor was surprisingly fragrant.

Jiang Feng took a small bowl and added bean paste chili sauce and tomato ketchup, then mixed in white rice vinegar, cooking wine, refined salt, MSG, and white sugar to create a sauce.

This bowl of sauce had the dark hue of vinegar with traces of chili sauce. Just looking at it seemed to conjure the sour-spicy taste in one's mouth, inadvertently making one salivate.

Once the sauce was ready, Jiang Feng prepared to pan-fry the crabs.

He drizzled a layer of oil into the pan; its surface immediately gleamed, and soon, the pan reached the right temperature.

Next, Jiang Feng carefully laid the prepared crab pieces flat in the hot pan.

SIZZLE...

The crab pieces, once added to the hot pan, emitted a gentle sizzling sound.

The process of pan-frying crabs was similar to cooking on a teppanyaki grill – they were fried on the hot surface of the pan.

During the process, Jiang Feng would occasionally drizzle some oil along the edges of the pan and then rotate it, letting the crab pieces slide around. This step was critical, as the texture of the pan-fried crab depended entirely on it.

Li Yuan, the young man from the Bureau of Culture and Tourism, watched from the side, along with a cameraman who was filming Jiang Feng pan-frying the crabs. The two of them couldn't help but gulp. These crabs look so delicious!

Once placed in the hot pan and heated at high temperature, the aroma of the crabs began to permeate the air.

While pan-frying the crabs, Jiang Feng also added chopped green onion, ginger, and minced garlic to the pan, then gently stirred, allowing the crabs to fully combine with these aromatics.

After stir-frying them evenly, he poured in the delicious sauce he had just prepared, adding green peas to complete the sauce-thickening step.

The sauce, poured into the pan, quickly adhered to the crab meat under the high heat. These crab pieces, pan-fried in hot oil and infused with the flavors of green onion, ginger, garlic, vinegar, chili paste, and MSG from the sauce, became utterly irresistible.

Finally, Jiang Feng drizzled sesame oil and chili oil over them, gave them a quick stir to mix well, and then plated the Five-Flavor Pan-Fried Crab. The dish was ready.

The key to Five-Flavor Pan-Fried Crab was to clean the crabs thoroughly, pan-fry the meat perfectly, and reduce the sauce completely.

The person at the front of the queue craned their neck, peering at the Five-Flavor Pan-Fried Crab on the plate. Each piece of crab meat was a vibrant, glossy red and appeared incredibly tender. The shells were coated in aromatic seasonings, and the meat itself had absorbed the rich, savory sauce. Just looking at it was enough to make one's mouth water.

The Five-Flavor Pan-Fried Crab perfectly combined salty, sweet, sour, spicy, and savory tastes. While the spicy flavor was prominent, there was also a delightful hint of sweetness and sourness, creating complex layers of flavor.

The person at the very front of the queue scanned a QR code to pay, received a delicious serving of Five-Flavor Pan-Fried Crab, and then happily went off to the side to enjoy it.

At that moment, the queue for Jiang Feng's street stall was enormous; many had come from afar just to join in the excitement. Among them were Liu Yao and Lin Qiaoqiao. Both worked in the Hangzhou Technology Park and had rushed over as soon as they heard Jiang Feng was setting up his stall nearby.

"There are so many people!" exclaimed Liu Yao, looking at the sea of people.

Lin Qiaoqiao nodded. "They're all here for Boss Jiang."

Both were fans of Jiang Feng. Especially after he started setting up his stall in the park, their fondness for him had grown even more. They were willing to wait in line, no matter how long, for his delicious food.

The queue began to move forward in an orderly fashion. After about half an hour, the two women reached the front.

"Boss Jiang!"

"Hello!"

The pair waved at Jiang Feng, their faces beaming with excitement.

"Hello, long time no see," Jiang Feng looked up, recognized them, and responded with a smile.

At this moment, Jiang Feng was busy preparing the next batch of Five-Flavor Pan-Fried Crab, so he would still be occupied for a while.

Seizing this opportunity, Lin Qiaoqiao and Liu Yao filmed Jiang Feng cooking, watching intently all the while.

"We've come all the way from Hangzhou; we're big fans of yours," Lin Qiaoqiao said candidly.

"Thank you," Jiang Feng responded politely.

"You've made quite a trip. Isn't work busy?" Jiang Feng asked, continuing to chat with them.

"We just finished a big project, so we've got a bit of downtime recently," Liu Yao replied immediately.

Jiang Feng always chatted a bit with regular customers. Through these conversations, he gained insights into many people's life philosophies and experiences. He especially enjoyed talking to those with their own unique insights and perspectives; it was like observing all the different facets of life.

Soon, two plates of Five-Flavor Pan-Fried Crab were ready, and he handed them over.

"Hope to see you again; you're welcome to come back anytime," said Jiang Feng with a light laugh.

"We'll definitely be back!" they replied, reluctantly taking their plates of crab and finding a spot to sit.

They wanted to linger a bit longer, but with others waiting behind them, they had to move to the dining area.

The crabs on the plate, after being pan-fried, were a brilliant, glossy red. Delicious seasonings were sprinkled around the crab pieces, with a few mung beans for garnish, making for an incredibly appetizing presentation.

Feeling a bit hungry, they sat down and took a bite of crab.

"Whoa! It's a bit hot!" Lin Qiaoqiao exclaimed in surprise after tasting a piece of crab meat.

When she bit in, the large piece of crab meat burst in her mouth, releasing scalding hot juices. The intense heat made her blow on it twice before she continued to savor the flavor.

The pan-fried crab was incredibly fragrant and tender. The exterior was crispy, even crunchier than a potato chip. The fat clinging to the crab was particularly aromatic, with a fresh scent that left a refreshing sensation in her mouth. This was the result of it being pan-fried to perfection.

At first, the crab meat tasted spicy with a hint of saltiness. After chewing for a moment, a sweet and sour sensation emerged. It was incredibly delicious.

The crab meat was soft and tender. Not only was it perfectly pan-fried, but the sauce had also been beautifully reduced, allowing the flavors of the various seasonings to thoroughly permeate the meat. Every chew brought a delightful burst of flavor.

"Ah, delicious!" Lin Qiaoqiao exclaimed, a contented smile on her face. "Boss Jiang never disappoints!"

After finishing one piece of crab, she still wasn't satisfied and quickly picked up another, eager to taste more.

The myriad flavors of the seasonings blended with the crab meat, creating a wonderful chemical reaction in her mouth. The sensation was almost addictive. With every bite, she could feel the delightful taste exploding on her taste buds. Her mouth watered uncontrollably. It was truly, utterly delicious.

The customers still in line watched with yearning, their eyes practically glued to those eating. Seeing others enjoy the meal with such delight, they wished they could rush up and grab a few bites themselves.

"Hope it's my turn soon!"

"Can we pay extra to get it sooner? Maybe a VIP line?"

"Boss Jiang, how about a membership for advance orders?"

"Just looking at it makes me hungry! I want it so badly!" the crowd clamored.

The diners were incredibly enthusiastic. After all, everyone who tasted the Five-Flavor Pan-Fried Crab wore expressions of sheer amazement and beaming smiles, looking utterly thrilled. Who wouldn't be envious?

Jiang Feng continued to pan-fry crabs at his own unhurried pace.

Yesterday's crabs were stir-fried; today's were pan-fried. It wasn't as if the crabs had done anything to deserve their fate; if anything was to blame, it was their irresistible deliciousness.

The river crabs Jiang Feng selected were all male, boasting plentiful, succulent meat, making them ideal for this kind of dish.

Before long, another pan of fried crabs was ready, and several customers contentedly took their portions and went aside to enjoy their meal.

Liu Yao and Lin Qiaoqiao quickly devoured their crabs. Because the dish was so incredibly delicious, they even sucked the shells clean. Still, they felt a lingering sense of wanting more. If only we could have a whole pot to ourselves and eat crabs to our hearts' content!

But with so many people wanting crab, just getting a taste was satisfying enough.

"It's so delicious; this trip was totally worth it!"

"If only we could eat Boss Jiang's cooking every day."

"It's just so unbelievably tasty!" Lin Qiaoqiao said with deep satisfaction.

"You should marry him then," Liu Yao teased.

"If he's willing, I have no objections," Lin Qiaoqiao replied with a laugh.

After finishing their meal, they had to leave the dining area, as many others were waiting to take their place.

The surroundings were still bustling, with a constant stream of people coming and going.

Many people held up their cell phones, filming. It felt less like a food stall and more like a celebrity meet-and-greet. Or perhaps, it was both.

Many truly adored Jiang Feng as if he were an idol.

Many entertainment companies poured resources into cultivating idols, starting them as trainees learning to sing and dance, all in the hope they would become top-tier stars. Who would have imagined that after so many years of arduous training by others, a chef would become the ultimate top-tier star? After all, not every idol cooks for their fans.