Food Wars, My Dishes Don't Just Shine

"Young friend Bai Yuan, who do you think will win?"

Sitting in his chair, Senzaemon Nakiri glanced at the two men poised to attack on the stage, then at Hakugen, before asking a question.

"Huang Mei possesses top-tier talent and super touch. After a week of preparation and adjustment, she can at least serve up first-class dishes, and there is even a chance of serving special-grade dishes."

As for Liu Yu, she has a very solid foundation and her skills reached the level of a first-class chef at a very young age. Occasionally, she can even create top-grade dishes.

Therefore, thanks to this week of preparation time, the outcome of their match is roughly 40/60, so it's something to look forward to.

Looking at the two players facing off on the field, Bai Yuan gave his assessment.

It's true that Huangmei has super tactile abilities. Given a specific recipe, and with her body pushed to its limits, she can even create dishes that are rated four stars.

However, the side effect is that you can't cook for the next few days, and the recipe must be specific enough, with the requirements for ingredients accurate to the gram.

Under normal circumstances, with a specific recipe and sufficient preparation, Huangmei can also make top-grade dishes, and a week is enough for her to prepare.

However, facing Liu Yu, who was equally well-prepared and ready to go, even if he served the best dishes, his chances of winning wouldn't be particularly high.

After all, although Liu Yu is a first-class chef, she is only one step away from being a master chef, and with careful preparation, she can also make master-level dishes.

On the stage.

Huang Mei and Liu Yu had no idea that Bai Yuan could see right through them with just one glance, and he was almost about to tell them the color of their underwear.

Even if they knew, they wouldn't say anything; they would only think Bai Yuan was amazing, worthy of being their leader.

The competition officially began the moment the gong was struck.

"The theme is fish, and the time limit is two hours. Who will be the winner of this competition?!"

Kawashima Rei held the microphone, her voice filled with excitement. The two people in front of her had both performed brilliantly in the first round, making it a truly fierce battle!

Chapter 195 Secret Recipe Grilled Fish VS Fish and Lamb Stew

"You didn't get any rest last night, did you? Look at those dark circles under your eyes, you stayed up all night?"

Looking at Huang Mei, whose expression revealed fatigue and whose dark circles were heavy, Liu Yu asked softly.

"Well, because I wasn't satisfied with the dish I had developed, I scrapped it and started over. I put myself in a do-or-die situation and finally created a dish that satisfied me."

Huang Mei nodded, not hiding her research from last night. After all, she hadn't gone home yesterday, and Liu Yu would know if she asked Wang Jing.

"To put yourself in a do-or-die situation, that's a bold decision. I hope you really can survive."

Liu Yu's expression was unreadable. She knew Huang Mei's abilities perfectly well, so she had never underestimated her, but she had even more faith in her own strength.

If winning a game could be achieved through one or two exceptional performances, then what's the point of diligent practice every day?

"There will be a way out!"

Hearing Liu Yu's somewhat provocative words, Huang Mei's voice was exceptionally firm, and she met his gaze without hesitation. For a moment, they were locked in a fierce confrontation, neither willing to back down.

"Let's begin then. I hope your cooking will be worthy of my preparation over the past few months."

After the pre-battle pleasantries, both sides entered their optimal state of combat readiness. Huang Mei looked at the fresh grass carp in front of her, a serious expression on her face.

Place the grass carp on a clean cutting board with its head facing you and its tail facing outwards.

Before joining the world of dark cuisine, Huang Mei was a highly skilled fish butcher at RT-Mart. Despite her young age, she had extensive experience in butchering fish and, with her super-sensitive touch, every cut was precise.

Hold the fish head firmly with one hand, and with the other hand holding a sharp cleaver, quickly slice it from below the fish head, keeping the blade close to the fish bones, and cut the fish body open to the tail, exposing the internal organs.

Next, gently insert the tip of the knife into the fish's belly, slice upwards, and carefully remove all the internal organs without breaking the gallbladder, so as not to affect the taste of the fish meat.

Then, use a kitchen knife to gently scrape away the black membrane and any remaining internal organs from inside the fish's belly to ensure that the fish's interior is clean and free of foreign objects.

The process was smooth and seamless, without any awkwardness or hindrance. The fresh grass carp was like a greenhorn in Huang Mei's hands, completely at her mercy.

"What a fast knife."

In the audience, Kurokiba Ryo witnessed all of this and quietly expressed his admiration.

Huang Mei's knife skills are all basic, but because she is extremely skilled, they appear very powerful, as if she is using some special knife technique.

"This amazing skill level requires at least ten years of experience killing fish."

Zhou Tai's voice rang out as he watched Huang Mei prepare to cook the grass carp, his eyes filled with admiration.

"In comparison, the other one is quite average. While there are no obvious flaws, there's nothing particularly outstanding about him either."

As soon as Senzaemon Nakiri finished speaking, Bai Yuan and Zhou Tai both looked over and noticed that Liu Yu's movements were slow, but his strikes were exceptionally decisive.

"This is just the first step; the final result will depend on the dishes they serve."

Bai Yuan spoke up, saying that Liu Yu wasn't good at butchering ingredients; she was better at cooking with the ingredients she had on hand. She was probably just showing off her skills by butchering live fish today.

"That's true, but focusing on fish is a bit too broad, and it could easily turn into a competition of old recipes with nothing new."

At this point, Zhou Tai pursed his lips, clearly dissatisfied with the theme of the competition. An overly broad theme is not a good thing for a chef.

While the range of choices has increased, it can easily turn into a contest of experience; whoever has mastered a powerful and applicable recipe can win simply by applying it directly.

Truly high-level culinary competitions add various restrictions, requiring chefs not only to create new dishes but also to test their ability to adapt to changing circumstances.

"After all, these are just competitions for beginners, there's no need to make them too difficult."

Of course, there is another reason.

"Totsuki Academy wants to show its strength to the outside world, so a topic that's too difficult could easily backfire. We'll naturally increase the difficulty during the second-year internal academy assessments."

Senzaemon Nakiri spoke slowly, as he also had his own considerations.

If it's an internal assessment within the academy, then the more difficult the better, since the goal is to eliminate students and put pressure on them to become stronger.

However, the Summer Selection can be considered a recruitment brochure for Totsuki Academy, attracting outsiders to come and watch, while showcasing the talent of Totsuki students.

If the performers on stage are good enough, it will be enough to attract parents to send their children to study there.

Therefore, the themes of the cooking competitions chosen for the Summer Selection are all very conventional, just in case the contestants can't control themselves and embarrass themselves, bringing shame to Totsuki Academy.

"That's true. Education must be done step by step; you can't get fat overnight."

Zhou Tai understood the key point after hearing what Senzaemon Nakiri said, and he also understood why he did it this way. After all, for the culinary academy, enrollment was the most important thing.

Although Totsuki Academy has always had a high dropout rate, seemingly disregarding students and even despising those without talent, they would certainly be unhappy if no students came.

"Ah ha ha."

Bai Yuan, Zhou Tai, and Senzaemon Nakiri exchanged glances, each pointing at the other's face with a smile, everything understood without being said.

"Using scallions, ginger, orange juice, rice wine, and white pepper to remove the fishy smell is a good idea; it skillfully utilizes the natural aroma of the fruit."

Refocusing his attention on the competition, Zhou Tai noticed Huang Mei adding various ingredients to a bowl of fish and offered his unreserved critique.

"Orange juice is rich in organic acids such as citric acid. These acidic components can give fish a unique sour and refreshing taste, making the pickled fish more appetizing and tempting."

In addition, during the marinating process with orange juice, the proteins in the fish denature, changing from translucent to opaque, and the texture becomes harder and crisper, thus improving the taste of the fish.

Bai Yuan acted as the commentator, for no one knew more about common ingredients than him. He had already memorized the functions and uses of these common ingredients in order to better prepare his dishes.

Ordinary people think that his rapid growth is due to talent, but only Bai Yuan himself knows that the reason he can become so powerful is entirely due to his own efforts, step by step reaching the pinnacle!

"People in Latin America use orange juice to marinate fish, which is quite a unique dish."

Zhou Tai looked at Bai Yuan in surprise. He hadn't expected that Bai Yuan would have such a thorough understanding of ingredients at such a young age. No wonder he could become a top-tier seven-star chef.

Although he couldn't go into such detail, he knew that this dish was popular in Latin America because he had eaten it there.

"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.