The story begins in Food Wars, when Alice took him home.

Take the turtle out of the water and peel off its skin, even between its toes.

This step is crucial for making good turtle soup. If the water temperature is too high, the skin and meat will be overcooked and difficult to remove. If the water temperature is too low, the two parts will be inseparable and also difficult to remove.

Only at the right temperature can the turtle skin be easily removed.

The degree of balance required here can only be understood by those who frequently cook turtle; this is also a detail in making a good dish.

"Want to make a modified version of Five-Round Turtle? Considering the variety of ingredients you're buying, it's indeed a good solution, provided you don't have that many medicinal herbs."

Walking leisurely towards Bai Yuan, Zhou Tai looked at the ingredients that Bai Yuan had singled out, pinched his chin, pondered for a moment, and then spoke his thoughts.

If he hadn't rubbed it, Bai Yuan probably wanted to make a Hunanese delicacy, Five-Round Turtle Soup.

Besides the Five-Round Turtle Soup, there's also Five-Round Steamed Chicken, both Hunan specialties. This guy is quite young, but he knows a lot of things.

Zhou Tai suppressed his surprise and couldn't help but sigh.

"Soft-shelled turtle is known as a delicacy with five flavors, as it combines the flavors of beef, mutton, chicken, deer, and pork."

Since you've called it the "improved version," it must be a modified dish.

The five circles correspond to five kinds of umami flavor.

It's perfect for making soup.

As for the remaining part, Bai Yuan plans to process the turtle using the methods for making medicinal cuisine, and then use the Five Elements to cater to the five flavors.

Cut the prepared turtle into equal-sized pieces, add salt and white wine and rub, then rinse with clean water and stir-fry in a pot until fragrant.

This is to remove the fishy smell and enhance the aroma. Also, the turtle meat, after being pan-fried, will not fall apart during the cooking process, so you can eat the turtle meat while drinking the soup.

After stir-frying for a while, add Shaoxing wine, then add cold water. When the water temperature rises, add scallions, red dates, codonopsis, angelica, astragalus, and a small bag of pre-mixed spices.

It's worth mentioning that a large portion of the world's spices are actually medicinal herbs. Because they contain flavors that humans like, they are used as spices and are generally harmless to the human body.

"I'm really looking forward to it! The rich aroma is making my mouth water!"

Sniffing the fragrant aroma in the air, Zhou Tai's aged face flushed slightly, and he looked quite content.

Seeing this, Bai Yuan didn't say anything. He simply killed the chicken in the cage next to him, quickly processed it, took out the chicken breast and placed it on the cutting board. He then chopped it into minced meat with a sharp knife and used chopsticks to remove the tendons and membranes.

The lotus seeds, red dates, and other ingredients that had been soaking were also ready for consumption.

Remove the lotus seed hearts and set them aside. Add the soaked dried longan, salt, MSG, and ginger slices to the pot in that order. This completes the first step.

Place the bamboo shoots on a cutting board, remove the outer skin, cut the inner core into small balls, and set aside with the lotus seeds.

As for the dried seafood that was being soaked on the side...

Because of its rich umami flavor, adding it early on can easily overpower the taste of the turtle, so it needs to be added in the middle of the stewing process.

"Let's take a rest first."

Looking at the bubbling soup in front of him, Bai Yuan put down what he was holding, said something to Zhou Tai, and returned to the living room with a relaxed feeling.

Seeing this, Zhou Tai didn't wait in the kitchen. After exchanging a glance with Bai Yuan, he silently returned to the living room to have tea and chatted with Bai Yuan casually.

Zhou Yuyu sat opposite the two, propping her chin up with her hand and gazing at Bai Yuan with a lovesick expression, while Nakiri Alice stayed by his side the whole time to assert her dominance, acting like the mistress of the house.

As time passed, a pleasant aroma filled the kitchen.

Zhou Quan and Hojo Miyoko stood in front of the soup pot, staring at the boiling soup in front of them with clear and bright eyes, without the slightest impatience.

The chicken soup was rich and flavorful, and the turtle soup was equally delicious. The aromas of the two filled a corner of the kitchen, transforming into the Black Tortoise and the Phoenix, fighting each other invisibly.

The chicken soup pot, with its rising steam, resembles a phoenix spreading its wings, ready to take flight.

This phoenix is ​​not a physical entity, but rather formed from a rich fragrance. Its golden radiance shimmers in the mist, making it appear incredibly sacred.

On the other side, the aroma of turtle soup slowly rose, transforming into a calm and majestic black tortoise, carrying an aura as imposing as a mountain.

The shape of Xuanwu is formed by the intertwining of a tortoise and a snake. Its fragrance is deep and restrained, exuding the dual charm of the ocean and the land, making people unable to help but murmur.

As the aroma materialized, steam filled the entire kitchen, a phoenix cried out, and a black tortoise roared. After a brief standoff, they suddenly clashed.

The phoenix's fragrance is as fiery as flames, attempting to devour everything, while the Black Tortoise, with its unique composure and gravitas, uses its fragrance to build a solid defense against the phoenix's attack.

The two scents intertwined in the air, sometimes the fragrance of the phoenix taking the lead, like the blazing sun shining in all directions; sometimes the fragrance of the black tortoise rising quietly, like the night falling, bringing a touch of coolness and tranquility.

The two were intertwined, neither gaining the upper hand, while Bai Yuan and Zhou Tai, who had returned to the kitchen at some point, stood in front of their respective counters, their faces full of seriousness.

Dried clams, dried scallops, dried conch.

Bai Yuan put the ingredients into the pot one by one.

As the ingredients were added, the aroma representing Xuanwu (Black Tortoise) in the sky suddenly intensified, followed by an angry roar from Xuanwu, which then stood up abruptly.

Dried clams, scallops, and dried oysters boil in the pot, their flavors wafting into the soup and then spreading as a fragrant aroma.

The next moment, the Xuanwu stood upright with snakes wrapped around its arms, and strips of pale yellow armor attached to its body, greatly increasing its defense.

Xuanwu, now clad in armor, didn't remain idle. He swung a punch at the phoenix, which cried out in pain and flapped its wings to retaliate, but it didn't cause much damage.

The battle, which had been evenly matched, tipped in Xuanwu's favor the moment Xuanwu acquired the heavy armor.

On the other side, looking at the soup that had been boiled down to just a thin layer, Zhou Tai did not add any new ingredients, but instead filtered the ingredients in the pot.

Put the filtered broth back into the pot and bring it to a boil over high heat. Then take a bowl, pour water into it, and add the previously chopped chicken breast.

Quickly stir with your hands, add scallions, ginger, rice wine, pepper, salt, and sugar for simple seasoning, then pour it into chicken broth.

Simmer over low heat.

As time goes by, the absorbent material from the chicken breast quickly absorbs the impurities in the soup, and the soup in the pot visibly becomes clearer.

At the same time, the phoenix in the sky suddenly cried out, and a layer of white flames suddenly appeared around its body, quickly engulfing it completely.

A few seconds later, the white flames disappeared, and the phoenix's body, which had been covered in wounds from the Black Tortoise, was now completely renewed, its body turning a glassy color.

The two sides clashed again, and this time the battle became evenly matched, with neither side able to gain the upper hand.

"Is this really something that cooking can do? It feels like reading a martial arts novel... But more accurately, it should be the Classic of Mountains and Seas!"

Inside the living room, everyone saw Bai Yuan and Zhou Tai enter the kitchen and then came in from outside. They were all shocked by what they saw in the sky.

Zhou Yuyu muttered to herself. She had long heard that the duel between high-star chefs was like a martial arts duel, with a grand scale. At the time, she thought it was an exaggeration. After all, it was just cooking a meal. Even if the food tasted very good, it was impossible for it to be a big event.

But now...

Looking at everything before her, Zhou Yuyu felt that all her previous understanding had been overturned.

The phoenix and the black tortoise circling in the sky looked so majestic and powerful. Now that they were fighting together, even the onlookers were terrified.

Even though I know it's all fake, I can still see it clearly. It's hard to imagine that such a spectacle was created by just two dishes.

"The things in that storybook are actually true. Skilled chefs can imbue food with souls, and when competing against other chefs, they can let the food spirits leave their bodies to interfere with their opponents, thereby achieving final victory."

In the crowd, Erina Nakiri closed her eyes, and a similar plot from a storybook she read as a child inexplicably surfaced in her mind.

At the time, she thought it was childish; cooking is essentially an inanimate object, how could it possibly compete with each other? But now it seems that she was the childish one…

"It must be that they've run out of steam."

Seeing the soup in front of Zhou Tai quickly become clear, Bai Yuan's lips curled into a smile. The other party's cooking should be finished.

But he's still one step away from completing this task!

Lotus seeds, goji berries, bamboo shoot balls, and quail eggs.

These are four ingredients that need to be added before the dish is finished cooking; otherwise, they will become mushy from the broth, affecting the final taste.

As the three ingredients were put into the pot, Xuanwu in the sky suddenly had a heavy hammer in his hand. Facing the fierce phoenix, he mercilessly brought the hammer down on her head.

This blow dealt it a severe blow.

Seeing this, Zhou Tai kept scooping out the impurities from the pot to help the phoenix in the sky recover its condition, hoping that it could rest and fight again.

However, Xuanwu's attack was fierce, giving it no time to breathe.

Soon, the phoenix let out a mournful cry, and the Black Tortoise achieved final victory.

The next moment, the light in the soup in front of Zhou Tai dimmed. Although it looked no different from before, something important was missing, which made him smile bitterly.

Chapter 189 The News Brought by Zhou Tai: Fantasy-Level Ingredients

"In the end, I made the wrong move..."

Seeing this, Zhou Tai couldn't help but sigh, put down the soup spoon in his hand, and immediately admitted defeat.

Zhou Quan's chosen dish is fairly standard, with no particular strengths or weaknesses; it's a fairly common soup.

Even if this soup is made to perfection, it is inherently inferior to those great dishes because it lacks the flavor.

If his cooking was out of 80 and he got 80, then Bai Yuan's cooking was out of 100 and he got 99.

Although the latter did not have a higher success rate than the former, it still surpassed the former in terms of score, after all, it was more difficult to make.

"Food transforms into soul, and you fight against the heavens. Your strength should have already broken through to the eighth level of the Special Grade. Why haven't you applied yet?"

Looking at Bai Yuan's relaxed expression, Zhou Tai's voice revealed a hint of doubt.

Only when both sides' dishes reach a certain level will the food spirits residing within the dishes be drawn out and emerge to fight each other in the sky.

The last time such a scene appeared was more than ten years ago when he competed with his master, but unfortunately his master has now passed away.

"They didn't want me to be promoted so quickly, thinking that would attract too much attention, so they asked me to participate in the assessment in two years to give me a buffer. Now I might have reached the eighth level of the special grade, or I might not."

As Bai Yuan spoke, he ladled the soup from the pot into a large bowl in his hand, and then used chopsticks to pick up the ingredients from the pot.

This bowl contains lotus seeds, red dates, longan, quail eggs, and bamboo shoot balls, along with two pieces of turtle meat. Whether you eat the meat or drink the soup, it's absolutely delicious!

"Try it."

After ladling out the soup, Bai Yuan handed it directly to Zhou Tai.

The other person's soup needed to cook for another forty minutes, while his only needed to be covered and simmered for ten minutes, which is why it could be served so quickly.

"Thank you."

Zhou Tai nodded and accepted the soup Bai Yuan handed him without hesitation. He then opened his mouth to savor the delicious soup, took a couple of sips, and picked up his chopsticks to start eating the meat, a look of enjoyment on his face.

"The meat of the soft-shelled turtle is tender. After being stir-fried to remove the fishy smell and enhance the aroma, it is stewed with a variety of medicinal herbs and spices, which allows the meat to be infused with the fragrance of the herbs and the mellowness of Shaoxing wine, resulting in a delicious and non-greasy taste."

Meanwhile, the soup carries a subtle aroma of wine and the unique sweetness of medicinal herbs, preserving the natural freshness of the turtle while adding rich layers of flavor.

As the turtle soup entered my mouth, its delicate flavors spread and lingered in my mouth, and Zhou Tai began to explain.

This reflects his professional competence as a chef.