Who gave this heretical practitioner permission to cook?

Chapter 35: To make sure the judges realized it was offal soup, I kept a little bit of the essence!
The judging process for the contestants is still ongoing.
Chen Xiaodong looked at the judges' panel and saw that many of them had started eating the fried pork chops from the Sichuan-Chongqing Ice and Fire Chef team. A serious expression appeared on his brow.

He had great confidence in his choice of dishes and in Yang Yanbin's ability to judge aromas. However, he had also smelled the aroma of Wulu Zatang and knew that it was difficult to compare the aroma of hot soup with that of cold food.

However, the judgment of food itself is multifaceted. Although the judges are attracted by the aroma of fried pork chops, they may not necessarily choose the Sichuan-Chongqing Ice and Fire Chef team.

From a creative standpoint, both the plating and the selection of dishes at Sichuan and Chongqing Ice and Fire Chef seem too conservative.

Zhang Yong, who was sitting on the judges' panel, shared the same idea as him.

Although he ate part of the fried pork cutlet and drank half a bowl of soup, as a judge of a food competition, he had to admit that this choice of a dish using ordinary food with three sauces did indeed seem to be pandering to the judges.

He admitted that the fried pork cutlet alone would score 8.8 points, the soup 9.2 points, and the combination of the two, the overall flavor of the dish, could be increased to over 9.3 points.

Furthermore, it also highlights the theme of the competition: land!
However, judging from the presentation, the fried pork chop with sauce is basically unadorned, and the soup doesn't even have any scallions. Therefore, one point should be deducted from the visual appeal.

Creativity is lacking; the main body of the dish lacks imagination. Rather than eating familiar, formulaic dishes, he hopes to see some new ideas in the team competition.

Therefore, in terms of creativity, at the very least, 2 points should be deducted.
In contrast, the improved version of "Beef Tartare" made by Chen Xiaodong's team next to them looked much better visually, and you could clearly see the innovations they made on the original basis.

First, there's the beef itself. Generally, "Beef Tartar" uses either tenderloin (filet mignon) or sirloin (outer loin).

The former is tender and without tendons, possessing the tender texture of beef, while the latter contains a little fat and has a firmer texture than the former.

However, the "Beef Tartare" made by Chen Xiaodong's team was a mixture of the two in a certain proportion, with the addition of beef chuck.

Zhang Yong thought that this was most likely done to control the texture of the beef, but as for the results, he would have to taste it to know.

He took the cup that the production team used for rinsing his mouth, cleaned the remaining bits of food from his mouth, picked up a fork and mashed the egg yolk, then mixed it perfectly with the beef. He then picked it up with a spoon and took a bite.

As he savored the unique sour taste on his tongue, the tenderness of the raw beef, and the rich texture brought by a touch of fat, Zhang Yong nodded unconsciously. At least in terms of the proportion of beef, the chef had achieved harmony.

"The texture of the meat is well preserved, and the flavor complements the meat perfectly."

"Um"

He muttered a few words to himself, and suddenly, a hint of doubt appeared between his brows, followed by a slightly serious expression.

On the other side, unlike the chef team who were patiently waiting for the judges to announce the results, the bald cook was enjoying his meal with a fried pork chop in his left hand and a bowl of mixed offal soup in his right.

"Graduate student, your pork chop is amazing! I've eaten my fair share of pork chops in my life, but yours is definitely in the top three."

"And the Magic Chef, your Five-Ingredient Soup, yes, Five-Ingredient Mixed Soup, you really can't taste any bad offal flavors. It's very harmonious overall and extremely appetizing."

Xia Ming glanced at the bald cook, and a smile crept onto his lips.

"It's delicious, it's delicious, then eat more."

The bald cook nodded. He had been tasting the sauce on an empty stomach and was almost crying with cravings. Now that he was in the waiting phase, he might as well eat a couple more pork chops to fill his stomach!
Watching the bald cook pick up the pork chop and dip it in sauce again, Xia Ming turned his gaze to the graduate student at the banquet.

Why are you only drinking and not eating?

The graduate student at the banquet, holding a bowl of mixed offal soup, shook his head slightly.

"I tasted the pork chop the first time it was fried, so I wasn't as hungry as the cook. I just needed some soup."

As she spoke, she took a small sip of the mixed soup and then looked at Xia Ming.

"First the cook, then me, then the judges, and then the dishes across from me—you've planned everything from the very beginning. It's incredible."

Hearing the graduate student's words at the banquet, Xia Ming smiled slightly, then rubbed his nose. "What? You mean fried pork chop, or soup?"

The graduate student at the banquet smiled helplessly.

She knew Xia Ming understood what she meant.
Just now, she completely figured out the idea behind Xia Ming's cooking combination!
The Five-Ingredient Mixed Soup has a mild and smooth taste, rich in the unique aroma of offal. The soup base is slightly strong, with a hint of sourness that is extremely appetizing and makes one's mouth water.

It might be a little better at other times, but it's mealtime now.
Having digested their breakfast, the judges, stimulated by the flavor of the soup base, will subconsciously increase their appetite.

That is, just like the bald cook today, he would instinctively eat fried pork chops.

Fried pork cutlets are extremely high in calories. You might not feel it at first, but after eating a few, the physiological effects of fat intake, combined with the feeling of your stomach being filled, will subconsciously make you feel a bit greasy.

Even the best fried food cannot avoid this, but just because it cannot be avoided does not mean it cannot be delayed.

The warm, mixed soup helped to remove some of the greasiness from my mouth, and the addition of a flavorful sauce greatly delayed the thought of the word "greasy" from even forming in my mind.

She also understands that the most perfect catalyst for a dish is actually the diner's "hunger".

What Xia Ming did was to lure all the originally hungry diners to his camp with the aroma, and then fill them up as much as possible, which is why each person was a whole pork chop.

Once a person is full, their physiological craving for food will decrease. Even if the same fragrant mixed soup is placed in front of them, their judgment will differ depending on their physical condition.

Professional food critics will deliberately avoid this problem by controlling the time they spend eating each dish to make the evaluation process more equitable.
But what if the judges aren't professional enough?
That's right, the secret Xia Ming told her and the bald cook when he pulled them aside earlier was this.

Xia Ming drew a bold conclusion based on a comprehensive analysis of the judges' scent, lip color, skin condition, and physique.

That is, of the 100 judges present, at least 70 were ordinary people, and Xia Ming also speculated that they came from all walks of life, with white-collar workers being the majority.

"Their posture and demeanor betrayed them, and some of their accessories and fragrances were making basic mistakes in food tasting. Therefore, we cannot judge this group from the perspective of professional judges."

Yes, if it's an ordinary person, then the standards are completely different.

When it comes to judging food, the average person doesn't consider lengthy explanations of innovation or depth; they just want two words.
【tasty! 】

Just like many people don't understand what kind of design looks good, but they do understand what kind of design they find pleasing to the eye.

Under this judging standard, the appeal of a large portion of fried pork cutlet will be amplified to the judges.
"So, you're including the diners' physiological needs in the food and then using that to tip the scales of victory? That's terrifying. I'm somewhat glad I'm your teammate."

Xia Ming chuckled when he heard what the graduate student at the banquet said.

"You're amazing too!"

He knew that the graduate student was probably thinking about the logic behind his entire game. She was very smart and should be able to think of a lot of things.

Unfortunately, her innate known conditions are insufficient, so even if she can push it to the furthest point, it will still be very different from Xia Ming's original plan.

Just like her judgment of the soup itself, it was still only superficial, that it was appetizing and helped to cut through the greasiness.

"It's not that simple. How can broth made from offal possibly replace the function of clear broth?"

"Oh, speaking of which, in order to make sure the judges realized it was offal soup, I kept a little bit of the essence!"

"Judging by the time, it should be about time, right?"

(End of this chapter)