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

"A master of braised seafood."

Please enjoy, Master Baiyuan.

When she said the last two words, Alice Nakiri deliberately drew out the last syllable. As she put down the food, the tip of her little finger brushed against the back of Bai Yuan's hand, bringing a faint warmth, as if her heart had been gently caressed by a feather.

"A feast of braised seafood..."

Bai Yuan looked at the plate in front of him, which contained all kinds of braised seafood, gathered together on one plate, looking exceptionally abundant.

Among these seafood items, the most eye-catching is the crab with roe placed in the middle. It has just molted, and its new shell is relatively soft, so she used it directly for braising, because this way it can better absorb the flavor of the braising liquid.

Now, imagine how incredibly delicious the crabs with roe, soaked in braising liquid, must be!

Chapter 212 Victory or Defeat, The Bet

"Then I won't be polite."

As he spoke, Bai Yuan picked up a freshly molted braised crab from the plate. He had already removed the inedible parts, so it was ready to eat.

Holding the braised crab in his hand, Bai Yuan didn't taste it immediately. Instead, he examined it under the light. The crab shell was covered with a deep, glossy braising color, which looked very appetizing. There were also signs of cutting underneath.

The crab meat itself, having had its excess internal organs removed, becomes firm and delicious.

Open your mouth and take a bite. The soft-shell braised crab enters your mouth, and you can clearly feel the richness of the braising sauce and the sweetness of the crab meat. The two flavors blend perfectly!

It's worth mentioning that although the crab is in its molting period and the crab roe is not as plump as when it is mature, the crab meat after being braised can still feel the delicate and rich flavor of the crab roe, adding an indescribable sense of luxury to the overall taste.

"I never expected braised crab to taste so good."

Kobayashi Rindou's voice rang out. She had finished the braised crab on her plate and was now licking her fingers, clearly still wanting more.

"Moreover, because it has just molted, even the shell is very soft from the brine, so you can chew it up and swallow it directly without any problem, saving you the trouble of removing the shell."

Hisako Shirato also looked completely satisfied; this flavor was truly irresistible!

"To remove the inedible parts such as the internal organs while preserving the soft shell, without damaging the crab's shape, and while retaining most of the crab meat and roe, undoubtedly requires extremely superb knife skills!"

Kobayashi Rindou nodded in agreement, and at that moment she closed her eyes to savor the taste from just now.

With each bite, everything is edible. The brine has thoroughly soaked the crab meat and roe, giving it a savory and savory flavor.

"I used this. This small knife can pry open the shell of the crab to quickly remove the impurities inside, thus making the crab itself clear and transparent."

Hearing Kobayashi Rindou's slightly sentimental words, Nakiri Alice took out a small knife from the counter and casually brandished it a few times in front of her.

"The fish is delicate and tender, and the braising sauce brings a salty and slightly sweet flavor with a hint of spiciness. This is a new flavor that I didn't have with the braised crab. It's also very good. I suggest you grill it after braising and sprinkle some toasted white sesame seeds on top for an even better flavor."

Bai Yuan offered his evaluation and suggestions: the braised seafood paired with a spicy and sour dressing was both appetizing and refreshing, making it perfect in every way.

"I thought that braising so much seafood at the same time would result in a chaotic flavor, but it turns out that they complement each other perfectly and enhance each other's taste?"

"I adjusted the proportions before braising and selected the right types of seafood."

While not as precise as Bai Yuan's method, it didn't cause the flavors in the pot to mix and become strange; on the contrary, they complemented each other perfectly.

Upon hearing Hisako Shinoto's sentiments, Alice Nakiri explained that it was all intentional on her part.

Although theoretically any kind of braising liquid can be used, just like oil used for frying fish can't be used for stir-frying vegetables, if too many different things are braised, the taste will become strange.

Therefore, in order to keep the braised food stable, or even make it better, chefs generally select ingredients when adding them. For example, Bai Yuan's white braising sauce cannot coexist with her seafood.

"Let me try some too."

Hearing Hisako's praise and seeing Alice Nakiri's confident expression, Erina Nakiri felt a bad premonition. She then squeezed forward and reached for Shirobuchi's plate with her chopsticks.

"An octopus, this feeling..."

Looking at the uncut, whole octopus in her hand, Erina Nakiri mentally prepared herself before closing her eyes and taking a bite.

In an instant, endless tentacles reached out to her, and she felt as if she were in the deep sea, unable to exert any strength and bound by the octopus.

Such restraint brought a perfect sense of suffocation, causing her to experience intense pleasure amidst the pain. The tentacles tightly wrapped around her body, making her unconsciously let out soft moans.

"uh-huh…!"

Her hand involuntarily pressed down on the table, and Erina Nakiri made an extremely ambiguous sound. When Alice Nakiri saw this, the corners of her mouth couldn't help but turn up.

Trap card, activated successfully.

Yes, it's a trap.

When braising the octopus, she added a lot of chili peppers and some sesame oil to the braising broth, which greatly enhanced the overall flavor of the broth.

Therefore, even though Erina Nakiri felt the spiciness, she was reluctant to give it up and even enjoyed it, eventually becoming a captive of the braised octopus!

"Now that we've tasted both sides' dishes, the outcome of this match should be clear."

Was my cooking simply more delicious, or was Erina's better? I can accept it no matter who wins.

Tell me, Brother Bai Yuan!

The gaze shifted from Erina Nakiri to Shirai Abyss, and Alice Nakiri, with a confident expression, inquired about the outcome of the match.

On the other side, Erina Nakiri also came to her senses, straightened up by supporting herself on the table, and looked at Bai Yuan, somewhat nervous about his final answer.

Although she only ate octopus, its intense and distinctive flavor truly gave her an unparalleled experience.

She was originally full of confidence, but now most of that confidence has disappeared.

"To be honest, both of your dishes are very good. Erina's braised goose uses the special lion-head goose from Chaoshan, which is large in size, with delicate and delicious meat, and is full of flavor after being braised."

Alice's braised seafood platter features a unique flavor for each type of seafood. Like a map marking a treasure, it promises a thrilling surprise when the explorer discovers it.

If I had to choose one, Alice's braised dishes are incredibly diverse, each one just as delicious as braised goose, and combining them takes it to another level. If I'm not mistaken, you're using a tiered braising method.

As he spoke, Bai Yuan looked at Nakiri Alice, awaiting her answer. The others also showed curious expressions upon hearing about the tiered brine method.

Tiered braising method? What kind of braising method is this?

"That's right, I used a tiered braising method, with each layer of braised food having a different flavor. By the end, the flavor of the dish will be much stronger than the braised food that came out of the pot earlier."

"There's actually such a method."

"Thinking about it carefully, this seems to be similar to the old braising liquid. The longer the braising liquid is used, the more fragrant it becomes. The essence of the ingredients that have been braised in the past will remain in the braising liquid to nourish the next dish. This is the theoretical basis."

Upon hearing Alice Nakiri's explanation, everyone present immediately began to discuss it, clearly astonished by her idea. "There's such a thing? Artificial brine?"

It has to be said that this was a bold innovation, but as a result, the food tasted pretty good, and at least the judges were very satisfied.

"There's actually this method..."

Erina Nakiri murmured softly, a hint of resentment on her face. She had thought victory was assured this time, but she hadn't expected her opponent to pull this stunt.

"A bet's a bet, Erina-neechan."

Seeing Erina Nakiri speechless, Alice Nakiri pinched her cheek triumphantly, then brought up their bet.

"I won't renege on my promise. Tell me what you need me to do quickly."

Erina Nakiri pursed her lips. Although she was extremely unwilling, she knew that with so many people watching, she would lose face if she went back on her word.

As a young lady of Totsuki with an extremely strong sense of self-respect, she absolutely would not allow this to happen!

"Hmm... let me think about it."

With her finger to her lips in a thoughtful gesture, Erina Nakiri nervously clenched the hem of her clothes, fearing that the other person might say something she couldn't possibly accomplish.

"Never mind, I haven't thought of anything yet. I'll tell you when I do."

"you!"

However, just as she was waiting anxiously for a few minutes, feeling the pressure making it hard for her to breathe, Alice Nakiri suddenly smiled and spoke.

At that moment, Erina Nakiri realized that she had been tricked again. What a wicked guy!

Thinking of this, Erina Nakiri couldn't help but grit her teeth. This guy was always like this, always finding ways to tease her.

The key issue is that she doesn't really have a way to deal with her.

Looking pitifully at Bai Yuan, Erina Nakiri made an angry face that seemed to say, "You'd better control her!" She was clearly furious.

Bai Yuan could only smile helplessly at this.

He couldn't interfere with the sisters' bet, so he shook his head, got up, took the cooled braised food from the refrigerator, and quickly cut it into appropriate sizes.

“Take your respective portions and use them to compare your dishes. Make improvements when you get home tonight, and I’ll check on your progress tomorrow.”

After cutting the braised food into appropriate sizes, mixing it with the sauce, and then distributing it to the girls waiting nearby, Bai Yuan gave them the order to leave.

"Then we'll head back now, see you tomorrow."

"Staying up all night to cook will definitely take the flavor of the braised dishes to the next level!"

"The side dishes for dinner are sorted out."

The girls understood Bai Yuan's meaning, picked up the takeout food from the table, and left one after another. They were already aware that their teacher had his own life and couldn't teach them all the time.

Therefore, whenever Bai Yuan expressed his intention to disband, they would tactfully leave, at most asking a question before leaving to avoid annoying him.

"Then I'll go practice my horse stance in the yard."

As the last person to leave closed the door, Erina Nakiri went to the living room, looked outside, and then walked out into the yard on her own.

This was a special tutoring session that Bai Yuan had given her, and she had been doing it for several months. In order to meet the minimum requirements for learning the Silver Chopsticks Ten-Pot Return technique and thus allow the God Tongue to grow quickly, Nakiri Erina could be said to be working very hard.

"Go on, Hisako stays. Have you learned everything I just taught you?"

Just as Shirabuchi was about to leave the kitchen to serve Erina Nakiri, Hisako Shirabuchi stopped her and asked a question.

"I've almost learned it."

"Then repeat it to me, and then follow the steps I just described."

"it is good."

After saying this, Hisako Shinto returned to the kitchen counter, closed her eyes, and began to recall Hakubuchi's cooking steps before starting to cook herself.

She didn't look at the notes, as that would be disrespectful to Bai Yuan. He had gone to great lengths to teach her, and naturally he didn't want to turn her into someone who could only read recipes.

Learn, then practice.

I really won't look at a recipe again.

Beside her, Alice Nakiri got bored after watching for a while, so she also ran into the yard and, in the manner of a senior sister, instructed Erina Nakiri on horse stance.

Although Erina Nakiri found her somewhat annoying, she couldn't resist the effectiveness of her method and eventually reluctantly accepted it.

Time passed little by little, and soon it was completely dark. Hisako Shinto brought her homework to Shirayuki and received his praise.