"Scallops, grouper, pumpkin, butter, heavy cream, arugula... What kind of dish is this? Judging by the ingredients, it's most likely Western cuisine."
As Senzaemon Nakiri announced the start of the Shokugeki, Erina Nakiri immediately sprang into action, opening her knife case, taking out her usual chef's knife, and beginning to butcher the grouper.
Meanwhile, Okabe stood his ground, not rushing to act, simply watching her silently as she cooked.
The match had a time limit of a full hour. His dish could be finished in just over ten minutes, so completing it too quickly would be of no benefit to him.
Before long, Erina Nakiri finished breaking down the grouper with clumsy technique. It was clear she had never butchered a fish before, so she couldn't grasp the essence of the skill in such a short time.
However, for the following steps, Erina Nakiri was much more skilled.
She was seen tossing butter into a stockpot, heating it over medium heat until it melted.
Next, she added shrimp shells and heads, stir-frying and pressing them with a spatula to extract the shrimp oil. Once the shells turned red and released a rich aroma, she set them aside.
In the same pot, she added a bit more butter, then placed the fish meat, bones, and head inside with a small amount of scallions, searing them until both sides were lightly golden.
Then, she returned the previously sautéed shrimp heads and shells to the pot and added cold water to cover all the ingredients.
"Then, add chopped onion, celery, carrot, and leek. Put slices of ginger, garlic, white peppercorns, and a sachet d'épices into a spice bag and toss it in."
Erina Nakiri muttered to herself, repeating the steps she had practiced relentlessly over the past few days. Soon, a rich aroma began to spread throughout the Shokugeki arena.
"This method and aroma... could Erina be making a seafood soup?"
Watching Erina Nakiri at her station, Alice Nakiri closed her eyes and twitched her nose slightly, voicing her judgment with some uncertainty.
"No, if it were a seafood soup, she wouldn't have prepared so many ingredients."
Beside her, Leonora Nakiri shook her head slightly, her expression exceptionally grave.
Azami Nakiri, truly worthy of his status as a graduate who held the First Seat of the Elite Ten, had considerable experience in culinary research and development to have come up with this in just three days.
This dish before them was undoubtedly an incredibly complex, composite creation, where each component was perfected to the extreme before being assembled and integrated to form a unique delicacy.
This was a common approach in Western cuisine.
Time ticked by, second by second. Erina Nakiri meticulously executed every step Azami Nakiri had given her, transforming into a machine of unparalleled precision.
At that moment in the arena, Erina Nakiri had just finished cutting the pumpkin and placed it in a steamer. Simultaneously, she started another pot of water to boil. She trimmed the outer leaves of the fresh arugula, blanched it quickly in the boiling water, then plunged it into an ice bath to preserve its vibrant green color.
After finishing this task, she didn't rush to the next step. Instead, she took out a fine piece of Parma ham, took a deep breath, and began to slice it.
This was the most difficult part for her. Because she hadn't had time to practice her knife skills, the consequence was that the thin slices of ham would easily break halfway through.
Cutting suitably thin slices was an extremely difficult task for her.
"It's still no good, is it? My fundamentals are truly a mess..."
After several consecutive failed attempts, Erina Nakiri finally grew disheartened.
Recognizing the gap between herself and Okabe, she took out the slicing machine Azami Nakiri had prepared for her from under the counter and began to operate it skillfully.
With the help of the slicer, the Parma ham was quickly cut into uniform, thin slices.
She preheated the oven to 150 degrees Celsius and placed the thin slices of Parma ham inside, baking them at a low temperature until crisp.
"The seafood stock provides umami, the pumpkin provides sweetness, the arugula brings bitterness, and the saltiness comes from the crispy Parma ham. I see a few lemons on the counter; that must be the source of acidity. I wonder how it will be incorporated into the dish.
I see. So you plan to defeat me using these flavors as the foundation of your dish?
However, a dish made by cooking components separately and then assembling them can never defeat my creation, where all flavors are integrated into one to ultimately create a new taste!"
Watching Erina Nakiri's cooking process, Okabe's eyes shimmered with anticipation, his heart pounding violently with excitement.
Less than twenty minutes remained until the end of the match.
The one who had been silent all this time finally began to move!
He lifted the knife case from the floor and from it, he withdrew the Seven-Star Knife, Wu Qu.
A flash of silver light, and the rather large piece of pork loin was cut in half. He then placed his hand on one half and, with practiced ease, began to slice the meat.
In no time, the entire piece of pork loin was transformed into thin slices of uniform thickness, which he then neatly stacked and julienned.
"This little fellow's fundamentals are solid. He knows what he needs and works hard for it. Both his temperament and his resilience make him excellent material for a chef."
Because Okabe had only started cooking after Erina Nakiri began slicing her ham, Senzaemon Nakiri couldn't help but nod in approval upon seeing his meat-cutting technique.
For a professional who had been in the kitchen for years, this knife work was nothing special—just a basic skill honed through repetition. But for a five-year-old child, it was the result of absolute diligence and effort.
Although Senzaemon Nakiri hadn't returned to the Nakiri household often over the years, he had heard rumors of Okabe not applying himself properly.
The household staff said he didn't study other cuisines, specializing only in shredded potatoes. It seemed now that his flawless knife skills were honed during that time.
Meanwhile, in the competition arena.
Okabe quickly and properly prepared all the ingredients, then set his wok on the stove and lit the flame.
He slicked the wok with a generous amount of oil, and when it was at medium heat, he added the marinated shredded pork. He quickly separated the strands with a ladle, and once the surface turned lightly golden, he poured out the excess oil.
Into the hot wok with cool oil, he added doubanjiang and the yulazi. Then, he returned the shredded pork and stir-fried everything evenly.
Next, he added shredded bamboo shoots, crispy hawthorn threads, and the all-important yuxiang sauce. The shredded wood ear mushrooms had been marinated in the yuxiang sauce and were now added to the wok as the first of three additions.
Immediately after, the numerous ingredients miraculously soared into the air. Okabe's small body erupted with astonishing power, the 2.5-kilogram iron wok feeling as light as a feather in his hands.
What seemed to be a standard combination of ingredients instead released a stunning aroma the moment they hit the wok.
"This aroma..."
"The elegant fragrance of fruit exudes a unique charm from within the yuxiang sauce."
"What is the source of this fruity fragrance?!"
The rich fragrance spread in all directions, drawing everyone's gaze to Okabe. Even Azami Nakiri, who looked down on him the most, was momentarily captivated.
"The most important thing in Yuxiang Shredded Pork is the seasoning, followed by the control of the heat. Cooking while holding onto the hope that everyone who tastes this dish will wear a blissful expression... it truly makes you happy from the bottom of your heart!"
At this very moment, Okabe completely blocked out all external sounds.
Before his eyes, there was only the Yuxiang Shredded Pork, and in his mind, he calculated the remaining number of wok tosses.
One toss, two tosses, three tosses.
The Yuxiang Shredded Pork flew into the air and landed steadily back in the wok. During this process, the aroma of the yuxiang sauce grew richer and more profound, making one's mouth water uncontrollably.
"Now!"
Okabe let out a soft cry, his tone impassioned.
A clean porcelain plate landed on the table, and the brilliantly red Yuxiang Shredded Pork was plated. The threads of pork, bamboo shoots, wood ear mushrooms, and crispy hawthorn threads were interwoven in an orderly fashion, exuding a dense yuxiang aroma that seemed to conjure a vision of an autumn harvest!
This was Red Fruit Yuxiang Shredded Pork!
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