Chapter 78: Cheese Quartet

In both his past life and this one, Li Xiao had always been a wealthy man.

He might not have made it onto any of those so-called rich lists, but he was certainly financially independent.

The system’s previous rewards had been generous, but they were never enough to truly shock him.

This time, however, the system’s reward was so substantial it honestly made him question reality.

Although the market value of stocks didn’t fully represent their cash value, and a massive sell-off could even crash the price, stock worth 210 million could still fetch at least 200 million if he sold it off gradually.

Two hundred million. Even though it was only a tenth of his wealth from his past life, it was more than enough for him to live comfortably for the rest of his days.

If he sold these shares, he could pretty much take his pick of any house he wanted in Yangcheng.

However, his attention was soon drawn to the description of Haitian Flavors.

Haitian was one of the first "Time-Honored Brands" of Xia Country.

Its current product line covered over a dozen major series with more than a hundred varieties and over 800 specifications, including soy sauce, oyster sauce, various pastes, vinegar, cooking wine, seasoning sauces, chicken essence, chicken powder, fermented bean curd, and hot pot bases. Its annual output value exceeded 25 billion yuan.

Looking at Haitian Flavors’ business operations, Li Xiao temporarily suppressed the urge to sell his shares immediately.

Haitian Flavors focused entirely on seasonings and condiments, and he had a feeling that would come in handy one day.

After finishing the Salt-baked Pine Needle Crab, Li Xiao returned to the kitchen.

"Next, I’m going to teach everyone how to make Cheese-baked Pine Needle Crab."

"There are two ways to prepare this dish."

"One way is to simply spread mozzarella cheese flat on top of the crab meat and put it straight into the oven."

"The other way is a bit more complex and requires making a special cheese sauce."

"The two methods vary in difficulty and result in noticeably different flavors, so you can choose which to make based on your own abilities."

As he spoke, Li Xiao had already begun preparing the cheese sauce.

He took out four different blocks of cheese from the refrigerator.

He showed the four differently shaped blocks of cheese to the camera one by one.

"Because I want the cheese sauce to have a more unique flavor profile, I’ve specially chosen four different types of cheese."

"If you don’t eat cheese often at home, you can just buy those small packets of cheese slices for sandwiches."

"These four cheeses are Gruyère, Mozzarella, Cheddar, and Goat Cheese."

"Gruyère is a Swiss cheese. It’s a hard, whole-milk cheese with a strong, nutty flavor. It’s the one commonly used in Swiss fondue."

"Mozzarella is probably the cheese you’re most familiar with. It’s from Italy and is mainly used for pizza and any other cheesy dish that gives you that classic cheese pull."

"Cheddar cheese, commonly from the UK, has a mild flavor and a smooth texture. It’s the most purchased and consumed cheese in the world, and many British people enjoy eating it raw as a snack."

"Finally, we have goat cheese. As the name implies, it’s made from goat’s milk. It has a slightly acidic taste, a texture similar to nuts, and it’s great for cutting through richness."

Li Xiao tossed all four different cheeses into the food processor at once. A feast of cheese was about to begin.

He then lightly sprinkled in a little rosemary powder, black pepper, and sea salt. These seasonings would add a distinct layer of flavor to the Pine Needle Crab.

Finally, Li Xiao elegantly added a small amount of butter.

This high-quality fat would make the cheese sauce smoother and add a rich complexity to its texture.

Setting the food processor to its lowest speed, he pressed the start button, and the blades emitted a low mechanical whir.

It was a symphony of cheese as the four types danced in the processor, gradually melting into a fragrant, rich cheese sauce.

While the cheese sauce was slowly blending, Li Xiao didn’t stand idle.

He skillfully took out several Pine Needle Crab legs, removed the joints, and used a cleaver to split the long legs in half lengthwise, cutting straight down the middle to the core.

Li Xiao held the tender crab legs up to the camera, his expert technique showcasing every delicious inch.

"Since we’re going to spread the cheese sauce and sprinkle shredded cheese on top later, we need to split all the legs open to create a flat surface. This will allow them to hold more cheese and absorb more flavor."

He explained the cooking technique in detail.

Swiftly and skillfully, Li Xiao split all the crab legs in half, preparing them for the subsequent seasoning and cooking.

At the same time, the cheese sauce in the food processor was finished blending.

After being finely blended by the food processor, the four cheeses, each with its own shape and color, had fused perfectly into a smooth, paste-like cheese sauce.

Pouring the mixed cheese sauce out of the food processor, Li Xiao picked up a butter knife, a type of knife with a rounded tip typically used for scraping butter or spreading it on bread.

He deftly scooped up some cheese sauce with the butter knife and spread it evenly over each piece of crab leg meat.

His movements were swift and precise. With a simple scrape and spread, he had coated an entire crab leg with the smooth cheese sauce.

Seeing that the process wasn’t too difficult, Huang Zhiyuan, who was standing beside him, immediately volunteered.

"Brother Li, that looks easy! Why don’t I give it a try?"

Li Xiao glanced at the eager Huang Zhiyuan and didn’t refuse.

With a flick of his wrist, he offered the handle of the knife to Huang Zhiyuan, reminding him aloud:

"Remember, you have to coat the entire cut surface with the cheese sauce. Make sure it’s even."

"Otherwise, the high heat of the oven will completely evaporate the moisture from the Pine Needle Crab meat, and it will turn out dry and tough."

Huang Zhiyuan took the butter knife.

"Got it. This is a simple job. Don’t you worry."

Li Xiao stood to the side and watched for a moment. Seeing that Huang Zhiyuan’s technique was decent enough, he didn’t interfere any further.

Moving to the side, he took the block of mozzarella cheese from the fridge.

"For viewers at home who don’t have a food processor or don’t want to buy a lot of different cheeses, if you still want to make cheese-baked Pine Needle Crab, you can just buy a block of mozzarella."

"Mozzarella is very versatile. You can use it for pizza, baked rice, baked pasta, and cheesecake, so you don’t have to worry about not being able to use it all up."

"Processing mozzarella is also very simple. If you have a vegetable peeler, you can use it to shave the cheese into shreds."

"If you don’t have a peeler, you can just slice it with a fruit knife. Simply cover the crab legs with the cheese slices or shreds."

As he spoke, Li Xiao took out two different tools: a professional cheese grater and a standard fruit knife.

He skillfully used the cheese grater to shave off a small pile of shredded cheese, and at the same time, used the fruit knife to cut several thick slices of cheese.

Then, he lightly placed the cheese slices and shredded cheese onto the crab legs.

Soon, all the crab legs were ready—the cheese sauce had been spread, and the shredded cheese had been sprinkled.

He arranged all the crab legs neatly on a tray lined with tin foil.

Each piece was handled with his deft touch, ensuring an even distribution of cheese and laying a solid foundation for the cooking process.

The oven was already preheated. Li Xiao slid the tray gently inside.

He set the timer for 15 minutes and shut the oven door smartly.

Clapping his hands together, he turned to the camera and said:

"Alright, while these are baking for the next 15 minutes, I’ll prepare the final dish for everyone."