Food Wars, my food not only glows!

　Airi Nakiri showed no sign of backing down, and Erina Nakiri, under her relentless onslaught, began to waver, finally pursing her lips and expressing her worries.

　"Teacher Bai Yuan, he..."

　"oh oh."

　"And he also..."

　"Uh-huh."

　The two slowed down their pace, and Erina Nakiri poured out all her dissatisfaction, including how Hakugen had treated Mito Ikumi and the others, and how frivolous he had been.

　"So, you think that Teacher Bai Yuan is more frivolous than usual today?"

　After listening to Erina Nakiri's words, Alice Nakiri gave her conclusion. A somewhat baffling answer—was she sulking about this?

　"Well, although Teacher Bai Yuan was shameless before, he wouldn't have been this proactive. It felt like he wanted to have something happen with them."

　At this point, Erina Nakiri's expression became somewhat complicated. If Shirabuchi's past behavior could be excused by punishment, then...

　What she saw this morning was probably the other party's true intention. Despite her inner thoughts...

　I had expected it, but seeing it in person still felt a bit unsettling.

　"Is he proactive? I don't think so. This is just his nature. He likes cooking and beautiful women. He's always been like this."

　Alice Nakiri tilted her head, somewhat puzzled.

　In her opinion, Bai Yuan hadn't changed much compared to usual, but according to Nakiri Erina, he seemed to have suddenly become a freak.

　This guy is a bit too sentimental.

　"It's always been like this, but..."

　The words were on the tip of her tongue when Erina Nakiri suddenly stopped. She didn't know why she felt so uncomfortable, even though Mingyuan had always been like this.

　"It must be love. You like Bai Yuan, so you don't want to see him being intimate with other girls. At this moment, your feelings of love have reached their peak."

　Beside her, Alice Nakiri listened to the whole story, pinched her chin to review it, thought for a moment, and then spoke, her face full of understanding.

　"Like...what do you like?!"

　Alice Nakiri's sudden declaration of liking her made Erina Nakiri blush instantly, and the proud girl naturally couldn't admit it.

　"Objectively speaking, if you don't like someone, you won't be interested in anything about them; to you, they're just a block of wood."

　In other words, it's precisely because you've developed a feeling called 'liking' him that you dislike his womanizing ways.

　Alice Nakiri gave her an "I understand" look.

　After saying so much, Erina Nakiri's reason boils down to just two words: "jealousy."

　She had similar feelings a few years ago, and even lost her appetite because of it, but later she came to understand that Bai Yuan was so outstanding that he could not belong to her alone.

　This world is inherently more female than male; there are beautiful girls everywhere, but not many handsome men.

　As for Bai Yuan, who is handsome, a good cook, and gentle and considerate, it's no exaggeration to say that even her mother likes him very much.

　Thinking of Leonora Nakiri's suppressed and restrained expression towards Bai Yuan, Alice Nakiri fell silent for a moment, then grabbed the hand of the girl in front of her.

　“If you like him, just tell him, and he will accept you. He's not good at confessing his feelings, and given his status, it's not appropriate for him to confess.”

　If you don't take the initiative, you'll never have a chance. It took me seven years to muster the courage, and I hope you won't have any regrets.

　As if recalling her past self, feeling the warmth in her hands, and looking at Erina Nakiri's complex expression, Alice Nakiri spoke slowly and deliberately.

　"I... don't know if I really like Teacher Bai Yuan. It's all just your guess."

　Hearing Alice Nakiri's sincere words, Erina Nakiri was somewhat moved, but in order to save face, she still stubbornly insisted on her words.

　"Then ask your own heart."

　·

　·

　Inside the house, in the kitchen.

　Remove the marinated pig ears, put them in a pot of cold water, add ginger slices, high-proof liquor and cooking wine, bring to a boil over high heat and skim off the foam.

　"When the water is completely free of scum and blood, remove the fish and rinse it again in clean water. The purpose of these steps is to preserve the color of the dish and prevent any adverse effects on the braising liquid. They also lay the foundation for the quality and preservation of the braising liquid."

　Bai Yuan explained as he went, and then brought over a small plate.

　"This is my unique recipe, which is excellent for braising meat and is suitable for many ingredients. Take good notes."

　Bai Yuan took out spices from under the counter and began to explain them as he put them into a plate.

　"Ten grams of whole star anise, five grams of cinnamon, three grams of bay leaves, one gram of cloves, five grams of red Sichuan peppercorns, five grams of fennel seeds, ten grams of white pepper, one nutmeg, four grams of white cardamom, three grams of dried tangerine peel, five grams of galangal, three grams of licorice root, two seedless cardamom pods, eight grams of dried galangal, and three grams of lemongrass. This is enough to braise twenty catties of meat."

　These effectively enhance flavor, remove fishy odors, eliminate unpleasant smells, and cut through greasiness. This formula uses small quantities and has a mild aroma, primarily focusing on highlighting the natural flavors of the ingredients.

　The spices jingled as they were placed on the tray. After adding all the spices, Bai Yuan gave a brief introduction.

　"With so many spices added, are these only the three effects...?"

　Hisako Shinto wondered why spices were needed when braising food, but generally speaking, adding seven or eight kinds of spices was already quite rich.

　The recipe Bai Yuan just mentioned, she roughly calculated, contains fifteen ingredients, each spice measured precisely by weight, making it a truly top-tier recipe.

　Is such a top-quality braising spice packet only effective for these three purposes?

　"These are the three main ones, and there are some hidden functions, which are like icing on the cake."

　Don't focus too much on the quantity of the ingredients. Remember, when it comes to ingredients, quality is more important than quantity. Our goal is to perfectly bring out the flavor of the ingredients.

　Pour the spices from the plate into a bowl. Then pour in high-proof liquor, add boiling water to submerge the spices, cover and simmer for half an hour.

　This fully brings out the aroma of the spices while removing their bitterness and astringency, which is the key to the white brine method.

　After soaking, rinse the spices thoroughly and wrap them in gauze, leaving enough space inside the gauze to allow the fragrance to be released more fully.

　Light the fire and place the iron pot on the stove.

　While chatting and laughing, Bai Yuan added 300 grams of chicken fat, then 100 grams of lard, and finally 500 grams of salad oil.

　"Tell me why we use three types of oil."

　After mixing the three oils and smelling the aroma in the air, Bai Yuan looked at Shirato Hisako and asked her the question.

　"this..."

　This time, however, Hisako Shinoto seemed speechless. She opened her mouth but didn't know what to say. She genuinely didn't know why three kinds of oil needed to be added; it was beyond her knowledge!

　"Remember it well and study it well."

　Lard makes ingredients more moist, preventing them from drying out, while chicken fat enhances the aroma. At the same time, lard and chicken fat can neutralize the medicinal flavor of spices, thus suppressing their medicinal taste.

　This method can better highlight the aroma and effects, making the braised food more fragrant. If you want to remove the medicinal taste from the medicinal food, this method will also work.

　As for why salad oil is added, it's mainly to enhance the dish's shine and to balance the consistency of the lard and chicken fat, making them less sticky and greasy.

　While talking, he stirred the pot with a ladle, then took out the prepared ingredients and poured them into the pot, followed by the spices.

　The spice mix is ​​made from slices of old ginger, scallions, chopped cilantro, and onion rings.

　This step requires frying over low heat to allow the aroma of the aromatics to be fully released.

　Since both lard and chicken fat are animal fats, adding spices can effectively remove the fishy smell and enhance the aroma.

　"Here we go, we've only completed the preliminary preparations. You can imagine how much effort it will take to truly bring out the best in the ingredients."

　Bai Yuan sighed softly, scooped out the miscellaneous ingredients from the pot, poured the braising oil into a bowl, and then looked up at Shinoto Hisako and spoke.

　"This is just the preliminary work?!"

　Hisako Shinoto was genuinely surprised. Was it really that difficult to create a dish that brought out the essence of the original flavor?

　Although Bai Yuan's movements look smooth and effortless, it should be noted that his culinary skills are at the top level, eight stars, making him one of the world's top experts.

　"The mid-term work is to make the broth. To make qualified white braising liquid, high-quality broth is essential."

　As Bai Yuan spoke, he walked toward the refrigerator. There weren't many ingredients left, but enough to make a pot of broth, so he got to work.

　First, lay the materials out in a row.

　Half a hen, two pounds of pork bones, one pound of pork spine, and one pound of pork skin are all the ingredients currently available for making stock at home.

　It's a pity we didn't have any pig's trotters or chicken feet at home, otherwise adding some would have made it taste even better.

　Shaking his head, Bai Yuan produced a kitchen knife and quickly began processing the ingredients on the cutting board.

　The pork large bones and pork spine bones are split in two, which allows the flavor of the bones to be released more thoroughly.

　The old hen was chopped into pieces, and the pork skin was processed in the same way as the pig ears, making sure no off-flavors were left!

　Chapter 210 Alice and Erina, the two sisters clash once again

　"The broth, as the core of the braising liquid, must meet three conditions. First, it must have a bone aroma; second, it must have a savory aroma; and third, it must be gelatinous."

　Only when these three conditions are met can brine stock be considered qualified.

　All the ingredients on the table are interchangeable; if you want to be even more refined, you can vary the ingredients used to make the broth for different braised items.

　Since Hisako Shinto's cooking aims to showcase the full flavor of the ingredients, the most important thing is to refine every detail to perfection.

　Only in this way can it be considered a true presentation.

　Otherwise, it's just about bringing out the flavor of the ingredients, with the chef playing a minor role, and even someone new to the kitchen could make it.

　It's clear from the competition that Hisako Shinto has grasped some of the tricks of the trade, but she's still a long way from success and needs his guidance.

　"The most important thing to make good braised food is to use stock instead of water. This can maximize the flavor and bring out the deliciousness of the ingredients."

　Bai Yuan explained and demonstrated at the same time. The first step was to clean the ingredients. The cleaned ingredients were then put into the pot one by one, and high-proof liquor was added to remove the fishy smell.

　"The process of making stock requires using high heat, medium heat, and low heat in stages to allow the ingredients to fully release their freshness and aroma, which takes time."

　Bai Yuan explained in great detail that these were the true essence, the places where the master taught his disciple to hide secrets. Shinoto Hisako listened very attentively.

　During the explanation, Erina Nakiri and the others bought the ingredients one after another and got busy in the kitchen. When they saw Hakuyuan cooking broth, they all went over to him.

　"What are you doing? Teacher Baiyuan, are you also preparing to make braised food...?"

　Yoshino Yuuki had somehow moved closer to the front, looking at the boiling broth in the pot. The rich aroma wafted over, making one murmur softly.

　“That’s right, I’ll do it with you.”

　Bai Yuan nodded. Today's test was entirely because he had instructed Shinomoto Hisako to make braised dishes with white brine, specifically for this plate of vinegar-wrapped dumplings.

　"The stock used for regular braised dishes can be made from a three-year-old hen, but your braising stock... is made to the standard of a state banquet-level broth!"

　Erina Nakiri also entered the kitchen, and a longing look appeared on her face as she looked at the bone broth emitting a rich aroma in front of Shirabuchi.

　"That's how cooking is; it may seem like one step is complete..."

　A single dish may seem like a recipe, but actually several must be prepared, and every detail must be polished to perfection to be considered a success.

　The difference between a master chef and an ordinary chef lies in the fact that a master chef has learned a wide variety of things, possesses extremely broad knowledge, and has a very solid foundation.

　Even when faced with the most complex dishes, they can unravel them layer by layer, allowing them to shine.

　Ordinary chefs often lack the ability to solve problems. They may get stuck on a certain part and simplify or change that part, which will ultimately affect the taste of the dish.

　"To polish every single detail to perfection...?"

　Erina Nakiri murmured to herself, a look of understanding appearing on her face.

　Her cooking is like this so far; it's just that her abilities are limited, so she can't make it perfect, but at least it shows that she's on the right track.

　"Go and cook, let me see what kind of braised dishes the famous God Tongue will serve up."

　Seeing that Erina Nakiri was no longer as troubled as when she left, Bai Yuan guessed that Alice Nakiri had said something to her, and patted her on the shoulder.

　"I understand, I will do my best."

　Feeling the hand touch her shoulder, Erina Nakiri trembled slightly, but she didn't say anything and simply fled back to the kitchen counter.

　It was as if they were fleeing from a flood or a ferocious beast.

　"Am I that terrible?"

　Looking at Erina Nakiri's retreating figure, and then at his own palm, Bai Yuan muttered something to himself, then started walking around in the kitchen.

　"Snapped!"

　"The blanching time was not long enough. The blood foam and impurities in the ingredients were not completely removed. Look, there are still some residues here. You were a bit too hasty."

　A ruler had appeared in his hand without him noticing. Looking at the situation in Sakaki Ryoko's pot, Bai Yuan struck it without hesitation, making a crisp sound.