Food Wars, My Dishes Don't Just Shine

Seeing potatoes and chicken in the kitchen sparked this idea in my mind.

"Fried chicken skin? Won't it be too oily? And I remember chicken skin being very fishy..."

Potato wedges are a common snack when watching movies, and she's bought them before. But fried chicken skin is something she really doesn't understand.

Although there are dishes in Japanese cuisine that use chicken skin, they are relatively rare. I remember using it more often in yakitori.

"What you're describing is a case of not doing it well. A case of doing it well will naturally not have that problem; it will only bring two experiences: crispness and fragrance."

This is something I can't easily explain in words; you'll understand once you taste it later.

Seeing that Erina Nakiri had doubts about the fried chicken skin, Shirai couldn't help but defend it, rolling up his sleeves as he walked toward the chicken on the counter in front of him.

"Let's prepare the ingredients before cooking."

As soon as she finished speaking, a flash of silver light appeared before Erina Nakiri's eyes, and the raw chicken in front of her also took off its last layer of covering under her gaze, revealing its purest and most essential muscles.

The skin covering, with the chicken's head and back as the dividing line, was perfectly peeled off and placed on the cutting board.

Immediately afterwards, Bai Yuan raised the knife in his hand, cut it into small pieces of equal size, and threw them all into the bowl.

"It has garlic, dried chili peppers, Sichuan peppercorns, peanuts, flour, baking powder, and so on, which is quite suitable."

Bai Yuan glanced at the remaining ingredients on the counter and nodded in satisfaction.

Although it mainly consists of seasonings, this fried chicken skin dish is all about seasonings, so it's not lacking in flavor.

Are you planning to use these leftover ingredients?

Beside her, Erina Nakiri asked curiously, explaining that these were actually leftover ingredients from her cooking experiment last night, which she hadn't had time to replenish today.

"Yes, everything I need is here. I'll use these to cook."

Hearing Erina Nakiri's words, Shirayuki nodded, then picked up the cornstarch and handed it to her: "Help me mix this with the flour and baking powder to make a paste."

After saying that, Bai Yuan ignored her and turned to deal with the chicken skin that had been put into the bowl.

A little Shaoxing wine is used to remove the fishy smell from the chicken skin. Sesame oil doesn't adhere well to the skin, so just a dab is enough to add some flavor.

Chop the garlic into minced garlic with a sharp knife, then grab a handful and put it into the bowl containing the chicken skin to let their flavors blend together.

At the same time, Erina Nakiri also took the prepared flour paste and placed it in front of him.

"Go and process the potatoes into wedges. You are not allowed to use any tools other than a knife. This is to test your knife skills."

After glancing at the prepared batter, Bai Yuan handed over two potatoes and said.

"it is good."

Erina Nakiri nodded in agreement, then focused intently on dealing with the potatoes in front of her.

"You still have this good stuff at home?"

With sharp eyes, Bai Yuan spotted the bottle of fermented bean curd under the stove and excitedly went over.

Open the fermented bean curd and scoop two spoonfuls into the chicken skin, then add some soy sauce and pepper, mix well, and the fishy smell will be almost gone.

"Oh? I don't know who gave this to me. I left it in the corner of the kitchen and forgot about it."

Seeing Bai Yuan's excited expression, Nakiri Erina felt somewhat embarrassed.

She remembered that this thing was a gift from some manufacturer. She brought it back and casually tossed it in a corner of the kitchen. If Bai Yuan hadn't found it today, it probably would have been broken before anyone used it.

"You're wasting it! This is a great ingredient for cooking. It has a delicate and smooth texture, a unique flavor, and is salty, savory, and slightly sour at first bite. The more you chew, the more flavorful it becomes."

Picking up the batter prepared by Erina Nakiri, and hearing her words, Shirayu described the deliciousness of fermented bean curd, causing the girl's mouth to water profusely.

Then I saw him reach into the batter and stir it, causing the starch that had sunk to the bottom to rise again. He then poured it over the chicken skin and kept stirring until it was evenly mixed.

"Erina, do you know why we add baking powder to it?"

"It swells up and becomes crispy."

Hearing Bai Yuan's sudden question, Nakiri Erina was taken aback for a moment, but then answered with ease.

"What about cornmeal?"

"what..."

After pondering for a moment, Erina Nakiri stopped wielding her knife and gave a pitiful look, clearly unaware of the purpose of the cornstarch.

"The chicken skin has a high moisture content, so cornstarch is added to make it dry."

Bai Yuan shook his head, gave the answer, then added a spoonful of cold oil to the bowl, stirred it, and began to heat the oil in the wok.

"Chicken skin is a very soft and tender ingredient, so it needs to be deep-fried, which is also called soft-frying in some places. It was taught in the midterm exam."

Bai Yuan began by saying that these were all things written into the teaching syllabus. However, while they were being taught, how much of it they actually learned was an unknown quantity.

"It should be in this state, looking golden and crispy. It's delicious to eat right away."

Using a strainer, Bai Yuan scooped it out, picked up a piece of chicken skin, and tasted it; it was cooked just right.

Beside her, Erina Nakiri was stunned, her mouth slightly open, her gaze shifting between the filter and Bai Yuan's hand, a multitude of thoughts racing through her mind.

Isn't this just out of the frying pan?

It was picked up so fresh and clean...

"Soy sauce, MSG, sugar, and pepper. This is actually a versatile sauce that can be used in many dishes. I added minced garlic earlier, so I won't add any more."

Quickly prepare a sauce, and watching the chicken skin cool down, Bai Yuan adjusts the oil temperature to 150 degrees Celsius, then puts the golden-brown chicken skin back into the pan.

Bubbling visibly rose from the oil in the pan, and the golden chicken skin turned orange, releasing an even stronger aroma.

Bai Yuan used a strainer to scoop the fried chicken into the pan and set it aside. He poured the oil from the pan into a bowl, leaving a small amount of oil in the pan. Then he added Sichuan peppercorns and dried chilies and slowly sautéed them until fragrant. He then added some chopped scallions and chives and continued to sauté until fragrant before adding the fried chicken skin.

"The sauce should be poured in from the side of the pot. If the water and oil come into contact, they will easily splatter. Pouring from the side of the pot can reduce this risk and also make the flavor more even."

As they were talking, the cooking process reached its final stage. After Bai Yuan poured the sauce into the pot from the side, golden light immediately emerged from the pot.

A few seconds later, Bai Yuan turned off the fire.

The golden light of the dish in front of me gradually dissipated, leaving only a faint shimmering light on the plate, revealing it to be another dish with shimmering light!

"Gudu."

As the dish was served, the aroma wafting through the air grew even stronger, making one's mouth water uncontrollably.

"Try it, I quite like this dish. The outer layer is crispy, the inside is soft and chewy, and it tastes spicy, salty and fragrant."

Seeing that Erina Nakiri was already excited, Shirai put a plate in front of her while putting the crispy fried chicken skin into his mouth.

You don't need to do anything; just gently wave it in front of her nose, and she'll be as if she's lost her mind, blindly following the food.

As Bai Yuan picked up the chicken skin, Nakiri Erina immediately opened her mouth and took a bite, immediately feeling the heat and crispness, as well as the incredibly rich flavor.

With a gentle bite, countless tiny sounds echo in the mouth. This crispness is neither too dry nor too greasy, achieving a perfect balance of textures.

"The aroma of garlic, the numbing sensation of Sichuan peppercorns, the spiciness of dried chili peppers, and the fragrance of peanuts intertwine to create a complex yet harmonious taste experience."

Meanwhile, the addition of fermented bean curd adds a unique umami flavor to this dish, making the overall taste fuller and richer.

Erina Nakiri closed her eyes in enjoyment, her tongue circling over Shirabuchi's fingers, greedily savoring every flavor.

Her hands gripped Bai Yuan's arm tightly, her cheeks twitching, her body slightly hunched, and her expression appeared suppressed and restrained.

As you chew, the chicken skin inside reveals a soft and chewy texture that contrasts sharply with the crispy outer skin.

At the same time, it reveals a deeper level of flavor.

"I really don't know where to begin complaining about your body."

Feeling the increasing pressure on his arm and the girl's slightly flushed face, Bai Yuan was speechless for a moment and could only help her to the living room.

After finishing, he returned to the kitchen and carried the fried chicken skin and potato wedges from the stove to the coffee table in front of the sofa. Then he saw Erina Nakiri sitting on the sofa without any suspicion.

The girl was completely powerless at this moment, because the powerful impact of the food made her body feel numb and tingly.

If it were just a luminous dish, she could endure it with her strong willpower, but facing a flowing light dish, especially one made with care by Bai Yuan...

Even though she tried her best to suppress and restrain herself, it was all in vain.

Fortunately, it was dark around her. Although she knew something was wrong, she figured if she couldn't see it, she didn't have it. She just had to pretend to be normal.

Thinking of this, and looking at Bai Yuan who placed the plate of delicious-looking fried chicken skin in front of her with a slightly subtle look in his eyes, Erina Nakiri pursed her lips and reached for her chopsticks again.

Despite trying to restrain myself.

But the aroma of the dish was just too tempting.

So she picked up another piece and put it in her mouth to enjoy it.

"Giggle!"

A loud rooster crow exploded in her mind, and her body, which had been slumped lazily, tensed up as if she had been electrocuted.

The intense impact was released from the fried chicken skin in her mouth, surged through her limbs, and finally gathered in one place.

Despite knowing I should restrain myself, I couldn't. The aroma of the food filled my nostrils, and my hands seemed to have a mind of their own, unwilling to stop.

Bai Yuan sat down next to her, also appearing relaxed.

While leisurely eating fried chicken skin and potato wedges, my eyes are fixed on the Tom and Jerry on the big screen, and I can't help but laugh when I see something funny.

Logically speaking, this should have been a great atmosphere.

But the power of Shirabuchi's cooking was too great; Nakiri Erina didn't watch TV at all and just kept eating the snacks on the table.

"If my current state were discovered, Professor Baiyuan would definitely think I'm a shameless girl."

Greedily savoring the last bit of flavor from her fingers, and sensing her current state, Erina Nakiri suddenly realized what was happening. She bit her lower lip slightly, her body burning hot.

She glanced furtively at Bai Yuan, who was engrossed in the TV beside her, and tapped her fingers lightly on her thigh, feeling the taut muscles.

"Let's call it a day. You're probably not fit to train in this condition. Get the equipment installed as soon as possible, and I'll come back to see you tomorrow."

As the TV began playing the ending theme, Bai Yuan glanced at Erina Nakiri out of the corner of his eye and sighed inwardly.

From the fact that she couldn't help but take that piece of fried chicken skin, and that the sofa shook from time to time, he had already guessed what state Erina Nakiri was in at that moment.

"Next time you come to see her, it's best not to do a cooking demonstration, so as not to hinder the teaching process."

Bai Yuan stood up, and this thought came to mind.

"Let me see you off."

Upon hearing Bai Yuan's words, Erina Nakiri blushed, but did not refuse. She simply stood up to see him off, but her legs were too weak, and she sat down again as she stood up.