Noticing the implication in Hoshino Sora's words, Rika puffed out her cheeks and said, directly stating that she couldn't possibly make such a basic mistake, while also playfully punching him on the back with her small fist.
"Alright, alright, you won't make it, you won't make it."
Hoshino Sora said with a smile, but his tone and attitude clearly showed he didn't believe her. Rika, of course, noticed this, but she was helpless and could only vent her dissatisfaction in this way.
Although she was sometimes a bit airheaded, most of the time she was very clever. She hadn't made such basic mistakes since elementary school, okay?
"Asaka, say something! I occasionally help you cook too, right? Don't you think I do a great job?"
"Very good."
Shaking Asaka's arm, Rika seemed eager to prove herself, but when she turned to look, she saw a face trying to hold back laughter. Seeing her look over, Asaka spoke, but her expression...
Darn it! Asaka didn't believe her either.
This made her stomp her foot in annoyance.
"I believe you can do very well. Next, we'll quickly fry the chicken drumstick mushrooms. One reason is for flavor, and the other is for shaping and enhancing their unique fatty aroma.
Water out, oil in. The water in the mushrooms leaves and oil enters, so the mushrooms will become drier and more fragrant, and they'll pair better with the beef cubes. The red and green peppers will also be quickly fried and then strained out with a sieve."
After quickly performing the operations and briefly frying the ingredients, Hoshino Sora turned to look at Kitagawa. From beginning to end, she was the most serious among them.
Even Asaka wasn't as focused as she was. It was clear that she genuinely wanted to learn.
Yui Yuigahama, however, seemed less interested. But she and Kitagawa Marin often ate together, so if Kitagawa learned, it meant she learned too, so it wasn't a big problem!
"And then? After preparing the side ingredients, it should be time to handle the main ingredient, right?"
Seeing Hoshino Sora look over, Kitagawa Marin spoke like a child trying to get the teacher's attention, immediately asking about the crucial point.
"Smart. Pour a little light soy sauce on the beef, no need for salt, then add a little cornstarch. This is for thickening and locking in the meat's moisture. Then, stir-fry it at six to seven parts oil temperature until it's five parts cooked."
Hoshino Sora said, adding a base oil to the wok, then putting in the freshly processed beef cubes. After quickly stir-frying them, he scooped them out and placed them in a sieve on the side for later use.
Although not yet fully cooked, the beef cubes were already emitting an enticing aroma—the scent of fat.
"Leave some base oil in the wok, add the shallots, and sauté them until fragrant. After they're fragrant, add the minced garlic, stir-fry a couple of times, and then add the other ingredients together. Watch my beautiful wok tossing!"
Hoshino Sora said as he tossed the wok, his movements extremely skillful and inexplicably very cool. After tossing the wok, he even smugly showed off to the others behind him.
With that tsundere little stance, Aka Rika looked at Hoshino Sora's back with soft eyes. After these few flips of the pan, the aroma of the dish immediately burst forth, spreading throughout the kitchen.
"It smells so good!"
Smelling the scent wafting through the air, Yui Yuigahama couldn't help but exclaim, swallowing her saliva. She hadn't expected a simple dish to require so many steps, no wonder it tasted so good!
"Pour in the pre-mixed sauce, then a few more beautiful flips of the pan, and finally, before serving, add brandy, flip it twice, add some color with sesame oil, and sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds."
Hoshino Sora added the ingredients in order, then arranged the cooked braised beef cubes on the plate in front of him, steaming hot, with perfect color, aroma, and taste!
"With so many flavor-enhancing ingredients added, the taste of this braised beef has reached its peak! Feed me a piece of beef first~"
Akanegakubo Momo said, opening her mouth wide in front of Hoshino Sora, wanting to taste the first piece of beef from the pan. Hoshino Sora naturally wouldn't refuse, picking up a piece of beef and bringing it to her.
"Hot~"
She said it was hot while sucking on her little tongue, her cheeks moving. Her little face was flushed, looking incredibly cute. The taste was truly exquisite to the extreme!
"The aroma of the beef fat explodes in the mouth, far more than what dissipates outside, like carefully prepared gifts, full of oil, truly wonderful!" Akanegakubo Momo closed her eyes, savoring the deliciousness of the dish while panting slightly as she commented.
The high-grade beef produced by Gourmet Manor, with its rich fatty aroma bursting forth, and the sauce on top was not too thick, so it wouldn't feel greasy with one bite. On the contrary, it had a special fragrance.
In addition to the beef cubes, the fragrant chicken leg mushrooms absorbed the essence of the beef, becoming exceptionally delicious. The green and red peppers were crisp and refreshing, with a faint sweetness. The combination of these flavors created a large number of chemical reactions, further elevating the overall taste.
"En, Sora, help me up."
Puffing out hot air from her mouth, and at the same time wrapping her arms around Hoshino Sora's neck, Aka-ri directly stood on her tiptoes and kissed him, passing the beef cube from her mouth.
"Ah! Asaka is so cunning! I want some too!"
Seeing Aka-ri sneak ahead, Rika, who was nearby, couldn't sit still. She shouted, put a piece of beef into her mouth, then came in front of Hoshino Sora and fed it to him.
Hoshino Sora did not refuse this. Seeing the two sisters vying for his attention, he was quite happy. Girls, after all, should be a little lively.
Watching the girls playing and laughing in front of him, Hoshino Sora smiled contentedly.
The afterglow of the setting sun fell into the kitchen; this was their home.
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