Chapter 92

Chapter 92: Here It Comes! Fried Rice!

As mealtime approached, the entire kitchen of the dining car became increasingly busy.

The three chefs were all working at full speed, while the cold dish and white counter stations were also moving at a fast pace.

Although a fixed menu reduces the difficulty of food preparation, this was, after all, a high-end sightseeing train promoting luxury travel, and some basic dishes were quite challenging.

It wasn't as difficult as the Three Sets of Duck, but ordinary-level dishes were everywhere.

Tang Su's forehead had begun to sweat lightly. He grabbed the white towel around his neck and wiped his face, glancing at the progress of the other two chefs.

None of them were faster than him!

Tang Su felt a sense of satisfaction and poured the sauce over a dish of Squirrel Fish before starting on another plate of Wasabi Shrimp Balls.

He had never enjoyed cooking like this before! In fact, he even had a vague sense that the dishes he was making today were a level above his usual standard.

This porter was truly strong.

Tang Su glanced at Chen Ran, who was focused on watching the dishes in the pot, and silently gave her a perfect score in his heart.

Today, the entire cooking process could be said to be the smoothest he had ever experienced in decades.

With just a slight stretch of his spoon, the necessary seasonings were immediately pushed in front of him. The oil temperature in the pan was perfect, and the dish he needed was handed to him right away.

As soon as the dish was finished, he didn’t need a single glance. The arranged plates were already in place, waiting for him to serve the food!

The feeling... it was like two people who had cooperated thousands of times. But in reality, this was the first time this porter had worked with him.

He was frying! He was stir-frying! He was dry-frying! He was braising!

If cooking usually felt like riding a bicycle, then now it felt like taking off in a rocket!

It was simple—Chen Ran’s culinary skills were all above Tang Su’s. Her assistance in the kitchen was actually fully compatible with his methods.

She could even anticipate some of Tang Su's bad habits, gently nudging him before he was about to make a mistake...

It was like a highly intelligent person chatting with someone much less capable; they could easily judge where the other person was proud and then appropriately applaud or listen, giving perfect emotional value.

If there were any chefs with skills stronger than Tang Su’s in the kitchen, such as Xu Laoguai or even Huang Renshou, they would easily see that Chen Ran was acting like a master feeding instructions to her apprentice... pushing Tang Su forward!

After Tang Su smoothly cooked the main dishes for several set meals, he looked at the porter who was “cooperating” perfectly, and decided to give her a chance.

"Do you know how to make fried rice? I’ve finished the other dishes for this set meal, so you can make the main dish."

This was also the most common promotion path in a traditional Chinese kitchen.

If the porter worked very well, the chef would usually teach them some techniques and give them an opportunity to practice on dishes that were less prone to failure.

Of course, the chef could also use this time to take a break.

“There are three sets, so remember to make three portions. I’m going to smoke a cigarette, just around the corner. If you don’t know how to do something, just ask me.”

But, it's just fried rice. Looking at how familiar and skilled this young girl was, she probably wouldn’t be stuck on it, right?

Tang Su watched as Chen Ran nodded seriously, but didn’t say a word.

This young girl was impressive. She treated even a simple dish like fried rice with such seriousness.He added two more points to Chen Ran in his heart and even considered whether he should take her as an apprentice before going out to smoke.

Chen Ran, on the other hand, reached out and gently clicked "Accept" on the task panel in front of her!

The moment Tang Su spoke, it seemed like the system couldn’t wait and immediately popped up a task!

[Random Task: Make a perfect fried rice!]

[As a household name recipe, almost everyone can make fried rice, but making it to perfection is quite difficult.]

[Task Recipe: Golden Fried Rice (SS)]

This was the reason why Chen Ran was so serious!

You see, the system is very strict when it comes to rating recipes.

Is Three Sets of Duck difficult? It's SS rank.

Is Chicken Porridge hard? Also SS rank.

And now, a fried rice recipe is also SS rank!

As the task description said, fried rice is a recipe that almost everyone can make. To have such a recipe ranked as SS means it requires even higher skills from the chef.

After confirming, the recipe immediately appeared clearly in Chen Ran's mind.

SS-grade recipes are usually very complete, starting from ingredient preparation and even including some techniques. This fried rice recipe was no different.

Chen Ran took a deep breath and went to find the necessary ingredients.

The preparation in the dining car's kitchen was very thorough. Since fried rice was on the menu, leftover rice had already been prepared the previous night.

This sightseeing train, which started from the extreme cold region, naturally stocked up on plenty of Northeast rice.

The authentic Wuchang rice, once steamed, was slightly translucent and had a faint oily sheen.

After being stored in the fridge overnight, the translucency of the rice reduced, but the sheen and subtle elasticity remained unchanged.

This kind of overnight rice was the best for making fried rice!

She took the right amount of rice and grabbed a few fresh eggs. She washed the eggs under the faucet, cracked them, and expertly transferred the yolk back and forth between the two egg shells, soon taking out a perfect egg yolk.

Yes, for Golden Fried Rice, the secret to making the rice golden enough is to only use the egg yolk to coat the rice!

Egg yolks, unlike egg whites, are more absorbent, with a higher fat content. When stir-frying, the rice grains coated in egg yolk will be drier and more fragrant.

This means that less oil can be used to fry the rice, which not only reduces the greasiness but also provides a better texture.

After saving the remaining egg whites, Chen Ran began cutting the other ingredients.

Onions and carrots were diced, top-quality ham was also diced, and a small handful of green peas would balance the flavor and color. Fresh spring onions were chopped into small pieces for the final fragrance.

She heated oil in the pan and first added the vegetables!

Whether it's onions or diced carrots, they both needed full contact with the oil to release their own fragrance and nutrients.

Once the onions softened slightly, she added the ham and peas. The colors of the ingredients in the pan began to look incredibly rich.

The milky white crispness of the onions, paired with the bright red diced carrots and ham, and the green peas, all came together. When paired with the golden fried rice later, it would create the perfect visual delight for this Golden Fried Rice.When the aroma of the diced ham had fully spread, Chen Ran moved the vegetables out. Even she, whose skills had mostly reached double S rank, paused for a moment before starting to fry the rice.

The success of this Golden Fried Rice depended entirely on the next step!

The leftover oil from before, still carrying the sweetness of the onions and ham, was enhanced by a touch of snow-white lard.

The white lard slowly melted, and as the temperature rose, Chen Ran stirred the rice that was evenly coated with egg yolk, then suddenly poured it into the pan!

This moment of heat control determined whether every grain of rice would be evenly coated with the egg yolk!

If the heat was too high, the egg coating on the rice would stick together, and when stirred later, the rice and egg would inevitably separate.

If the heat was not enough, the egg would fail to set quickly, causing the egg to run off and leaving the rice exposed.

Golden Fried Rice, as the name suggests, must have every grain of rice golden in color, and that is the mark of a qualified fried rice!

The oil in the pan was already hot. The moment the rice hit the pan, the egg, rice, and oil met, and a sizzling sound accompanied by a rich egg aroma burst out.

There was, faintly, a hint of rice fragrance as well.

In that moment, Chen Ran suddenly recalled a conversation she had heard before.

What is the taste of life?

It’s a bowl of fried rice.

She had never quite understood that conversation. For a chef, there are so many classic flavors that could replace fried rice.

But in the instant the fragrance hit her, she understood.

Life is like the fragrance of fried rice.

A little sweet, but more so familiar. The aroma of rice, eggs, and oil—every flavor is something one encounters every day.

This kind of flavor is the mundane joy of life!

She pushed this sudden insight from her mind and gently stirred the rice in the pan, making the aroma even more intense!

To ensure every grain of rice was evenly coated with the egg, the traditional pressing method used for stir-frying rice wasn’t suitable for this dish. Instead, she gently stirred and flipped the pan, using the softest touch to separate each grain of rice and heat them evenly.

When Tang Su returned from his smoke break, this was the scene he saw.

He even had to double-check, going around to the front to make sure it was indeed Chen Ran frying the rice.

While flipping the pan wasn’t an extraordinary skill, frying a whole pot of rice evenly while making sure each grain fell back into the pan perfectly was something ordinary chefs couldn’t achieve!

And this person, who had just been setting up his table, was now so effortlessly, gracefully flipping the pan, frying the rice little by little.

Tang Su watched Chen Ran’s movements, and even his wrist started to ache...

That was a pure iron pan!

After flipping the pan dozens of times, Chen Ran placed the iron pan back on the stove and poured in the vegetables she had just fried.

The primary purpose of stir-frying the rice separately was to set the egg coating on every grain of rice.

Once the egg coating had set, the rice should be stir-fried with the vegetables to allow the flavors to mix evenly.

Especially for this fried rice, which only used the egg yolk, it was crucial to use the onion’s fragrance to enhance the aroma and remove any fishy smell. You could never wait until the rice and egg were fully cooked before adding the vegetables.Chen Ran skillfully flipped the pan again several times, with each grain of rice evenly flying through the air before landing back into the pan.

The grains of rice that had flown through the air landed back on the bottom of the pan, where they bounced a few times, with little oil residue left behind.

The heat was just right!

When the rice could dance on the bottom of the pan, it meant the fried rice was cooked perfectly. Chen Ran sprinkled some fragrant scallions into the pan and then removed it from the heat!

She evenly divided the fried rice into three small round bowls, then carefully flipped each bowl onto a prepared plate.

The Golden Fried Rice, once plated, was round and golden, with green and red accents on top, accompanied by a strong fragrance that made one eager to take a spoon and dig in immediately.

【A perfect SS-level Golden Fried Rice, complete with color, aroma, and flavor】

Looking at the evaluation from the system, Chen Ran let out a breath of relief. She casually placed the wok aside to prepare to clean it, only to notice Tang Su standing behind her with a complex expression.

“Chef Tang, what’s wrong?” she asked.

“Nothing…”

Tang Su’s mind had already concocted an entire novel!

Due to his seniority, he could only be a prep cook, without the chance to take over the stove, so he had to practice flipping the pan. Now, he finally had a chance to touch the stove…

With a calm demeanor, he said to Chen Ran during the transition, “From now on, I’ll try to give you more chances to work the stove.”

Chen Ran didn’t respond.

Wasn’t this a vacation trip arranged by the system, with her doing prep work and taking the tourist train?

She ignored Tang Su’s words and called over the server, “The three sets are ready, please serve them!”

“Alright! Coming right up!”

Soon, three sets with fried rice were brought to the table.

Each set included one meat dish, one vegetarian dish, one soup, and the fried rice.

The main meat dish was steamed spareribs in black bean sauce, the vegetarian dish was a stir-fried shiitake mushroom and bok choy, and the soup was a light winter melon and meatball soup.

Since both the vegetarian dish and soup were relatively light, the fried rice served as a balance to complement the meal.

Huang Renshou had ordered this exact set, and sitting opposite him was his old acquaintance Yan Guangrao, the retired deputy director.

Unlike Huang Renshou, Yan Guangrao had chosen a very regionally distinctive caviar dish.

“Old Huang, we’re here to travel, and look at what you ordered… fried rice and spareribs, what’s the point? We’re in Heilongjiang, surrounded by snowfields, you should’ve gotten some caviar to fit the scene!” Yan Guangrao remarked.

Huang Renshou waved his hand dismissively. “Didn’t I order Guo Bao Rou yesterday? I really don’t want to pay for that sticky sauce.”

The tickets for this sightseeing train were expensive, and the food required extra payment, making it much more costly than typical restaurants.

“You were saying the fried meat slices were pretty good, right? Also, you keep talking about Chef Chen... Chen Ran, Chen Ran, there aren’t that many Chen Rans,” Yan Guangrao added, taking a bite of the caviar and sipping his wine. “Forget the good dishes. These dishes you’ve ordered, I’d have trouble even enjoying a drink with them.”

Huang Renshou didn’t mind. He picked up some bok choy with his chopsticks to taste.

“Look at this dish, the bok choy isn’t even fully cooked... The sauce isn’t even thick enough to coat it, it’s tasteless. With this kind of cooking, even if I ordered a snack to go with my drink, it probably wouldn’t have the right vibe.”“Alright! We’re here on a trip, and you—how is it that after a lifetime of being a chef, you can’t even relax while traveling? Look at the view outside the window, and you’re still here grumbling…”

Huang Renshou realized he might be a bit annoying, chuckled, and raised his small wine glass for a self-punishment: “Alright, I won’t critique the chef’s techniques anymore, is that okay? Come on, let’s stop talking!”

After drinking the small cup, the spiciness made Huang Renshou grimace. He heard the two young women beside him constantly gasp and exclaim “S-guo-yi,” and couldn’t help but ask Yan Guangrao.

“What are they saying? Can you understand it?”

Yan Guangrao didn’t understand Japanese either, but he made a rough guess: “I don’t know, probably just saying it’s delicious! You know, when it comes to Chinese food, who doesn’t say ‘delicious’?”

Huang Renshou shook his head, about to comment again, but then remembered what he’d just said and swallowed the words back down.

After taking a bite of the unsatisfactory black bean spareribs, he grabbed his spoon and was about to take a few bites of fried rice.

The reason he ordered this set with fried rice was that he thought, although fried rice might not be the best, even the worst wouldn’t be too bad.

And honestly, just looking at the fried rice’s appearance, it didn’t look...

Oh my! The presentation was too exaggerated!

He had been too focused on his complaints and hadn’t really paid attention to the fried rice. But now, upon closer inspection, he was so shocked that he almost couldn’t hold his spoon properly.

Although even street kids know the phrase “Each grain of rice must be fried and coated in egg,” the fact that it made it into a song means it’s a standard not easily reached by ordinary chefs.

Most golden fried rice gets its golden color from the oil.

But this fried rice... every grain of rice was actually coated in egg!

He was so amazed that he took out his phone and snapped eight pictures of the fried rice, before reluctantly picking up his spoon and gently scooping a bite.

Just one scoop, and the half-sphere of the fried rice fortress collapsed with a thud.

An untrained diner might think this is a failed presentation of fried rice. But for Huang Renshou, this only deepened his shock.

This meant that every single grain of rice was completely separated!

The biggest challenge with fried rice is that the grains shouldn’t stick together. For top-quality fried rice, each grain must remain separate.

But the theory is well known—who can actually achieve this kind of rice? If you add too much oil, you can get this result, but who would want to eat fried rice that’s half oil in every bite?

Yan Guangrao watched as Huang Renshou scooped through the fried rice with his spoon, muttering to himself, “There’s no oil…”

He couldn’t help but furrow his brows. “Even if it’s not good, just eat it first. Stop complaining about the chef.”

“It’s not that it’s bad! It’s just…”

Before he could finish his sentence, Huang Renshou couldn’t hold back any longer and shoved a whole spoonful of fried rice into his mouth!

One bite, and he was in heaven!

The sweetness of the diced onions and carrots, the rich aroma of the ham, and the freshness of the peas, these three layers of flavors combined with the natural fragrance of the fried rice itself, bringing an endless and satisfying experience to his taste buds.

Such a rich combination of flavors made it impossible to resist the urge to take a big bite!

Besides the well-layered texture of the side ingredients, what surprised him the most was the texture of the fried rice itself.

The overnight Wuchang rice had a fresh and slightly elastic texture, and this elasticity was wrapped in the tender egg coating.

Every grain of rice was coated in egg!The egg coating was different from the usual one, with an added dryness and less tenderness... it had an oil aroma, but without being greasy at all!

Huang Renshou chewed a couple of bites forcefully, swallowing each grain of rice, before finally speaking up.

"I got it!"

"It's the egg yolks! This fried rice only has egg yolks!"

Not even acknowledging Yan Guangrao's shocked gaze, Huang Renshou almost lifted the plate and took another big mouthful of rice.

Who would have imagined that this fried rice, while chewing, would even bounce back against his teeth!

This ultimate elastic texture, along with the faint fragrant crispy coating, made him feel fully immersed in the fragrance of the main dish, not wanting to come back to reality.

And the occasional side ingredients gave this immersive taste just a bit of a surprise.

The onions were slightly soft and crispy, the carrots had a bit of crunch, the peas were fresh, the scallions fragrant, and the ham cubes were the highlight surprise.

This bite of fried rice was so perfect, he couldn’t find a single flaw!

Oh, no, there was one flaw... Why was the portion so small?

Huang Renshou, being older and fond of drinking, usually only takes a couple of bites of the main dish to be satisfied.

But now, Yan Guangrao watched in shock as his old drinking buddy was vigorously scraping the rice with his spoon!

"…Is this fried rice really that good?"

The two had known each other for a long time—initially, Huang Renshou was the chef and Yan Guangrao was the customer, but over time, they had become drinking buddies.

Although Yan Guangrao wasn't happy that their conversations often revolved around cooking, he trusted his old friend’s judgment.

"It’s delicious!"

Huang Renshou couldn't resist and even pressed his lips together, savoring the lingering taste...

He pressed the call button on the table: "Waiter, another serving of this set!"

Yan Guangrao hurriedly added, "Give me one too!"

The two young women at the next table also quickly added two more sets.

The order was quickly sent to the kitchen, and Tang Su, with a hint of a smile on his face, thought to himself.

This black bean spareribs set was really popular!

Thinking about the skillful way he had seen Chen Ran cook earlier, he wondered if this young cook had probably been practicing tossing the wok for a long time to improve his culinary skills.

He decided to give this young cook a chance.

"Alright, let me teach you how to make this black bean spareribs dish!"