Food Wars, My Dishes Don't Just Shine

Upon hearing Bai Yuan's explanation, Kikuchi Sonoka's face showed a thoughtful expression. She then picked up a piece of spicy chicken cutlet and ate it, while curiously asking Bai Yuan about it.

"A treasure trove of snacks".

Bai Yuan said calmly.

"A treasure trove of snacks, does that mean you have to make so many different types of dishes? Is it really necessary to go through all that trouble..."

Kikuchi Enka had some doubts.

"People's tastes are very strange. Some people like sweet, some like salty, some can't live without spicy food, and some can't live without vinegar."

It's difficult to satisfy the needs of so many people with just one type of dish.

Sensing the girl's confusion, Bai Yuan began to explain.

"You might think that a skilled chef can get people who hate spicy food to eat spicy food without restraint, and people who hate sour tastes to lose control of themselves."

But since I have the ability to satisfy their preferences, why deliberately go against them? The way is to go with the flow.

Seeing the continuous changes in Kikuchi Sonoka's expression, Hakugen continued to explain.

Since there is no specific theme for the cooking, it is natural to strive for excellence in every aspect, and catering to the guests' tastes is also a key focus of the competition.

"I see. So, are you going to cook shrimp next?"

Kikuchi nods as if she understands, then looks at the other ingredients on the cutting board and is surprised to find shrimp on it.

"That's right, we'll make four dishes in total. The spicy chicken cutlet will be the main dish, followed by a shrimp dish, a beef dish, and a dessert dish."

"Aren't you making soup?"

"The soup will be a complimentary addition. We will cook a large pot of seaweed and egg drop soup with seaweed and eggs. Anyone who wants it can make their own soup."

Hearing Kikuchi Sonoka's question, Hakugen spoke up.

Because the ingredients cannot be prepared in advance, Bai Yuan discarded some complicated soups and opted for the simplest seaweed and egg drop soup instead.

"So, what kind of shrimp are you planning to cook? Is there anything I can help you with?"

"Jade Hairpin Shrimp Ball, you just watch quietly from the side."

The first step is to remove the shells from the shrimp's head and body, but leave the tail completely intact without damaging it.

Make a cut down the middle of the shrimp to remove the vein, and also peel off the outer shell.

Watching the lively prawns in the water, Bai Yuan reached out and slapped the cooking counter. The prawns flew into the sky and were peeled off by the Seven Star Knife.

The shrimp heads were piled up like a small mountain, the shrimp bodies were placed next to the shrimp heads, and the cleaned shrimp meat with tails was placed intact on the plate. Bai Yuan reached out and grabbed it, then used a knife to remove the shrimp vein and the outer skin together.

"The shrimp balls processed in this way are whiter and have a more tender texture than shrimp that are not peeled. After rubbing them with salt and rinsing them with water, the osmotic pressure and saltiness will change the nature of the shrimp meat, resulting in a crisper texture."

Seeing the inquisitive look in Kikuchi Sonoka's eyes, Baiyuan began to explain.

In Guangzhou, shrimp are marinated in alkaline water, but that takes a long time and is not suitable for cooking popular dishes that need to be completed quickly.

Therefore, he used the Shandong cuisine cooking method.

"Use cornstarch and water to wash the shrimp meat again. This can effectively remove the pigments that have settled inside the shrimp, making it whiter and more attractive."

After finishing this, rinse it with running water, and then prepare the ingredients for the jade hairpin shrimp balls.

As Bai Yuan spoke, he looked at the basket beside him, which contained bamboo shoots, carrots, ginger, and scallions.

Arrange them neatly on the cutting board, and with a flash of the knife, making a "clattering" sound, the ingredients are turned into thin strips the size of matchsticks.

After processing, blanch them in boiling water one by one to remove any unpleasant odors. Also, since they will be stuffed into the shrimp later, this will help them cook at the same time.

After blanching the shrimp, Bai Yuan picked them up and dried them with kitchen paper.

Then add salt, a small amount of MSG, pepper, and Shaoxing wine to give the ingredients a base flavor. Use a mixing motion to let the flavors of the seasonings penetrate, and then add an appropriate amount of cornstarch to coat the ingredients.

"Little Garden Fruit. I'd like to ask you, what's the difference between paste and syrup?"

Seeing that Kikuchi Sonoka was watching with great interest, Bai Yuan asked a question, and the girl felt a chill run down her spine at his sudden question.

"The batter is suitable for frying, while the paste is suitable for stir-frying. The purpose of both is to lock in the moisture of the ingredients."

Fortunately, Kikuchi knew the answer and answered after a moment's thought, her eyes filled with a longing for approval.

"Bingo, it seems you still remember what I taught you before. Next, thread the three shreds into the shrimp, use the shrimp tail to pierce the shrimp meat, and thread the three shreds into the gaps."

Bai Yuan nodded, then threaded the three strands into the shaped shrimp and placed them on a plate for later use. After all the shrimp were threaded, he put them into cold water.

"Don't move it around at this time, otherwise it will easily fall off and the flavor inside will all be lost."

At the same time, do not turn the heat to high, otherwise the shrimp meat will become tough. Soak the shrimp meat in warm water until it's just simmering, then remove it from the heat.

As Bai Yuan explained, he lifted the pot. At that moment, the water in the pot was just simmering, and the shrimp balls were at the boundary between tender and tough.

"Prepare the seasonings before stir-frying: salt, a little sugar, pepper, Shaoxing wine, cornstarch, and a little water. That's enough."

Looking at Kikuchienka beside him, Baiyuan began to teach her step by step.

Because this dish emphasizes the natural flavor of the ingredients, it doesn't require many seasonings.

Bai Yuan prepared the same sauce as the marinated shrimp, so that the two flavors could be consistent. At the same time, the different times they were added created a certain degree of layering.

Chapter 134 Baibuchi VS Yukihira Joichiro

"Once everything is ready, add plenty of oil to the wok and heat it over high heat to 60% of its maximum temperature. Then, put the shrimp into the oil. The purpose of this step is to quickly preheat the surface of the shrimp to create a crispy and tender texture."

As Bai Yuan spoke, he used a ladle to stir the food to ensure it was heated evenly: "If the heat is too high, black spots will form on the surface, so just use the right amount. This technique is called 'oil poaching' in China."

As he spoke, he lifted the pot, poured out the oil and shrimp, and filtered it through a strainer.

Leave some oil in the pan, then add chopped scallions, ginger, garlic, and carrots and stir-fry until fragrant.

"What a wonderful scent."

Sensing the fragrance in the air, Kikuchi Sonoka sniffed and a look of ecstasy appeared on her face.

"Scallions, ginger, and garlic are a chef's winning formula. The shrimp only needs to be cooked for ten seconds to allow the aroma of the spices and vegetables to blend together. Then, add the sauce and thicken it with cornstarch."

As Bai Yuan spoke, he poured the shrimp into the wok.

Pour the prepared sauce into the spoon after eight seconds, stir it with the wok, and then add it again to coat each shrimp evenly with the sauce.

"Finally, add a little more sesame oil to enhance its color, then it's ready to serve!"

A spoonful of clear oil was added to the pan, and the aroma was released once again. Then, Bai Yuan used a spoon to scoop out the jade hairpin shrimp balls and arranged them on a plate with chopsticks.

"It seems pretty good, but isn't cooking like this a bit too troublesome? Isn't it a little inefficient...?"

"Efficiency is not the issue; the key is the cooking time for a dish."

This dish can be prepared in under ten minutes if you keep moving, which makes four servings.

Upon hearing Kikuchi Sonoka's question, Hakugen's voice rang out.

With his silver chopsticks and ten pots of culinary skill, he naturally doesn't have to worry about not being able to finish the dishes.

As long as the cooking cycle is short, his cooking speed can even exceed the customers' purchasing speed, and there may even be some leftovers.

In other words, no matter what method Yukihira Joichiro uses, he cannot surpass him. The absolute gap in strength is difficult to overcome through a sudden burst of power.

He not only wants to win, but he wants to win in every aspect!

"I see. I almost forgot that you not only cook well, but you also have mastered all sorts of techniques that we've never seen before."

Can we taste it now?

Seeing Bai Yuan's confident demeanor, Kikuchi Sonoka suddenly realized what was going on, then turned her gaze to the jade hairpin shrimp balls on the plate and swallowed.

"Try it. I learned this dish from a Cantonese chef, and later I combined it with the Shandong cuisine method and made some simple innovations."

As Bai Yuan spoke, he picked up his chopsticks and was the first to pick up the jade hairpin shrimp ball.

He came up with this dish while browsing the seafood market that morning, and it was the first time he had ever cooked it.

However, he has a super sense of smell, and he can tell the taste of a dish just by smelling its aroma, saving him the time of trying different seasonings.

"I'm gonna start now."

Picking up her chopsticks and putting her hands together in prayer, Kikuchi Sonoka finished speaking, picked up a shrimp ball, and without any hesitation, put it into her mouth and chewed it carefully.

"Refreshing, crisp, clean, and fragrant!"

Because the shrimp wasn't subjected to high temperatures during the cooking process, its natural flavor was completely preserved and fully revealed!

Slowly chewing and savoring the rich flavor of the shrimp balls in front of her, Kikuchi Sonoka's face revealed an indescribable enjoyment.

"The most important thing is to keep it clean. Only with enough seasoning can the true flavor of the shrimp be brought out. This is great news for shrimp lovers."

Bai Yuan nodded in agreement. Shredded bamboo shoots, carrots, and bamboo shoots were interspersed inside the shrimp balls, which not only made them colorful but also added layers of texture.

In addition, the thin layer of cornstarch slurry poured on the shrimp balls when they are stir-fried makes them look crystal clear, adding to the dish's appeal.

"Alright, let's continue. For the beef, I'm planning to make it sweet and spicy, but the cooking time shouldn't be too long. How about orange and black pepper beef cubes..."

With a snap of his fingers, Bai Yuan placed the beef he had bought at the market early that morning onto the cutting board, his face full of fighting spirit.

"Let me help out this time. I haven't done anything since I got up, I've just been eating, and I feel a little bad about it."

Looking at the ingredients laid out on the counter, Kikuchi Sonoka spoke up.

She felt somewhat guilty for just standing there doing nothing and waiting to be eaten.

"Then the task of preparing the oranges is yours. Cut them into square pieces slightly smaller than the beef cubes, the exact size..."

Seeing the girl's eager eyes, and not wanting to dampen Kikuchi Sonoka's enthusiasm, Shirabuchi assigned her one of the easier tasks.

"it is good!"

Kikuchi Enka excitedly shouted, picked up an orange from the side and began to peel it, scraping off a piece of peel with each stroke without damaging the flesh.

Bai Yuan glanced at her indifferently, then looked at the beef tenderloin on the counter.

The next moment, a Wuqu knife appeared in his hand. With a flash of silver light, the beef in front of him was cut into small pieces of two centimeters square, which scattered from the large pieces of beef and covered the entire cutting board.

"What amazing technique! Cutting the beef into two-centimeter cubes? Oh, I see!"

Despite being prepared, Kikuchi Sonoka couldn't help but marvel at Shiro's skill, her shock barely concealed.

"Make sure to remove the white membrane on top, which is the orange pith; that's the fiber bundles in the orange."

While it may have some health benefits, it doesn't affect the texture or taste of the food, so it's unnecessary for cooking.

While processing the remaining ingredients, she turned to ask Kikuchi Sonoko for a question, only to find that she had already begun removing the orange pith.