KITCHEN PRACTICE 2 — Prepping the Stir-Fry and Steaming the Fish While the Braise Simmers
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Chapter: Chinese Cookery 10 — Capstone: A Family-Style Chinese Meal

TASK
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While the braise simmers unattended, prep the stir-fry's mise en
place and steam the fish in that same window. Note where the timing
genuinely overlaps.

WHAT TO DO
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1. Once your hong shao braise is covered and simmering gently
   (Chapter 7), start a timer and use this window for the next two
   tasks.
2. Prep the stir-fry's full mise en place: velvet and blanch your
   meat (Chapter 4), mince aromatics (Chapter 3), slice vegetables in
   order of hardness (Chapter 2), and mix a sauce bowl — all without
   actually cooking any of it yet.
3. In the same window, prep and steam your fish (Chapter 6),
   including the final hot-oil finish.
4. Note how much of the braise's own simmer time each task actually
   used, and whether you had genuine downtime left over.

WHAT TO EXPECT
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- The braise's own simmer should comfortably cover both tasks, with
  some time to spare — it's genuinely the longest single window in
  the whole meal.
- You may need to briefly check on the braise (stirring, checking
  liquid level) partway through, a realistic bit of overlap rather
  than a perfectly clean handoff between tasks.
- The stir-fry's own mise en place, once complete, should sit ready
  and waiting — untouched until the very last stretch before serving.

WHY THIS WORKS AS AN ANSWER
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This reruns the same overlapping-tasks skill Italian and French
Cookery's own capstones practiced, but the payoff here is different
— the goal isn't finishing one course before the next begins, it's
having every dish sitting ready and waiting so they can all be
served together. Recognising the braise's own long, low-attention
simmer as real working time for two other dishes is exactly the
planning insight this capstone is testing.