I'm a Druid at a farmhouse.

Chapter 59 Level 3 Chef

Liu Xu's eyes were glued to Song You's movements, but his brows furrowed involuntarily.

He leaned closer to his brother Liu Kun, lowered his voice, and said with the critical tone of a professional: "Brother, look at how he tosses the wok and the order in which he adds the seasonings. It's too casual. It doesn't seem to follow any rules."

That's what Liu Kun was thinking too.

Song You's movements were indeed different from all the professionally trained chefs he had ever seen. There was no precise angle for stirring, no fixed ratio of seasonings, and everything seemed so casual.

This slightly dissipated the frustration he felt from being outshone by the knife skills.

Sure enough, unorthodox methods are still unorthodox methods. No matter how good the basic skills are, when it comes to the actual cooking stage, the shortcomings are exposed.

But he didn't say that aloud. Instead, he glared at his younger brother and said, "Shut up. He taught himself this. Could you have reached this level by teaching yourself? It's easy for you to talk when you're not the one doing the work."

Liu Xu was taken aback, but after thinking about it carefully, it seemed to make sense.

Let him figure it out himself. Forget about cooking a dish, he'd be lucky to even cut potato shreds like Song You.

He awkwardly shut his mouth, but his eyes still held a scrutinizing gaze, staring intently at Song You's every move.

Song You ignored the surrounding discussions.

He slid the sliced ​​pork belly into the oil, and with a sizzling sound, the rich aroma of the meat was instantly released.

He didn't use a spatula to stir the pan frequently; instead, he simply flicked his wrist, making the entire wok rotate smoothly over the stove.

The slices of meat in the pot seemed to be supported by an invisible hand, spreading out evenly, with each slice making full contact with the boiling hot bottom of the pot.

The edges of the meat slices curled slightly, the fat was rendered out, and they turned golden brown and fragrant.

Only then did he pour in the drained potato shreds.

Next, add the garlic sprouts, light soy sauce, and salt to the pan in that order.

His movements were not fast, even somewhat slow and deliberate, but each step was perfectly coordinated, without the slightest hesitation.

The whole process took less than three minutes.

A plate of fragrant, home-style stir-fried shredded potatoes with meat is ready to serve.

The shredded potatoes on the plate were distinct and golden in color, the slices of pork belly were crispy and tempting, and the bright green garlic sprouts were scattered among them. Just looking at them made one's mouth water.

Liu Kun's gaze froze.

Although the process looked rough, the color and appearance of the finished product were actually better than what he made himself.

Without stopping, Song You turned around and put the prepared crucian carp and tofu into a clay pot, added ginger slices and boiling water, covered the pot, and simmered it over low heat.

Finally, he heated the wok again, heated the oil, sautéed the minced garlic until fragrant, added the sliced ​​cucumber, stir-fried it quickly for a few seconds, seasoned it with salt, and immediately took it out of the wok.

One meat dish, one vegetable dish, and one soup.

It took less than twenty minutes from start to finish.

When the three dishes were neatly arranged on the table in front of the judges, the whole room fell silent.

The air is filled with the aroma of stir-fried potatoes and meat, the fresh fragrance of crucian carp and tofu soup, and the refreshing scent of stir-fried cucumber.

The three flavors intertwined, forcefully penetrating everyone's nostrils.

"Gulp."

Someone couldn't help but swallow.

Looking at the three dishes in front of him, Liu Kun felt a mix of emotions.

He picked up his chopsticks and took a bite of shredded potato.

The shredded potatoes are crisp and crunchy with a slightly charred aroma, and the saltiness is just right. The sliced ​​pork belly is fatty but not greasy, and full of meaty flavor.

It was the simplest home-style flavor, but it tasted better than any stir-fried shredded potatoes and meat he had ever eaten.

The other judges also started eating, and each of them showed a similar expression of surprise.

"This soup is so delicious!" one of the judges exclaimed after taking a sip of the fish soup. "The fish is tender and smooth, the tofu is flavorful, and there's not a trace of fishiness."

Another judge praised the stir-fried cucumber dish, saying, "The heat control was perfect; the cucumber's sweetness and crispness were perfectly preserved."

The three dishes were quickly devoured by the five judges.

The staff divided the remaining dishes into small plates and served them to the audience.

"Delicious! How did you stir-fry these shredded potatoes? They smell so good!"

"I have to try making this fish soup at home, it's so delicious!"

Immediately, praises rose and fell.

The two young chefs sitting in the back row also received a small dish.

The two exchanged a glance, both seeing shock in each other's eyes. They took a bite, and their hearts sank completely.

This level is nowhere near theirs.

On the judges' panel, Liu Kun put down his chopsticks, looked at Song You, and said with a complex expression, "Your skills are indeed quite good. How do you usually practice?"

The opportunity is coming!

Song You immediately put on a warm smile: "Teacher Liu, you flatter me! Actually, I didn't practice much. I just run a farmhouse restaurant in the village, and I cook for guests every day. As I did it, my skills naturally improved."

He took a step forward and raised his voice a few decibels to make sure everyone present could hear him.

"My farmhouse restaurant is located in Songjia Village, just outside Xiangcheng. It's called 'Come and Have a Farmhouse Trip'! The scenery is beautiful, the ingredients are fresh, and the chickens I raise and the vegetables I grow are absolutely delicious! All the grandpas, grandmas, brothers, and sisters are welcome to come and try it when you have time. I guarantee you'll never forget it after just one bite!"

This sudden GG left everyone stunned.

Liu Kun's face turned dark.

Good grief, are they treating the chef assessment as a free chance to win?

"Alright, alright, I got it!" He quickly waved his hand to interrupt Song You's endless introduction. If he continued, he would probably even have to reveal the average cost per person at the farmhouse.

"Now, let's begin voting!" Liu Kun cleared his throat and announced impatiently.

As soon as he finished speaking, he was the first to raise his hand.

Immediately afterwards, the other four judges also raised their hands without hesitation.

Five votes, unanimously approved.

"Congratulations, Song You, you are now a nationally certified Level 3 chef." Liu Kun announced the result, his tone devoid of emotion.

A round of enthusiastic applause erupted in the arena.

Jiang Milu was smiling more happily than anyone else in the crowd, her eyes sparkling.

Next up is chef number two.

Perhaps spurred on by Song You, the young man appeared unusually nervous, his hands trembling as he chopped vegetables.

Of the three dishes that were finally made, one was braised pork that turned black, another was stir-fried greens that tasted bitter from saltiness, and only the winter melon and pork rib soup was somewhat normal.

Song You also took a bite and shook his head.

As expected, only two judges symbolically raised their hands.

The young chef's eyes welled up with tears as he looked at the results. He picked up his cooking utensils and walked out dejectedly.

The third chef had a much better mindset. He worked steadily and his three dishes, while not particularly amazing, were decent enough. He ultimately passed with four votes and successfully obtained the certificate.

[Druid's Log: You have successfully passed the Level 3 assessment for the Gourmet Druid, becoming a qualified Gourmet Druid. Progress bar +20%]

[Gourmet Druid: 100% (Advanced Quest 93/100)]

Song You was overjoyed. Finally, one of the progress bars was full. However, the progress bar of the Gourmet Druid increases very quickly. It only requires cooking to increase.

It seems I can learn one or two more skills before advancing to the next level.

The assessment ended, and the crowd gradually dispersed.

Jiang Milu ran to Song You's side, her face full of admiration: "Song You, you're amazing!"

"Standard procedure." Song You smiled and carefully put away the chef's certificate he had just received.

The young chef who passed the assessment and the other chef who failed but had calmed down both came over on their own initiative.

"Brother Song, can I add you on WeChat? I'd like to chat with you more in the future."

"Yeah, Brother Song, your knife skills are amazing!"

Song You readily exchanged contact information with them.

Just as he and Jiang Milu were about to leave, a figure blocked their way.

It's Liu Xu.

He held a short-handled boning knife that seemed disproportionate to his height, his eyes gleaming with fanaticism as he stared intently at Song You.

"Wait a minute!" Liu Xu's voice was a little hoarse, with a hint of stubbornness. "I admire your knife skills. But I don't believe your technique is really that flawless."

"Want to have a match with me?"