Food Wars, My Dishes Don't Just Shine

Her idea was to make a fish bone soup, slice the fish meat into thin pieces, add various medicinal herbs, and cook a pot of fish porridge to soothe the nerves and nourish the stomach.

However, due to limited resources, she could only use a wooden frame to suspend the clay pot, thus keeping it balanced during the cooking process.

Clean the prepared fish bones thoroughly, removing any blood and impurities with a knife. Slice the ginger and cut the scallions into sections. Add a small amount of oil to a frying pan and pan-fry the fish bones until golden brown on both sides.

The fishy smell of fish bones is quickly removed during the frying process, and at the same time, frying can also enhance the aroma of the soup.

After completing this step, put the fish bones directly into the casserole, then add medicinal herbs such as cardamom, yam, dried ginger, and dried tangerine peel, and add enough water.

After bringing the water to a boil over high heat, skim off the foam. Then add ginger slices, scallion segments, and cooking wine to further remove any fishy smell. Turn the heat to low and simmer slowly, skimming off any remaining oil during the process.

This process involves rinsing the rice thoroughly and soaking it in clean water for a period of time to allow it to fully absorb water and expand.

Clean the fish thoroughly, removing bones and impurities. Slice the fish into thin slices and marinate briefly with sesame oil to enhance the flavor and lock in moisture.

Slice the ginger and shred the scallions.

After the preliminary preparations were completed.

It involves waiting for the fish soup to turn white, allowing the aroma of the medicinal herbs to fully infuse into it, which takes about an hour.

However, the time allotted for the cooking was more than enough.

"finished!"

Place the food in front of you into a plate and quickly mix it evenly.

Looking at Bai Yuan, who was tightly surrounded by students, Nakiri Alice let out a long breath, her eyes revealing excitement.

"Alright, some contestants have finished. You can go back and prepare. Come back if you have any questions."

Meeting Nakiri Alice's gaze and watching her walk towards him, Bai Yuan clapped his hands, dismissing the group of students who had come to ask him questions.

"Okay, thank you teacher."

The person leading the group was the girl who had come to ask him earlier if he could have an extra serving of sashimi. Upon hearing Bai Yuan's words, she bowed respectfully.

The crowd then dispersed.

"Come on, let me see your determination."

"Please enjoy, raw marinated shrimp with crab sauce!"

Alice Nakiri bowed slightly, then raised her hand and opened the plate, revealing the beautifully presented dish inside.

The rich aroma of crab roe wafts through the air the moment the plate is lifted, making you want to close your eyes and take deep breaths to savor the wonderful flavor.

"Using crab roe as the base for the sauce? Taking it from the river and using it back in the river, that's excellent. You've grasped the theme of this assessment very well."

Looking at the state of the food in front of him, Bai Yuan nodded in approval.

The vast majority of the ingredients in this dish were taken from the river in front of us, which perfectly matches the assessment content.

"That's right. I used crab roe as the main ingredient in the sauce, and then marinated the shrimp with salt, sugar, vinegar, light soy sauce, and dark soy sauce. Try it, Brother Bai Yuan."

Holding the plate in both hands, making herself the dining table, Alice Nakiri looked intently at Bai Yuan, her heart pounding faster.

This was the best cooking method she could think of under the given constraints.

Chapter 107 Going Further! Alice's Final Score

"This season is when crabs mature and lay their roe, which is also when their flavor is at its most intense. Fresh crab roe is perfect as the main ingredient in sauces."

Looking at the bright yellow crab roe in front of me, tinged with soy sauce, it stands out vividly against the white shrimp, like a painting with ink spreading out.

Just from the smell in the air, Bai Yuan was able to determine the steps involved in its preparation, and at the same time, he noticed areas in Nakiri Alice's cuisine that could be further improved.

but...

Bai Yuan didn't say it explicitly, but instead brought over a stool and invited Nakiri Alice to sit down, while taking the metal tray from her hands.

Have you ever tried this dish?

"Not yet..."

Bai Yuan's sudden words startled Alice Nakiri, causing her to freeze as she sat down. She then tried to get up, wondering if she had made a mistake.

"Don't be nervous, I didn't say there was anything wrong with your cooking."

Bai Yuan reached out and pressed Nakiri Alice down, then continued, "But you need to change your impatient habit, or you'll run into trouble sooner or later."

"Well..."

Suddenly being scolded, especially in this way, Alice Nakiri immediately looked at Bai Yuan with a resentful gaze.

"The raw marinating method allows the shrimp meat to fully absorb the essence of the crab sauce and seasonings, while also making the meat tender and juicy."

Every bite is a perfect blend of freshness, sweetness, sourness, and saltiness, preserving the original flavor of the seafood while adding complex and enticing layers of taste. It's really quite good.

Picking up a piece of shrimp and putting it in his mouth, savoring its rich flavor, Bai Yuan couldn't help but nod, a hint of satisfaction in his eyes.

Despite the barren land, Alice Nakiri can still consistently produce top-tier dishes. It seems that during the summer before she goes to high school, she can go to China.

With Alice Nakiri's current strength, she has at least a 50% chance of passing the exam. As for the remaining 50%, she can make up for it during this period.

"That's certainly a good method, but for shrimp dishes that use crab roe as a sauce, there's actually an even better way to cook them. Do you know what it is?"

Looking at Alice Nakiri, who had just tasted the food and was showing a look of pure enjoyment, Bai Yuan slowly spoke, his voice carrying a hint of scrutiny.

"Oh? There are other ways to cook it..."

Bai Yuan's words startled Alice Nakiri. Then, the girl lowered her head, frowned, and began to think.

Bai Yuan wasn't in a hurry. He savored the deliciousness of the raw marinated shrimp with crab sauce while waiting silently for her to make a decision.

Under Alice Nakiri's superb knife skills, the fresh shrimp, after having its head and vein removed, is halved and then cut in half again, each cut halving its thickness, until it becomes a thin slice the size of a palm leaf fan.

Its texture is tender and bouncy, perfectly complementing the savory flavor of the crab roe. This dish has already reached its peak in every aspect; to further enhance its flavor, its form must be altered.

Change form? Change state!

Suddenly, a flash of lightning seemed to strike his mind, and a thought, like a streak of light, entered his sea of ​​consciousness, then became unstoppable: "Scorching."

"Using flames to roast it, right?!"

With a trembling excitement in her voice, as she found the answer, Alice Nakiri stared intently at Shiro Akimoto's face, awaiting his reply.

"Bingo, you didn't learn anything in vain."

Because your sauce contains soy sauce and sugar, grilling it over a flame will cause a Maillard reaction, producing a unique caramelized and smoky flavor.

As Bai Yuan spoke, he ran to the bus, rummaged through the trunk and found a bottle of baijiu (Chinese liquor). He then jumped off the bus, took a sip of the liquor, and lit a match with a lighter.

The next moment, the wine in her mouth turned into a large number of tiny sparks, which were ignited the instant they passed the match, and then burned on the surface of the raw shrimp with crab sauce, startling Alice Nakiri.

"Don't worry, it won't get hot at this temperature."

Seeing Alice Nakiri's frightened expression, Bai Yuan took the plate from her hand and held on even though it was covered in flames.

"But it's still quite frightening to be hit like that so suddenly. But won't the flames burn your mouth if you use this method?"

With a hint of sarcasm in her voice, Alice Nakiri watched the flames rise from their peak to gradually subside, then glanced at Bai Yuan's lips, her expression thoughtful.

"If the speed is fast enough, it's not a big problem. It looks scary, but it's actually just an extremely ordinary operation."

Bai Yuan offered an explanation.

"This...is ordinary..."

Alice Nakiri was speechless. After spending so much time by Bai Yuan's side, she found herself becoming almost desensitized to the word "ordinary."

Because no matter how amazing Bai Yuan's actions are, he will always use a nonchalant "ordinary" to cover everything up.

Perhaps this was just an ordinary thing for him, but for them, it was an incredible, heaven-defying feat. Before Bai Yuan, no one could have done it!

As the flames slowly died down, the aroma of crab sauce filled the air.

The tender white shrimp meat curls slightly under the heat of the flames, and a golden-brown crispy shell forms on its surface, which enhances the aroma of the sauce while locking in the juices and freshness.

"Alright, let's try it."

Although it was only briefly roasted over a flame for a dozen seconds, the aroma on it increased explosively several times over, making people unable to help but swallow their saliva.

"The way you're saying this makes it sound like you're the original creator of this dish."

Seeing Bai Yuan's actions, Nakiri Alice couldn't help but complain, "Is this the dish I made? Am I going to let him taste it?"

"I was involved in the cooking process and even helped you complete a crucial step, so it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that I was one of the authors."

Hearing Alice Nakiri's words, Shirayuki shrugged. Although it was just a simple fire breath, it was a crucial step in enhancing the flavor of the dish.

"Okay, let me experience the difference between breathing fire and not breathing fire."

Swallowing hard, Alice Nakiri looked at the crab sauce-marinated raw shrimp in front of her with a longing expression.

Bai Yuan is right. Although it was just a simple grilling, it was the key to enhancing the flavor of the dish.

Putting everything else aside, just looking at that golden color really whets my appetite!

She parted her cherry lips slightly and put the delicious flavor mixed with crab sauce into her mouth.

After being flamed, the juices inside the shrimp meat are locked in, allowing you to experience even more juiciness with each bite, making it incredibly satisfying.

In terms of taste, the grilled shrimp meat has a slightly crispy caramelized crust, which contrasts sharply with the tender shrimp meat inside, bringing an incredibly strong sense of layering.

"Indeed, although it was only exposed to flames, the texture and flavor have been significantly improved, with the most significant improvement being in the texture!"

As Alice Nakiri sampled the raw marinated shrimp with crab sauce, a look of enjoyment appeared on her face, and she then expressed her agreement.

"This is the power of fire."

Bai Yuan said this with a smile, while picking up a piece of raw marinated shrimp with crab sauce and savoring it.

"I would give this dish a score of 95 out of 100. You took more than an hour to prepare it, so overall I would give it a score of 98 out of 100. I hope you will continue to work hard."

I just said that I would use my own cooking as the standard for a perfect score, but Bai Yuan would never actually do that.

Otherwise, even if it were Alice Nakiri on the spot, she probably wouldn't get many points, as the difference between them would be too small to achieve the purpose of the test.

"98 points? It's not 100...?"

Hearing her cooking score, Alice Nakiri looked at Bai Yuan with a hint of regret. She had tried so hard, yet she only got 98 points...

"The scoring criteria this time are based on the top-tier evaluation level. To get full marks, the dish must be outstanding within the top-tier category."

If you had thought of and done the idea of ​​using fire to roast something without my prompting, I would give you 100 points, but you didn't.

Bai Yuan nudged his hand. The crab sauce and raw marinated shrimp made by Nakiri Alice tasted good, but it didn't reach the limit of the score. 98 points is the fairest evaluation.