With the arrival of the assistant chefs, the competition officially began at the sound of the electronic bell.
"Ruri, start by scrubbing the shellfish clean."
"Okay." Gokou Ruri rolled up her sleeves. Her fair, slender forearms and long, raven-black hair drew the gazes of countless spectators. A knowing smile spread across the faces of many male onlookers, especially when she picked up a large, coarse geoduck to wash it.
Mo Bai paid no mind to the opinions of others; he was now completely immersed in his cooking.
The clouds parted, and sunlight streamed down, draping him in a golden, gauze-like mantle.
A flurry of whispers spread through the crowd.
"As expected, he's glowing again. What kind of cooking technique is that?" Wang Yao, standing in the front row to observe, watched Mo Bai's movements intently, trying to spot similarities to the various cooking techniques stored in his memory.
Hokkaido extra-large sweet shrimp were shelled and headed, their roe preserved. The red-striped shrimp meat was deveined, minced, placed in a bowl, covered with plastic wrap, and set aside in the refrigerator.
Antarctic krill were headed, shelled, and deveined in a single glance, their meat minced and set aside.
The shrimp heads, with their gastric mills removed, were fried in oil along with the shells. A splash of cooking wine sent flames soaring toward the sky.
Shrimp shells are rich in astaxanthin, which is the source of their umami flavor. This is why shrimp cooked in their shells are often more flavorful than those cooked without.
The fried shrimp heads and shells went into a stockpot along with sakura shrimp. Setting aside the subsequent process of clarifying the broth with shrimp paste, the shrimp-based umami soup was temporarily complete.
"This time in the finals, contestant Mo Bai has shed the laziness he displayed in the elimination round and is going full-throttle from the start!" Kasuga Yanagi, destined once again to miss out on the food, spoke with a passion that matched her open-back red dress, though inside she was already crying her eyes out.
Mo Bai, with his station overflowing with a massive amount of ingredients, and Harano Katsuya, who had brought out a bluefin tuna for the second time, firmly held the crowd's focus.
"Speaking of which, I must mention the itinerary of our three judges yesterday. I heard that after finishing their evaluation of Group C, all three judges went to the Harano Hotel to participate in a tasting of contestant Mo Bai's dish." Kasuga Yanagi wore a grin, but inwardly she was cursing a storm.
"Colson, could you describe for us the dish that contestant Mo Bai is planning to make?"
"It was a dish that defies description. Its essence was a soup, yet its medium was fish. It was as if you could swallow the deliciousness of the entire ocean in a single bite."
"Even as a failed prototype, that dish could spark a diner's interest to try it again." Colson inadvertently swallowed his saliva as he spoke.
That simple act nearly made Kasuga Yanagi throw down her microphone and lose it on the spot.
Why didn't you invite ME, dammit!!!
"Heh, hehehe, it seems Mr. Colson holds contestant Mo Bai's dish in very high regard. Now, let's turn our attention back to the chefs."
"Aside from contestant Mo Bai's vast array of seafood and contestant Harano Katsuya's bluefin tuna, the other contestants' stations are just as brilliant."
"For example, contestant Yoshino Takashi of Yoshinoya. The marinated salmon on his station is the famous Imperial Shibetsu Salmon from the Far East. And with the fresh salmon roe he is currently preparing, he must be planning to make Yoshinoya's renowned Salmon Oyako-don."
Yoshino Takashi, who had been expecting a wave of praise, offered a smile, but he never imagined that Kasuga Yanagi would do a clean turn and pass the microphone to Colson.
"Mr. Colson, what are your thoughts?"
"Imperial Shibetsu Salmon. I've had it before. Belying its simple appearance, its flavor is incredibly powerful. I can only say that contestant Yoshino Takashi has prepared a strong hand."
"In comparison, I'm more curious about what contestant Harano Katsuya plans to make. His previous tuna platter is another dish that remains unforgettable to this day."
As soon as Colson finished speaking, the camera quickly swept past Yoshino Takashi to Harano Katsuya's station.
Yoshino Takashi's face darkened. He ferociously squeezed the basin he was using to wash the salmon roe, making it creak. He then shot a vicious glare toward Harano Katsuya's position in the front row.
"Don't get too smug! I refuse to believe that bluefin tuna is unaffected after a major incident like a nearly 12-hour power outage."
"Contestant Harano Katsuya is mincing the bluefin tuna's meat?!" Kasuga Yanagi felt a wave of dizziness. A priceless, top-grade fish was being chopped up right before her, and all she could do was tear up. She truly didn't understand the world of the wealthy.
"He's not just mincing the akami and nakaochi. It seems he has no intention of sparing the shimofuri, serpentine belly, chūtoro, and other premium sashimi cuts either," Colson added before letting out a soft sigh.
"This is truly extravagant. So extravagant it borders on wasteful." As a food critic, he could feel the pain in his own heart, as if it were being sliced by a meat grinder.
"However, this is indeed the best method at the moment," Chiba Eda, the cat-petting girl, spoke up.
"Oh? What is your insight, Lady Miko?" The ever-respectful Colson assumed a posture of rapt attention.
"The aging of the fish was likely affected by yesterday's power outage. His bluefin tuna is past its peak aging."
"Past its peak aging?!" Colson was stunned. "Then what is he planning to do by mincing all this fish?"
"He's probably planning to proportion the minced meat as quickly as possible and cook it over a flame right away. As for the dish he's making, Mr. Colson, you should be very familiar with it." Chiba Eda spoke cryptically while stroking her cat, leaving the newcomer Takagaki Kaede completely baffled.
"A dish made with minced meat... Lady Miko, are you referring to a hamburger patty?"
"Precisely a hamburger patty. There is no better choice," Chiba Eda nodded. "As long as the seasonings are added properly, he should be able to salvage the peak flavor of the bluefin tuna."
"The only problem is that while contestant Harano Katsuya is undoubtedly a first-rate expert at making sashimi, the extent of his skill over a stove is still an unknown variable."
"This is also the very obstacle that has kept him confined as a Three-Star Chef."
"Ho, that kid's doing pretty well." After finishing his first shrimp-based umami soup and then a dried-fish dashi that only required proportioning and timed additions of dried fish, Mo Bai surveyed his surroundings while waiting for Gokou Ruri to finish washing the shellfish.
Time rewinds to yesterday afternoon.
"Mo-kun, are you sure about giving me this recipe?" Harano Katsuya, looking dejected upon realizing his bluefin tuna might not be at its peak flavor for the competition, was utterly astonished.
"What's wrong with it? Or are you looking down on my recipe?"
The enemy of my enemy is my friend. Mo Bai simply didn't want Yoshino Takashi to get his way.
The thing I, Mo Bai, love to do most is say NO to guys who think they've got it all figured out!
"No, no, it's just... isn't this too precious?" Harano Katsuya understood that for a high-grade ingredient like bluefin tuna, corresponding recipes were few and far between.
"Just consider it a testament to our friendship."
Precious? A recipe Xiao Bai came up with in fifteen minutes was indeed precious when made—because the tuna meat was precious.
The honest Harano Katsuya was moved to tears on the spot and immediately transferred 10% of the Harano Hotel's shares to Mo Bai.
"You say that as if you're older than him," Gokou Ruri retorted with her distinctively clear voice. "All the shellfish have been scrubbed clean."
"Thanks for the hard work. Next, just wash the blood and algae out of the fish bellies and you'll be done. I'll treat you to a big meal when we get back."
"Mm." Gokou Ruri looked at Mo Bai, bathed in the golden sunlight and completely focused. A blush rose on her small face as she nodded vigorously.
Mo Bai, now in the zone, had no time to spare for the emotionally struck loli. He scooped up a plump geoduck and brought his knife down with a chop!
In that instant, the male spectators who had just been immersed in the image of the geoduck squirting on the young girl's face collectively felt a chill down below, their faces turning pale.
________________________________________
Get rewarded for helping with our community goals!
🎯 Reward for all: +1 bonus chapter at 50 Powerstones.
🚀 Tier Reward: Help us reach 20 members for +5 chapters on all stories!
👻 Join the crew by searching Ms. Medusa on (P). You know the spot! 😉