The delicacies of the heavens begin with obtaining gem meat.

Jiang Yan glanced around and then walked to a stove in the far corner of the courtyard.

He placed the boar by the stove, picked up a kitchen knife from the stove, and examined it. The blade was thick, but the edge was very sharp, gleaming coldly in the sunlight.

It looks like it was prepared on purpose.

Jiang Yan pressed down on the boar's neck with one hand, then flipped his wrist and precisely stabbed the kitchen knife into the boar's carotid artery.

The bleeding, disembowelment, and removal of internal organs were all performed in one smooth and efficient motion.

Dark red blood flowed down the groove, while Jiang Yan placed the internal organs aside.

Several other examinees watching Jiang Yan's actions were stunned; his skillful butchering techniques looked very professional.

Jiang Yan didn't care about the gazes of the others.

After dealing with the monstrous boar, Jiang Yan straightened up, glanced at the seasonings on the stove, and frowned slightly.

The only seasoning was salt.

Fortunately, there were still plenty of fruits and vegetables.

"Tsk, that's really rudimentary."

Jiang Yan clicked his tongue softly, but he also felt excited.

That's what makes it challenging!

Jiang Yan began to think about how to cook the monstrous boar.

The large size of the monstrous boar means that if you put it directly on the grill, the outer layer of meat will definitely burn first, but the meat inside may not be cooked through.

Therefore, eating undercooked meat or charred meat would be a complete waste.

Jiang Yan rubbed his chin, his gaze falling on the fruits and vegetables.

Soon a cooking method took shape in his mind.

..............................

Without hesitation, Jiang Yan immediately began to act.

First, they stuffed some fruit into the belly cavity of the monstrous boar, and then filled it with water.

Then use some skewers to tightly sew up the belly of the monstrous boar that has been ripped open, and then block the front and back entrances.

In this way, when it's roasting, the water in the abdominal cavity will boil, forming a natural steamer, enough to simmer the meat inside until it's tender and mushy.

But this is not enough.

Jiang Yan squatted down, scooped some fine yellow clay from beside the stove, added crushed fruit puree and some salt, then mixed in water and stirred it evenly with a wooden stick.

The soil, originally grayish-brown, now carries a faint fruity fragrance after being mixed in this way.

The prepared mud paste was smeared all over the monstrous boar's body, from head to tail, leaving no gap untouched.

Before long, the original big-nosed mad boar was wrapped up into a round clod of earth, with only the outline of the big-nosed mad boar still vaguely visible.

Jiang Yan didn't care at all. He carefully placed the "clod of earth" on the grill and then lit the grill.

The orange-red flames greedily licked the mud shell, making soft crackling sounds.

At the same time, Jiang Yan slowly rotated the 'clod of earth' on the grill to ensure it was heated evenly.

Before long, the surface of the mud shell was dried, and a faint fruity aroma wafted out through the cracks, spreading in the air.

This is the unique aroma emitted by the fruit pulp inside the clay shell after being roasted at high temperatures. It is fresh and enticing, forming a stark contrast with the strong burnt smell around it.

The aroma of the Boar's meat is completely locked inside by this thick layer of mud, without any leakage.

Jiang Yan stood guard by the grill, his eyes fixed intently on the 'clod of earth,' occasionally reaching out to adjust the size of the flames, his expression extremely serious.

...............................

Just as Jiang Yan was concentrating on roasting the monstrous boar, a commotion arose from a nearby stove.

Jiang Yan subconsciously glanced up and saw the examinee named Tuomen triumphantly taking down a charred, large-nosed boar.

The skin of the monstrous boar was already charred, with black smoke still sizzling from the edges, and you could smell the burnt aroma from a distance.

But Takumon was clearly very satisfied with his work.

He strode up to Menqi and Buhala, carrying the roasted boar he had just finished cooking, placed it on the table, and said arrogantly.

"Okay, hurry up and eat, then let me pass."

Jiang Yan glanced at it, then looked away and focused his attention back on the roasted pig in front of him.

Of the two examiners, Buhara was not particular about food.

However, at this moment, Menchi was in a very bad mood because of the murderous aura emanating from Hisoka and the previous incident of the examinee belittling the Gourmet Hunters, so her requirements for the dishes were not low.

This burnt stuff has no chance of passing through.

As expected, on the examiners' table, Buhara hugged the big-nosed boar and started gnawing on it, and gave Tuomen a passing grade.

But Menqi frowned, looked at the charcoal-black roasted pig, and without even tasting it, simply gave it a failing grade.

"It's overcooked, the meat is too tough, and it's a waste of the meat's natural flavor."

Tuomen's face instantly turned bright red as he glared at Menqi and said angrily.

"What did you say! You haven't even tasted it, so what makes you think it's substandard!"

"This is self-evident."

Menqi pointed impatiently at the charred, monstrous-nosed pig, his tone full of disdain.

Tuomen opened his mouth, wanting to refute, but found himself speechless.

Indeed, he turned the fire up to the maximum in order to save time, so much so that the skin of the monstrous boar became charred.

"hateful!"

Tuomen clenched his fists, his eyes filled with resentment, but he could only slink away in disgrace.

..............................

After the door was opened, candidates successively served their roasted pigs, but without exception, all of them were ruthlessly judged as unqualified by Menqi.

Some were undercooked, and some weren't even prepared properly.

Men Qi's complexion grew increasingly worse.

Inside the courtyard, Gon, Leorio, and Kurapika looked bewildered as none of them passed the test.

Although their roasted pigs hadn't been served yet, they were just like everyone else's, and therefore wouldn't meet the standards at all.

Just when he was at his wit's end, Kurapika's eyes suddenly lit up.

"By the way, this exam may seem to be about cooking, but it actually tests our originality and observation skills."

Kurapika felt he had grasped the essence of the exam.

To complete a dish using limited tools and ingredients.

As for the taste, that's secondary.

"I see."

Both Gon and Leorio suddenly realized what was going on.

Then Xiao Jie and his two friends began to "modify" their big-nosed mad pig.

Leorio found a small flag somewhere and stuck it on the roast pig.

Xiao Jie ran to the flower bushes nearby, picked a bunch of wildflowers, and arranged them around the roasted pig.

However, their cooking still didn't meet Menchi's standards.

This greatly disappointed Gon and Leorio.

Kurapika served the food after the two of them.

Compared to Leorio and Gon, Kurapika is clearly much more dedicated.

Kurapika cut the roasted Boar into thick cutlets and sandwiched vegetables and fruits between them.

It looks like a giant hamburger, which is quite appetizing.