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

"The citric acid in orange juice can neutralize the alkaline compounds in fish, thus effectively removing the fishy smell. At the same time, the aroma of oranges can also add a refreshing fruity fragrance to the fish."

Of course, the most crucial aspect is that it keeps the fish meat tender and smooth, which helps improve its texture; it's truly a clever design.

Senzaemon Nakiri has been the headmaster of the academy for so long, and he has seen all kinds of cuisines when he was young. Using fruit to cook dishes is actually not uncommon in Totsuki Culinary Academy.

After all, fruit is a very good ingredient for cooking.

Set the marinated fish aside, then chop some orange peel and scallions. When preparing the scallions, Huang Mei made decorative cuts to make it easier to release their flavor.

On the other hand, the fish was marinated for ten minutes and then deep-fried directly without needing to be coated with any starch. This was the result of an experiment.

This move is called "clear fry".

Deep-frying without coating with flour, batter, or starch, and directly frying the ingredients, preserves the original flavor of the ingredients to the greatest extent, making the finished product more delicious.

Deep-fry until dry and golden brown. Once set, remove and set aside.

Add water to a pot, blanch the scallions briefly, remove them, then add the chili peppers and blanch them as well. Remove them and set aside.

These were things Bai Yuan had taught her before.

Because frying food involves the loss of moisture, excessive heat can easily cause the food to brown instantly, preventing the aroma from being released. Blanching beforehand can effectively solve this problem.

"This is the first time I've seen this method. The purpose is probably to retain the moisture in the ingredients. This little girl really knows a lot."

Watching Huang Mei's skillful movements, Zhou Tai couldn't help but sigh.

This technique was something he had never seen before. As an eight-star chef, he quickly figured out the secret behind it and looked at Bai Yuan, suspecting that it was his doing.

After all, it would be difficult for a novice chef to come up with such a constructive cooking method.

Facing Zhou Tai's gaze, Bai Yuan's expression remained unchanged. He simply watched the arena silently, pretending not to notice the scrutiny in Zhou Tai's eyes.

Seeing this, Zhou Tai couldn't help but smile wryly, knowing that the other party didn't want to talk about it, so he didn't continue the topic and instead turned his attention back to the competition field.

Just as a glimpse reveals the whole leopard, Huangmei's current culinary performance can, in a sense, reflect Baiyuan's culinary expertise.

He didn't know Bai Yuan well, so he didn't want to miss any details. He needed to know at least where Bai Yuan came from. He couldn't possibly be a genius who appeared out of nowhere!

On the field, Huang Mei steamed the fried scallions, then poured out most of the oil from the pot and added scallion segments, dried chili peppers, and orange peel.

“Smells so good!”

"The aroma of scallions, chili peppers, and oranges blend together, creating a deep and rich flavor that makes your mouth water just by smelling it!"

In the audience, the aroma of food sizzling in the oil filled the air, and every spectator wore a look of pure delight.

At the counter, Huang Mei saw that the heat was almost right, so she added a spoonful of Shaoxing wine directly into the pot. The aroma was further enhanced the moment the Shaoxing wine entered the pot.

After that, add another spoonful of soy sauce, and then pour in all the previously fried fish.

Cover the fish with water, add salt, pepper, oyster sauce and other seasonings, bring the water to a boil over high heat, then add dark soy sauce and fresh orange peel.

After all this is done, all that's left is to let time do its work. Once the heat has evaporated the moisture, all the flavors in the pot will be absorbed into the fish.

To bring out its original freshness, Huangmei uses very little seasoning, and she personally controls the proportions!

Meanwhile, Liu Yu was halfway through cooking. She had chosen crucian carp as her ingredient, but what was puzzling was that there was also a piece of mutton next to her, which she was chopping vigorously.

Upon seeing the ingredients she had prepared, Zhou Tai and Bai Yuan exchanged a glance and almost instantly guessed what she was going to cook.

Fish and mutton soup.

As the name suggests, it is half fish and half mutton. When combined, they form the character "鲜" (fresh/fresh).

This dish combines the two ingredients, making it a dish that perfectly showcases the freshness of fish and mutton, and it was very famous in ancient times.

Although it's a famous dish, it's actually quite simple to make. Just boil a pot of fish soup, stew the fish until tender, strain it, and then add lamb and simmer it slowly.

A little bit of spices and herbs need to be added in the middle, but not too much, since the key to this dish is to highlight the original flavor of the ingredients.

Only when the flavors of fish and mutton are balanced can they be combined to create a new taste, which is known as "fish and mutton freshness".

In other words, it's about controlling the proportions.

This is precisely Huangmei's specialty.

Watching the two cooking, Bai Yuan felt a strange feeling arise inexplicably. If Huang Mei were to make this dish, with a little effort, she might be able to break through the standards of a star-level dish.

Unfortunately, there is no such thing.

Choices are important.

Judging from Liu Yu's appearance, she must be very familiar with this dish. She has spent a lot of time practicing it this week, and now her movements are smooth and effortless.

In comparison, Huang Mei's movements seemed much more clumsy, as if she had been forced to participate in a competition before she had even learned how to cook.

Although Bai Yuan could see that she had already tried her best and had pushed her super-touch sense to its limit, without a clear direction, it would be futile no matter what she did.

Of course, in terms of completeness, the dish that Huang Mei researched is not bad, and can even be said to be very good, and can be considered an innovative dish.

However, compared to dishes that have been passed down from ancient times, its level of completion is extremely low. Although it was given a boost due to the Super Touch Method, in terms of chances of winning, it is still not as good as Liu Yu's Fish and Lamb Stew.

The 40/60 split has become a 30/70 split.

Liu Yu became seven.

"What remains is the essence of this dish!"

After the water boiled away, Huang Mei placed all the cooked fish meat into the serving dish and arranged them neatly.

After doing all that, add scallion oil to the pot, then throw in the steamed scallions.

Add dark soy sauce and fish sauce, bring to a boil over high heat, then add two spoonfuls of cornstarch slurry.

"I finished!"

Huang Mei poured the secret sauce over the fish and let out a long breath, the sound of which rang out and attracted the attention of the judges and Bai Yuan.

"Wow, that's fast! It seems like only an hour has passed since it started. This is definitely the fastest cooking competition dish I've ever seen completed!"

"That's fast indeed. The one over there, judging from the state of her cooking, will need at least another half hour."

In the audience, people chatted amongst themselves, their faces showing a hint of excitement.

Chapter 194 Spear and Shield, Quasi-Special Grade Strength

"It looks pretty good."

Looking at the specially prepared grilled fish that was served in front of him, Kakuzaki Taki sniffed and couldn't help but murmur his praise as he smelled the wonderful aroma wafting from it.

"Let's try it first."

Mizuhara Fuyumi swallowed, her face flushed slightly. As she spoke, she picked up her chopsticks, took a piece of fish, closed her eyes, and savored it.

When you put the fish in your mouth, the first thing you feel is its extreme tenderness. After several cooking processes, the texture of this fish can be described as extremely tender!

With just a gentle sip, the fish melts in your mouth, leaving only its rich, fresh flavor.

"The addition of orange juice brings a distinct fruity aroma and tangy flavor to the fish. This sweet and sour taste not only effectively neutralizes the fishy smell, but also adds a touch of freshness and elegance to it."

Hinako Inui's voice rang out in the venue. Those around her could only see her covering half of her face, her face full of enjoyment, clearly captivated by the taste of the food.

"After being deep-fried, the fish has a crispy outer skin while remaining tender and smooth inside."

This crisp, clean texture, perfectly complemented by the tangy flavor of orange juice, makes every bite incredibly satisfying!

Dojima Gin's voice rang out, and his eyes narrowed slightly as he raised his hands as if embracing the heavens and earth.

With each chew, the flavor of the fish spreads throughout the mouth, and as the number of chews increases, all the flavors are released.

The blanching process of scallions and dried chilies allows their aroma to be fully released, intertwining with the orange scent to create a deep and rich aroma that whets the appetite.

"It looks so delicious, and it smells so good! It must taste amazing! I really want to go up and try it!"

"This is truly amazing food! Even from this distance, it makes me crave it and want to go up and devour it all!"

"I really want to..."

Discussions rose and fell in the room, especially when the judges used chopsticks to cut open the fish, releasing its aroma.

Many viewers wore expressions of longing, as if they wanted to take his place. Only experienced chefs and gourmets could resist the urge to do so.

However, the constant glancing in their direction revealed, to some extent, their thoughts.

"Actually, what's most satisfying is the sauce that's poured on top at the end. It's made with scallion oil, dark soy sauce, and fish sauce, plus steamed scallions."

I remember that after the sauce was brought to a boil in the pot, a thin layer of cornstarch was added.

This spoonful of sauce not only makes the fish more appealing in color and richer in flavor, but it also locks in all the taste from the cooking process, releasing it only the moment you bite into it!

Upon tasting the food, Kikuchi Sonoka's body trembled slightly.

Then, a complex yet well-ordered flavor slowly spread in the mouth. The fish was tender and there were no bones to be found, which meant that Huang Mei had clearly removed the bones before cooking.

Grass carp has a moderate number of bones compared to other fish. The main bone is relatively large and prominent, while the intermuscular bones are smaller and distributed throughout the flesh. Removing them without damaging the flesh requires a high level of skill.

"Every bite is a symphony of tender fish and rich sauce, with crispy and soft textures intertwining in your mouth, truly leaving you wanting more!"

Dojima Gin's voice was filled with satisfaction.

"This dish should have already reached the threshold of being a top-grade dish!"

Kakuzaki Taki gave Huang Mei a deep look, his voice filled with disbelief.

In the year following her graduation, she participated in the Japanese Master Chef Examination and, thanks to her exceptional skills, easily became a Master Chef.

Even so, the probability of her creating a top-grade dish is not very high; she only manages to produce one out of every two dishes, and that's only when she's giving it her all.

And now, this little girl in front of me has actually served up a top-grade dish in the competition. Although she has only just come close to the top grade, it is already quite remarkable. At least she couldn't have done it at Huang Mei's age.

"Indeed, but more accurately, it's somewhere between Grade 1 and Special Grade cuisine. Let's call it Quasi-Special Grade cuisine for now. To be able to make Quasi-Special Grade cuisine at this age, one's future is limitless!"

Dojima Gin nodded, giving a more definitive answer, while looking at Huang Mei with admiration in his eyes. What an excellent fellow!

"It's really amazing that a first-grader can make a top-grade dish."

Kikuchi Sonoka also praised him, saying that through her all-night conversation with Shirobuchi, she knew that he had sent a group of people from the dark cuisine world to settle in Totsuki, and the person in front of her was one of them.

The Dark Cuisine World is a force controlled by Bai Yuan. The more geniuses there are in it, the happier she is, hence her beaming smile.

"My dish is ready, please enjoy."

Just then, Liu Yu's voice came from below the judges' panel, attracting a lot of attention. The girl slowly stepped forward carrying a pot of food.

The dish was placed on the judges' table, and the lid was lifted. A rich and fresh aroma wafted out, causing the five judges to swallow almost simultaneously.

"This smell alone evokes a strong sense of craving!"