Everyday Life Starting with Food Wars

"We'll see later. By the way, how did your regular assignments go today?" Chen Yuxing changed the subject and asked.

"Hey, don't even mention it." Soma Yukihira pursed his lips. "Today's challenge was Chef Fuyumi Mizuhara's French consommé, which requires very precise temperature control. But, of course, I easily mastered it! Everyone else passed too, and the Polaris Dormitory is still in perfect condition with everyone alive!"

"That's good."

Chen Yuxing nodded, rubbing his slightly hungry stomach. After a whole day of intense mental and physical exertion, plus not having eaten dinner yet, he felt so hungry he could eat a whole cow.

Just then.

"Gurgle..."

Xiao Hui's stomach started to protest first, and the sound was particularly clear in the now quiet lobby.

Tadokoro Megumi blushed instantly, clutching her stomach tightly with both hands, wishing she could disappear into a crack in the ground.

During the training program, students are responsible for their own meals, so the hotel kitchen is open to all students and contains a large amount of ingredients provided by Totsuki.

"It seems that not only me, but Xiaohui is also starving." Chen Yuxing turned to look at the kitchen of the Yuanyue Palace: "We've had a long day. Let's go to the kitchen and see what good stuff they have. I'll make you a simple late-night snack."

"night snack!"

Yoshino Yuuki was the first to raise both hands in agreement: "Yay! We can eat Hoshi's delicious food again! Long live Hoshi!"

"Count me in! I want to help too!" Soma Yukihira perked up at the mention of late-night snacks.

The group headed towards the kitchen in a grand procession. Although it was late, the kitchen's cold storage still contained a lot of fresh ingredients, as it was a place to supply all the students.

Chen Yuxing took a small basket from the side of the kitchen, then went to the vegetable section and looked around. His eyes were fixed on a row of nine-hole lotus roots that still had some mud on their surface.

"Should I make some crispy fried lotus root fritters? But I wonder if it's too high in calories to eat so late at night. Oh well, I'll treat myself to it."

Chen Yuxing picked up the large section of lotus root, along with a few carrots, scallions, and a piece of ginger. Then, he went to the meat section and picked out a piece of pork foreleg with a good balance of fat and lean meat.

"Ah Xing, what are you planning to do tonight? Do you need my help?" Soma Yukihira came over and looked at the various ingredients in Chen Yuxing's basket.

"I plan to make crispy fried lotus root slices, which are a well-known fried snack in Chinese cuisine. They are high in calories, but they are perfect for eating when you are hungry and tired like this."

As Chen Yuxing spoke, he threw the piece of pork onto the cutting board, picked up two cleavers, and began chopping the meat with a "clattering" sound.

Chen Yuxing chopped the pork on the cutting board with two cleavers, quickly turning it into a pile of evenly marbled minced meat. This way, the minced meat wouldn't be too oily, but it would still release enough aroma when fried.

Next are carrots, ginger, and scallions. Add them along with the pork when you're chopping it. The scallions and ginger can help remove the pork's gamey smell, and the carrots can add a touch of sweetness to the meat filling.

After mincing the meat and putting it into a prepared bowl, the next crucial step is seasoning.

Chen Yuxing added an appropriate amount of salt, soy sauce, and cooking wine to remove the fishy smell and enhance the flavor. Then he sprinkled a little white pepper powder, a small amount of thirteen-spice powder, and drizzled some oyster sauce and chicken powder on top.

“Thirteen spices are also an important part. They can be used to remove fishy smells, enhance aroma and flavor, but you can’t put too much in them.” Chen Yuxing explained, then frantically stirred the meat filling in one direction with his hand. “The flavor of crispy fried lotus root slices also varies. The way they are made in Jiangsu and Zhejiang is sweeter, while the way they are made in Shandong is mainly salty and fresh. Today I plan to make the salty and fresh flavor.”

To make the minced meat more tender and juicy, Chen Yuxing added the prepared scallion and ginger water to the minced meat in batches. The originally loose minced meat began to become sticky after absorbing the water, and the surface was covered with a layer of gelatinous texture. Finally, he added two drops of sesame oil, and the preparation of the minced meat was almost complete.

Next, we need to process the lotus root.

"For savory and fresh lotus root sandwiches, it's best to use this type of crisp lotus root with nine holes. It has a crispy texture and won't become soggy after frying."

Chen Yuxing picked up a knife, peeled the lotus root, washed it, and then cut a thin slice from one side, keeping that side flat so it could be placed face down on the cutting board.

Next is slicing the lotus root. The knife is inserted into the crisp lotus root. Make one cut, trying to cut low but not all the way through. Then make a second cut to cut it completely through. This creates a sandwich shape.

Next, blanch the sliced ​​lotus root in boiling water for about ten seconds, then remove it and rinse and soak it in clean water for a while. This will remove excess starch from the lotus root and also ensure a crisp texture when fried later.

Next, the minced meat is stuffed into the lotus root sandwiches.

Chen Yuxing picked up a slice of lotus root sandwich, used a spatula to scoop up a ball of seasoned minced meat, and spread the minced meat flat into the lotus root sandwich. This prevents the lotus root sandwich from breaking. However, it doesn't matter if it breaks. It can be stuck together with minced meat, coated with batter, and fried without being noticeable.

With a gentle pinch of your fingers, the meat filling is evenly squeezed around the holes of the lotus root. Then, scrape the edges with a spatula, and a plump and firm raw lotus root box is ready.

"Next, we need to prepare the batter. The batter accounts for half the flavor of fried food."

Chen Yuxing took out a large bowl, poured in flour, glutinous rice flour and a little salt, then cracked in an egg, added water and stirred it into a smooth paste.

"Then comes the secret to making the batter crispy and crumbly." Chen Yuxing added a pinch of baking soda to the batter, followed by a few drops of rice vinegar and a spoonful of cooking oil.

"Baking soda reacts with acid to produce carbon dioxide bubbles, while cooking oil forms a tiny oil film inside the batter. This results in a lighter, honeycomb-like structure in the fried batter, which locks in the food's moisture and keeps the outer shell dry and crispy, preventing it from becoming soggy!"

Soma Yukihira listened intently, nodding repeatedly, wishing he could take out a small notebook and write it down on the spot: "I see! Using acid-base reactions and oil film separation to create a crispy texture, the knowledge of Chinese batter is actually so profound!"

Chen Yuxing first coats the stuffed lotus root slices with a layer of dry flour, then shakes off the excess flour. This helps the lotus root slices adhere better to the batter and prevents them from falling out of the skin. Finally, she dips them into the batter to coat them evenly.

Chen Yuxing set up the oil pan, heated it over medium heat, poured in some cold oil, and tested the temperature by holding his hand above the oil surface: "It's about 50-60% hot, around 170 degrees Celsius. You can do a preliminary fry to set the shape."

Pick up the lotus root slices that have been coated with batter and gently place them into the oil along the edge of the pan.

"Fuck-"

The moment the batter touched the hot oil, the originally sticky outer layer expanded and turned white under the heat of the oil, and the lotus root cakes quickly floated up as the oil sizzled, the oil temperature was just right.

Chen Yuxing turned the heat down a little, then used long chopsticks to flip the lotus root slices over from time to time. When they were fried until the outside was slightly yellow and both sides of the lotus root slices were hard, and they felt hard when you touched them with chopsticks, they were almost cooked. He then took all the lotus root slices out and drained the oil.

"Is it done yet? It looks like the color isn't quite right." Yoshino Yuuki was about a meter away from the oil pan, swallowing hard.

"This is the first frying, mainly to set the shape of the lotus root sandwich and to cook the meat filling inside."

Chen Yuxing turned the heat up to the highest setting. "If you want the outside to be crispy but the inside not to be oily, you have to fry it twice."

The oil temperature quickly rose to about 80% of its maximum, around 200 degrees Celsius, and wisps of smoke began to rise from the surface of the pan.

"Stab!"

All the freshly fried lotus root slices were poured into the boiling oil at once.

The extremely high oil temperature instantly extracted the last bit of moisture from the batter in just over ten seconds, and the originally light yellow crust quickly turned into a golden color as if by magic!

"Fire it up!"

Chen Yuxing was quick-witted and nimble-fingered. He scooped the lotus root slices out of the pot with a huge strainer, and they came out golden and crispy, carrying the steam from the pot and the unique aroma of fried food.

I tossed it a couple of times on the oil-absorbing mesh, making a crisp "click-clack" sound like hard shells colliding, and then used blotting paper to absorb the excess oil before putting it in a dish.

"Crispy fried lotus root slices, done! Eat them while they're hot!"

A large plate of steaming hot golden lotus root sandwiches was served on the table.

The golden lotus root slices were piled up like a small mountain on the plate. Because they had just come out of the pot, the surface of the batter was still making a slight "crackling" sound.

"Gudong."

The members of Polaris Dormitory standing nearby all swallowed hard.

"I'm starting!"

Yoshino Yuuki was the first to resist. She picked up a piece of lotus root that was still steaming with her chopsticks, and without even blowing on it, she took a bite without caring about her image.

"Snap!!!"

A crisp sound came from Yuuki's mouth.

"It's piping hot! But it's so delicious!!"

Yuuki covered her cheeks, tears streaming down her face, but she couldn't stop chewing.

The first thing your teeth taste is the golden coating of baking soda and rice vinegar, which is very crispy and has no heavy feeling of flour at all.

Next comes the sweet and crisp texture of the lotus root, whose moistness perfectly balances the greasiness that frying might bring.

And when the teeth are fully penetrated into the core—

"Pfft!"

The juicy meat bursts forth like a spring, and the marbled pork, seasoned with various spices, releases a rich and savory aroma.

The abundant juice from the scallion and ginger water makes the meat filling incredibly tender, without any dryness whatsoever.

Crispy on the outside, crunchy in the middle, and tender on the inside.

Three distinct textures overlap in an instant, giving this seemingly ordinary fried dish an unparalleled deliciousness!

"It's so delicious!"

At this moment, Yoshino Yuuki's eyes lost focus, a blush appeared on her fair face, and she was completely immersed in the delicious illusion brought by the lotus root box.

She felt as if she had transformed into a tiny waterbird, plunging headfirst into a vast, boundless golden lotus pond.

The pool water wasn't ordinary lake water, but rather scalding hot meat broth that exuded a rich aroma!

The huge lotus leaves all turned into golden, crispy fried dough, and she kept jumping between them, making a crisp "crunch crunch" sound each time.

Suddenly, the water surface churned, and a huge wild boar, exuding a rich aroma, leaped out from the bottom of the water, with a piece of crisp nine-hole lotus root in its mouth!

The wild boar, exuding a wild and intense aroma of meat, launched Yuuki into the air.

Bathed in the delicious meat juices in mid-air, all her fatigue vanished in that moment, and the unparalleled satisfaction made her let out a comfortable pant.

"This mask is simply incredible!"

Marui Zenji inhaled as he bit into the lotus root sandwich, analyzing, "The porous structure combined with the high-temperature double frying prevents the outer shell from absorbing any excess oil. The meat filling inside, protected by the lotus root slices, retains all its moisture, locking it in perfectly. Crispy on the outside, crunchy in the middle, tender on the inside... the layers of texture are simply art!"

Soma Yukihira grabbed two lotus root boxes and started eating them with both hands, his mouth dripping with oil: "They're so delicious! The complex spice flavor combined with the pure meaty aroma, and they're not greasy at all!"

Megumi Tadokoro held a lotus root box in both hands, taking small bites, her face flushed with happiness.

The crisp lotus root and savory meat filling intertwined in her mouth, and the satisfaction brought by the fried food completely relaxed her nerves that had been tense all day.

A large plate of crispy fried lotus root slices was devoured in less than ten minutes by the crowd.

"Phew... I'm alive again." Daigo Aoki rubbed his round belly and lay on the kitchen floor tiles without any regard for his image.

"After eating and drinking my fill, all the fatigue of the day is gone."

Chen Yuxing took off his apron and stretched lazily. "Let's go, everyone. We should go back and get some rest. There's a new hell waiting for us tomorrow."

Chapter 29 Shinomiya

The third day of the accommodation-based training program.

As the sunlight streamed in through the window, Chen Yuxing was once again awakened by the shrill ringing of the alarm clock.

As he finished washing up and walked into the hotel lobby, yawning, Soma Yukihira ran over from beside him with a piece of bread in his mouth: "Shin-chan! The group assignments for today are out! It's a pity we weren't paired together again!"

"It's normal that we weren't assigned together, considering there are so many other people."

Chen Yuxing glanced at the grouping table displayed on the screen.

Tadokoro Megumi peeked out from behind him, nervously swallowing hard: "Ah-Hoshi-kun... it seems we've all been assigned to Group F-3..."

Chen Yuxing scrolled down the group list and saw his and Xiao Hui's names, as well as the reviewers for the F-3 project examination.

Shinomiya Kojiro.

"Oh no..." Tadokoro Megumi's face turned pale, and she subconsciously took out the amulet with "success in studies" written on it from her pocket and held it tightly in her hand.

Chen Yuxing glanced at Xiaohui and patted her head. "Don't be nervous. We all passed yesterday's intensive training. Just keep up the good work you did yesterday."

Tadokoro looked up at him, took a deep breath, and nodded vigorously.

Yukihira Soma took a bite of bread and mumbled, "Damn it, I want to meet that guy too."

"You're working with Chef Kakuzaki Taki, right? He's under a lot of pressure. Good luck!" Chen Yuxing said.

"Don't worry, I am the successor of the Yukihira school! So are you. You must return safely! See you in Marui's room tonight!"

Soma Yukihira grinned, gave a "V" sign, slung his bag over his shoulder, and ran out first.

Chen Yuxing looked away and glanced at Xiao Hui beside him. "Let's go, let's not be late."

……

At 9:00 AM sharp, the exam room for Group F-3.

This examination room is a classic French cooking classroom, with a uniquely designed small sofa placed at the front of the classroom.

The classroom was already quite full of people, but the atmosphere was eerily quiet. No one was whispering to each other, and everyone's face was very solemn.

"Da da da……"

With steady footsteps, Kojiro Shinomiya walked into the classroom carrying a thick stack of papers.

He was dressed in a pristine white chef's uniform, his short pink hair was neatly combed, he wore black-rimmed glasses, and silver earrings shimmered in his ears.

Kojiro Shinomiya, the first seat of the 79th generation of the Elite Ten, and the head chef of the French restaurant "SHINO'S" in Paris.

He walked to the front of the classroom with the stack of papers and scanned all the students.

"Good morning, everyone. I am Kojiro Shinomiya, a graduate of the 79th class."

As soon as he finished speaking, whispers arose from the students below, their words tinged with panic.