263: Seven colors of fried rice

Lu Chuan walked calmly towards the preparation area.

The ingredients provided for the semi-finals were of good quality and variety, but compared to the ingredients from another world and the special supplies Lin Wei prepared for her stall, they seemed rather ordinary.

His gaze was like lightning, quickly scanning the various ingredients, and the concept of his "Seven-Colored Exquisite Heart Fried Rice" corresponded one by one with what was before him.

There was naturally no "jade marrow rice," but he saw "silk fragrant rice" of excellent quality.

This type of rice is long and slender, crystal clear, and is commonly used for claypot rice in Guangdong Province. It has good water absorption, a dry and springy texture, and could serve as a substitute base.

As for the auxiliary ingredients needed for the "seven colors," he pondered for a moment, then successively selected:

Red: The upper part of premium Jinhua ham, taking its savory and rich reddish hue, cut into extremely fine, rice-grain-sized pieces.

Orange: Fresh sea shrimp, plump and springy, with a natural orange-red color and delicious flavor.

Yellow: Local free-range eggs, with deep, rich yolks and a strong aroma.

Green: Tender peas and fresh asparagus tips, providing a crisp texture and vibrant green color.

Cyan: A small amount of rehydrated dried scallops (conpoy), shredded by hand, bringing the fresh sweetness of the ocean and a light cyan hue.

Blue/Purple: This color is less common in natural ingredients.

Lu Chuan had a flash of inspiration and took some high-quality black goji berries, steeping them in a small amount of warm water to extract a deep, magnificent purplish-blue juice, setting it aside.

This touch of color would be the finishing stroke, also aligning with the ingenious concept of the "Exquisite Heart."

White: Freshly hand-picked crab meat, taking its pristine white color and delicate sweetness.

With the ingredients selected, Lu Chuan walked back to his workstation with light steps, meeting the surreptitious glances of the surrounding contestants.

He didn't start immediately. Instead, he first took some silk fragrant rice, placed it in a small clay pot, added slightly less water than usual, a pinch of salt, and a drop of oil, and began to cook it.

He needed rice that was distinct, dry, plump, and with a slight crispy crust aroma, not ordinary steamed rice.

While waiting for the rice to cook, he began the cutting and preparation work.

The Dark Crystal Star Chef's Knife seemed to come alive in his hands.

First was the ham. As the knife light scattered like falling snow, the ham was cut into uniform, millet-sized dices, almost without visible knife strokes, only a pile of ruby-like particles quietly appeared.

Next was the shrimp. The blade precisely sliced along the shrimp's back, a gentle flick, and the delicate vein was completely removed, while the tender shrimp meat remained undamaged.

Then, he flattened it with the knife and cut it into small dices of the same size.

The peas didn't need much processing, just blanching to maintain their vibrant green color.

He took the tenderest parts of the asparagus and cut them into small segments, finely shredded the dried scallops, and carefully removed any soft shells from the crab meat.

He then juiced the black goji berries and strained the liquid, setting it aside.

For the eggs, he separated the whites and yolks. The yolks were beaten and set aside, while the whites were reserved for another use.

His movements were fluid and graceful; each ingredient was handled perfectly, a pleasure to watch.

The set of dark blue star chef's knives in his hand didn't look like kitchen utensils, but rather like an artist's paintbrushes.

Each swing was like the twinkling of stars, breathtakingly beautiful.

The contestants secretly observing nearby were dumbfounded, and even the cameraman, responsible for filming, forgot the director's instructions, his lens firmly locked on him.

At the judges' table, Dai Xuesong, Chairman Neng Xing, and others had long since sat up straight, their eyes unblinking.

They could see that Lu Chuan's knife skills had reached a sublime level; that effortless, incredibly precise control was a realm they had pursued for many years but found difficult to achieve.

"These knife skills... simply divine..." a guild master murmured.

"Watching him prepare ingredients is simply a delight," another echoed.

Dai Xuesong nodded slowly, his gaze serious: "It's not just about speed and precision, but an ultimate understanding of ingredients, knowing how to cut to maximize their flavor and texture."

The rice was cooked. The moment the lid was opened, the aroma of rice mixed with a faint hint of char escaped.

Lu Chuan used chopsticks to loosen the rice, allowing the steam to dissipate, ensuring each grain was separate and distinct.

The most crucial moment arrived.

Lu Chuan took a deep breath, his eyes becoming incredibly focused.

He heated the wok, then lightly coated it with a minimal amount of oil.

He first added the finely diced ham, stir-frying it over low heat to render out the oil and coax out its deep-seated savory aroma.

Then, he successively added the shredded dried scallops, diced shrimp, and crab meat, stir-frying them quickly to lock in their freshness before promptly scooping them out, leaving only the residual oil in the wok.

He poured in the beaten egg yolk liquid, quickly stir-frying it into golden, scrambled bits, and likewise scooped it out.

He washed the wok again, heated it until extremely hot, poured in a little oil, added minced ginger to fragrant, then immediately poured in the loosened rice, stir-frying it quickly over high heat, allowing each grain to be evenly heated and coated with oil.

"Whoosh—"

The rice danced in the wok, each grain distinct, colliding with pleasant sounds.

Then came the dazzling sequence of additions: golden scrambled egg, red ham, orange shrimp, green peas and asparagus, cyan shredded dried scallops, white crab meat... Each auxiliary ingredient entered the wok at the most opportune moment, thoroughly mixing with the rice.

Finally, he picked up the bowl of purplish-black goji berry juice and slowly poured it along the edge of the wok, while his right hand, wielding the spatula, rapidly stir-fried at an extremely high frequency.

An unexpected situation occurred.

The deep purplish-blue liquid, upon encountering the hot wok and hot rice, did not, as everyone imagined, dye the rice a dull gray-black.

Instead, under Lu Chuan's precise heat control and rapid stir-frying, it evenly adhered to some of the rice grains and auxiliary ingredients, interweaving with the other colors, as if by magic, forming a dreamlike seven-colored luster.

Amidst the rising steam, Lu Chuan swiftly sprinkled in seasonings, finally drizzling a few drops of fragrant Sichuan peppercorn oil, and gave the wok a final dozen or so powerful tosses over high heat.

Clang.

He turned off the heat and served.

A plate of fried rice, as if the rainbow had been crushed and incorporated into it, appeared before everyone.

In the pristine white dish, the rice grains were distinct and crystal clear.

Red, orange, yellow, green, cyan, blue, and purple — the seven colors harmoniously intertwined, sparkling with an alluring luster like precious gems.

As the steam dissipated, a complex aroma rapidly spread.

The savory richness of ham, the fresh sweetness of shrimp and crab, the toasted aroma of egg, the crispness of vegetables, the oceanic flavor of dried scallops, and a very faint yet unique fruity scent of black goji berries and the numbing fragrance of Sichuan peppercorns – all these flavors were distinct yet wonderfully blended into an ultimate, mouth-watering, and irresistible freshness.

The entire venue fell silent for a moment, then erupted in a huge gasp of astonishment.

"My goodness! Is this... is this fried rice?!"

"Seven colors! It really looks like a rainbow!"

"This aroma... it's so complex, so enticing!"

"How did he do that? Where did the blue come from? It doesn't clash at all!"

The guild masters at the judges' table could no longer restrain themselves. Almost the instant Lu Chuan finished plating, they collectively stood up, craning their necks to look at the plate of fried rice that surpassed the limits of their imagination.

Dai Xuesong's voice even trembled: "Seven-colored exquisite! It's as if he's blended the rainbow into it, truly a marvel, a marvel!"

With that, he shouted to the staff, "Quick, bring it up, for tasting, we must taste it!"

The other guild masters also looked impatient.