Cooking System: Street Food Rules

The culinary festival had been running for seven days, and the excitement was at its peak.

Sifangping was packed with people every day.

Luckily, Jiang Feng's setup was outside, where there was plenty of space.

Otherwise, many would have found no room to even stand.

At the same time, many cities extended olive branches to him.

Each city had prepared a special event for him.

As long as he came, everything would surely be well-arranged.

This level of reception was truly special.

After all, with such a large following, such treatment was to be expected.

Jiang Feng, however, planned to rest for a few days, so he temporarily declined the cities' invitations, explained his reasons, and said he would visit later.

He hadn't had enough fun in Changsha yet.

With the cultural festival nearing its end, Jiang Feng decided to pull off one last stunt.

It wasn't some grand stunt, just the restoration of a lost Hunanese dish, which also happens to be among the most difficult in Chinese cuisine:

Fairy Fish.

The Fairy Fish dish from Hunan cuisine had disappeared, and one certainly couldn't find it on the market.

The reason was simple: the method was too complex, and no chef had the leisure to spend so much time preparing a single fish.

This was something only Imperial Chefs in the old days, who served the emperor, had the time to meticulously develop for a single dish.

Still, these dishes that were passed down remain a favorite topic of conversation.

Jiang Feng had already announced this event during his livestream.

So, as soon as the broadcast started, his popularity skyrocketed.

It's worth mentioning that Jiang Feng's livestream wasn't taking place in his small store, but in a professional kitchen.

After all, the stall days were over; there was no need to hustle outside anymore.

The Changsha Culture and Tourism Bureau was naturally thrilled to hear that Jiang Feng planned something special for his finale.

They wished for as much traffic as possible.

Wearing a chef's outfit, Jiang Feng appeared calm and collected in front of the camera.

"Today's livestream is to prepare Fairy Fish, which is a famous Hunanese dish," Jiang Feng explained to his online audience.

"However, it can no longer be found."

Fairy Fish?

Upon hearing this, the netizens were baffled.

How come they had never heard of this dish?

This wasn't just true for casual viewers. Many food enthusiasts and even professional chefs among the audience had also never heard of this dish.

Jiang Feng placed a bass on the chopping board and spoke in a measured tone, "This Fairy Fish is both difficult and simple. You just have to thread a line through the fish, hang it over the broth, cover it with a lid, and stew it over heat for four hours. The steam from the broth will cook the fish through, causing the flesh to fall off bit by bit into the chicken broth. When you finally lift the lid, only the fish skeleton will remain in the pot. And that's how you make Fairy Fish."

Jiang Feng's words left the audience stunned.

To steam fish to doneness using only broth steam, causing the flesh to fall off?

Could that really be possible?

How did anyone even conceive of such a method?

Why not just fry the fish and then stew it in broth to make soup?

[I've never heard of this dish before.]

[Sounds incredibly complicated!]

[It's a lost imperial dish! Boss Jiang, only you could pull this off!]

[Hurry up and start! I want to see something new!]

[Can this be served at a stall? I want to try it!]

Everyone was talking in the livestream chat.

The video was gaining a lot of traction.

Jiang Feng pointed at an iron pot nearby and said, "In this iron pot is broth I started stewing yesterday. It contains a whole chicken, large marrow bones, and many spices. The broth is milky white, rich, and aromatic—ideal for cooking noodles and rice noodles. The flavor it imparts to noodles and rice noodles takes them to another level. Today, I will use this broth to make Fairy Fish. Let's start with preparing the fish. The first step is threading."

While speaking, Jiang Feng began to work.

Viewers watched, their eyes glued to the screen, as he threaded a fine cotton line through the fish's mouth and pushed it further inside.

Jiang Feng spoke softly, "There's a knack to where the line is secured. To ensure the fish hangs stably from the pot lid and the spine doesn't break, you have to fix the thread right here."

As soon as he finished speaking, he took out an embroidery needle from nearby and inserted it straight into the fish's back.

Then, he gently probed and hooked.

When the embroidery needle reappeared, the cotton line was neatly hooked on it.

The audience was gobsmacked!

HOLY CRAP!

Is this cooking? Or is it magic?

The way he picked out the cotton line with such precision... No one would believe there wasn't a trick involved.

The barrage of comments exploded in the chat.

[Boss Jiang, please stop showing off! You're making my scalp tingle!]

[Are those embroidery needle skills for real?]

[How did he pick it out like that?]

[I don't care to learn the cooking, but I'm definitely interested in this trick!]

[A master is a master!]

Jiang Feng secured the threaded cotton line to the fish's spine. Then, pulling on the line, he lifted the entire fish, which hung steadily in the air. Once he confirmed its stability, Jiang Feng set the fish down and said, "Next, I need to make incisions in the fish. After these cuts, the fish meat can detach during the steaming process. At the same time, the umami of the broth can infuse into the fish meat."

Jiang Feng picked up a kitchen knife and began to work, his blade moving rapidly across the fish. He made countless slashes on both sides of the fish.

Then, Jiang Feng, holding the line, gently lifted the fish again.

As the fish hung down under its own weight, the scored sections of flesh unfurled, blooming outwards.

Each slice of fish meat was cut perfectly. They remained securely attached to the skeleton, yet looked as if they could fall off at any moment. Each piece was of uniform size and evenly spaced.

This scene was particularly striking.

The audience members were at a loss for words.

They had seen many cooking videos, but this was their first time witnessing such artistry.

Effortlessly, it was art.

[Boss Jiang, that's amazing!]

[Truly worthy of the title 'Culinary God,' no joke!]

[Seriously impressive! This skill is not something an average person can achieve!]

[Is there anything he can't do when it comes to cooking? He's truly a hexagonal warrior in this field!]

Everyone sang his praises.

The livestream's popularity continued to grow.

Even after the livestream ended, Jiang Feng's video was bound to spread rapidly.

"Alright, next I need to marinate the fish," he said. "Then it's placed over the chicken soup and stewed for four hours. This kind of dish can only be perfected over time; it can't be rushed. I will now share the marinating ingredients with everyone. Later, I will hang the fish and place it above the pot to steam it. I've prepared a special bamboo-strip wrapper that fits the mouth of the clay pot. Later, I'll wrap it with a few layers of aluminum foil to ensure it's completely airtight. This dish needs to be completed in a sealed environment."

Jiang Feng began to prepare the fish.

Meanwhile, on a nearby stove, a rich broth simmered in a clay pot.

This dish featured fish and chicken soup as the main ingredients.

After marinating the fish, Jiang Feng placed the bamboo-strip wrapper over the clay pot and hung the fish inside it.

Steam steadily rose from the chicken soup, quickly permeating the fish.

He then took out aluminum foil and began to wrap it around the outside.

He wrapped it round and round, ensuring the entire setup was hermetically sealed.

Steam from the chicken soup rose, contained entirely within, with no leakage.

The audience watched Jiang Feng's cooking process, captivated.

They couldn't help but wonder, could this dish be successful?

Could it really achieve the deboning effect?

To end up with just a fish skeleton—wasn't that a bit unbelievable?

Once the aluminum foil was completely wrapped, Jiang Feng said, "Now, we just wait. I've adjusted the fire to be just right. The temperature should be perfect. Slowly simmering on low heat, the chicken soup will gradually release steam. As everyone knows, steam is composed of countless tiny water droplets. It can be said that, unlike other dishes where the fish is cooked in soup, this dish cooks the fish in water vapor. It is akin to a fairy in the clouds. To be honest, I'm not certain this Fairy Fish will be successful. After all, many have tried and failed. We'll see the results in four hours. To avoid any claims of video editing or behind-the-scenes manipulation, I initially wasn't planning to livestream this part. But I've decided to keep the stream focused on the clay pot so you all can supervise. I'll step aside for now and come back in four hours."

Jiang Feng was being very straightforward. Hearing him, the viewers commented:

[I'm keeping an eye on it! I'm afraid you might switch pots!]

[I'm stepping out, will be back in four hours!]

[Haha, Boss Jiang is taking it easy with this livestream!]

[Wait, is the clay pot the actual host now?]

[Nice move! How about livestreaming something else, like playing the violin?]

Jiang Feng didn't respond further.

Next was the waiting period. He would occasionally check for any leaks in the foil or ensure the heat was sufficient. But Jiang Feng had prepared meticulously. He was confident no issues would arise. The rest was left to time, which would sculpt the dish into its intended form.

Inside the foil, steam billowed, enveloping the fish in a cocoon of moist heat.

As the temperature rose, the fish started to change slightly.

The previously raw fish quickly began to cook under the high heat, its body curving as the flesh turned tender and succulent.

Once steamed, the scored sections of fish meat would loosen and, under the pull of gravity, begin to fall.

PLOP!

After an indeterminate length of time, a piece of fish meat fell into the chicken soup.

Then, another piece fell.

These pieces of fish, steamed by the chicken soup, had a unique texture and an extraordinary taste.

The fusion of these two incredibly umami ingredients created this top-tier Hunan dish, one exceptionally challenging to execute:

Fairy Fish.