"As the core of the braising liquid, the stock must meet three conditions. The first is to have a bone aroma, the second is to have a savory umami flavor, and the third is gelatin."
Only when these three conditions are met can a braising stock be considered up to standard.
All these ingredients on the table are replaceable. If you want to pursue even greater perfection, the ingredients for the stock can be varied for braising different things.
Since the goal of Hisako Arato's cooking is to showcase the full flavor of the ingredients, the most important point is to polish every detail to the extreme. Only then can it be called a showcase.
Otherwise, if it's just about bringing out the ingredients' flavor, the chef's role is minimal; even someone new to the kitchen could do it. It's not hard to see from the competition that Hisako Arato has gotten a feel for it, but she's still far from success and needs my gradual guidance.
"To make good braised food, the most important thing is to use stock instead of water. This maximizes the elevation of flavor and brings out the deliciousness of the ingredients."
Dylan explained as he worked.
The first step was to clean the ingredients thoroughly. The prepared ingredients went into the pot one by one, followed by high-proof white liquor to remove any gamey taste.
"The process of cooking the stock requires a stepped approach using high, medium, and low heat to allow the ingredients to thoroughly release their umami and aroma. This takes time."
Dylan explained in immense detail.
This was the true essence, the kind of secret a master might hold back from an apprentice. Hisako Arato listened with rapt attention.
During his explanation, Erina Nakiri and the others successively returned with their ingredients and got busy in the kitchen. Seeing Dylan making stock, they all came over.
"What's this? Are you preparing to make braised food too, Dylan-sensei?"
Yūki Yoshino had somehow squeezed to the front. Looking at the boiling stock in the pot, a rich aroma washed over her, making her let out an involuntary, soft moan.
"That's right. I'm making it with you all."
Dylan nodded.
Today's examination was all because he was guiding Hisako Arato in making braised food with a white braise—all for the sake of those dumplings with that filling.
"For a typical braising stock, a single three-year-old hen would suffice. But this braising stock of yours... it's made to a national-level standard!"
Erina Nakiri had also entered the kitchen. Looking at the bone broth in front of Dylan that emanated a rich fragrance, a look of desire appeared on her face.
"This is how cooking is. It may seem like you're completing one dish, but in reality, you have to complete several. You must polish every detail to perfection for it to be considered a success."
The difference between a Special Grade Chef and an ordinary chef is that a Special Grade Chef has studied many things, a wide variety, possesses immense knowledge, and has a very solid foundation. Even when facing the most complex dishes, they can unravel them like silk from a cocoon, progressing layer by layer to completion, allowing the dish to shine.
Ordinary chefs, however, often lack the ability to solve problems. They get stuck on a certain part, and as a result, they simplify or change that part, which ultimately affects the dish's flavor.
"Polish every detail to perfection..."
Erina Nakiri murmured, a flash of understanding on her face.
Her current cooking was just like that. It's just that due to her limited ability, she couldn't achieve such perfection, but at least it showed her path was correct.
"Go on and cook. Let me see what kind of braised dish the renowned God's Tongue will present."
Noticing that Erina Nakiri was no longer as vexed as when she had left, and guessing Alice Nakiri had said something to her, Dylan patted her on the shoulder.
"I understand. I'll give it my all!"
Feeling the hand on her shoulder, Erina Nakiri's body trembled slightly, but she said nothing, merely fleeing back to her cooking station.
As if she were escaping a fearsome beast.
"Am I that scary?"
Looking at Erina Nakiri's retreating back, then at his own hand, Dylan muttered with a hint of speechlessness before starting to walk around the kitchen.
"Smack!"
"The blanching time isn't enough. The scum and impurities in the ingredients haven't been completely removed. Look, there's still residue here. You're a bit too eager for results."
A ruler had appeared in his hand at some point. Looking at the situation in Ryōko Sakaki's pot, Dylan struck down without hesitation, producing a crisp sound.
"Yes!"
In response, although Ryōko Sakaki's face was beet red, she answered firmly and put the ingredients she had just removed back into the pot, recalculating the blanching time.
He said the timing was off, but in reality, it was only by ten or twenty seconds.
However, even such a small detail could lower the final quality of the soup by one or two stars, making it a rather serious mistake.
"Yūki Yoshino, your blanching time is too long. If you don't take the ingredients out now, they'll be overcooked. They'll lose a lot of moisture during the subsequent braising, and the texture won't be firm. Use your own judgment. Just because I was talking to Ryoko doesn't mean you should stop what you're doing. That's obviously wrong."
As he spoke, Dylan raised the ruler again and gave Yūki Yoshino a swat on the bottom. The faint sting mixed with a sense of shame made her clutch her rear, her face flushed and looking incredibly shy.
"I got it, oww..."
Yūki Yoshino clamped her legs together and steadied herself with the table. The sudden swat made her feel a bit unnatural, but she hurried to finish blanching the ingredients.
"Wash the blanched ingredients carefully. Don't leave any impurities, as they will ruin the braising stock."
Because his own stock was still simmering, Dylan was very patient. Whenever he saw something wrong, he would deliver a swat from his ruler, smacking the students into submission.
Even Erina Nakiri made a few small mistakes under Dylan's watch. When she was disciplined, she held her bottom with a crimson face, fuming inwardly.
However, because she had indeed made a mistake and had learned something from Dylan's words, she gritted her teeth and accepted it, though she didn't dare look at his face anymore.
After one round of this, every girl's face was flushed. Some were even hit dozens of times.
Because the force wasn't light, they were certain that red marks already covered the skin under their skirts.
They just couldn't pull them down to check here.
"The heat is just about right!"
Suddenly, Dylan stopped walking, his nose twitching slightly. He soon smelled the top-tier aroma that only a pure stock could emit.
Without any hesitation, he strode toward his stockpot, then picked up a fine-mesh strainer, switched to a smaller stockpot, and filtered out the dregs.
After this step was complete, all that remained was to season the stock. Dylan reached out, scooped up a spoonful of the broth, and tasted it lightly before starting to add salt.
MSG, chicken essence, and then the previously prepared braising oil went into the pot. After adding the braising oil, the stock before him became visibly richer.
Looking at the stock, a satisfied expression appeared on Dylan's face. He then added the spice packet he had prepared earlier, along with about twenty grams of rock sugar to enhance the umami, before finally clapping his hands.
"And that's it. Next is to let it simmer covered, allowing the aroma from the spice packet to permeate the pot so the flavor can be uniform."
After simmering on low heat for half an hour, some of the stock had evaporated, and the flavors from the spice packet were fully released. Then, it was time to add the ingredients to be braised.
"Give me a portion of each of your ingredients. Once I'm done, you can use mine as a reference later."
As he spoke, Dylan looked at the girls who had gathered around him at some point. They watched with concentration, their eyes filled with a thirst for knowledge.
Dylan didn't stand on ceremony, telling them to bring over their prepared ingredients.
"Awesome!"
"Coming right up, just a moment."
"What a fragrant smell! I can't even imagine how delicious the food braised in this will be."
Hearing Dylan's words, the initially quiet scene instantly erupted.
The girls scrambled back to their stations, placing their previously prepared ingredients in front of Dylan, expectantly waiting for him to put them in the braising pot.
"Fish, shrimp, and crab can be set aside. My method isn't quite suitable for ingredients with strong gamey flavors. Pork, chicken, duck, pigeon, and eggs can stay."
Looking at the ingredients laid out on the station, Dylan raised an eyebrow, picking out a few unsuitable for white braising and keeping the suitable ones.
"Aww, what a shame."
Seeing her ingredients being sent away, a disappointed expression appeared on Alice Nakiri's face. She then went forward to retrieve the ingredients she had placed there.
"Braised fish, braised shrimp, braised crab... it's quite rare to see seafood used for braised dishes."
As Alice Nakiri collected her ingredients, the others saw that her station was full of seafood, and looks of surprise appeared on their faces.
"Actually, I haven't seen it much either, but I wanted to try something new, so I bought them. I wonder what kind of flavor they'll produce."
Alice Nakiri said with a smile.
To her, braising chicken, duck, pork, beef, and lamb was too ordinary. She wanted to challenge something new.
"Innovation isn't a bad thing. I'm looking forward to the taste of your dish."
Dylan nodded encouragingly. In his understanding, there was no ingredient in the world that couldn't be braised; the key was how to pair the spices.
Since Alice Nakiri wanted to try, then let her. Success would be for the best, and failure would be experience gained.
He would go over and guide her after he finished with his white braise, which was like learning an extra dish.
"That's right, we should try new things. We've all been constrained by conventional wisdom."
Yūki Yoshino looked at the duck meat in front of her and couldn't help but murmur.
She had raised it herself, and it had just been butchered at the Polar Star Dormitory before being brought here for use.
She even thought her idea was novel, since braised duck was rare, but who would have thought an oddball who wanted to braise seafood would show up.
"Whether it's innovative or not is secondary. The key is the final taste. Good taste is what's truly good; everything else is empty talk."
Erina Nakiri snorted lightly. Seeing Alice Nakiri being praised by Dylan, she felt inexplicably annoyed, and the competitive spirit buried deep in her heart flared up.
"Oh? What's that? How about we make a bet? The loser has to do one thing for the winner."
Hearing Erina Nakiri's words, Alice Nakiri was delighted. This girl actually dared to question her. She then spoke with a hint of teasing.
"A bet it is! Who's afraid of who!"
Challenged in public and feeling the scorching gazes of the girls around her, Erina Nakiri suddenly felt like she was in a bind and decisively accepted the challenge.
Alice Nakiri had certainly grown a lot recently, but she was no pushover either. After being trained by Dylan, she now possessed the strength of a Special Grade Chef!
Special Grade versus Special Grade, and she even had the God's Tongue. The advantage was hers!
Thinking this, a trace of confidence appeared on Erina Nakiri's face. That look of 'bring it on, I'm not afraid of you,' yet with a hint of insecurity, was truly amusing.
"I'll be the judge for you two."
Seeing this, Dylan also chuckled, looking very much like he was ready to enjoy a good show.
And so, Erina Nakiri and Alice Nakiri returned to their respective cooking stations and began cooking with intense focus, neither willing to admit defeat easily.
Needless to say, Erina Nakiri hadn't won against Alice Nakiri since she returned; she had been completely suppressed in every aspect.
And what about Alice Nakiri? As the older sister, she didn't want to lose to her younger sister either, or she would lose all face as the elder and wouldn't be able to lecture her with any authority in the future.
Dylan watched all of this with great interest, but he didn't forget about the food in his braising pot. He would occasionally stir it with a large ladle, then cover the pot again, leaving just a chopstick's width of a gap to release steam.
As time went on, the braising liquid permeated the ingredients, causing them to emit a rich aroma that made the girls in the kitchen frequently glance over, their minds wandering.
"Gulp."
The sound of swallowing saliva was heard. At first, it was just one person, but gradually, like a plague, the entire kitchen filled with the sound of swallowing.
"Dylan-sensei, is the braised food ready?"
Being right nearby, Miyoko Hojo was the first to lose her patience. She dropped everything she was doing and walked over to Dylan's side, her eyes filled with longing.
"About five more minutes."
Checking the state of the food in the pot, Dylan replied. He had done some simple prep on the ingredients before putting them in the pot to ensure they would all reach their optimal state at the same time and could be taken out together.
Miyoko Hojo's face was full of desire. At this moment, for the first time, she felt that five minutes was an eternity. She stared at the braising pot, her expression one of intense anticipation.
In the beginning, only she and Hisako Arato were behind Dylan, but gradually, the girls who were farther from the station also gathered around.
In an instant, the space around Dylan became crowded again. Everyone wanted to be the first to eat the braised food from the pot, and no one was willing to back down.
"Ouch."
Amidst the crowd, someone was pushed from behind and bumped into Dylan with her chest. In that instant, it felt like hitting an iron wall, very hard, which made her cry out in pain.
After all, her entire body pressed against him, even being squashed out of shape.
Dylan also felt the pressure. Based on the weight, he could tell the person was well-endowed, and among the many people behind him, the most well-endowed was undoubtedly Ikumi Mito. Only her touch was so distinct.
Of course, a more accurate basis for judgment was the sound she made. It had to be said, this girl's figure was very satisfying.
A slight ripple stirred in his heart, but his expression remained unruffled. At the same time, his nostrils flared slightly, capturing the stray aromas in the air. The moment the heat was perfect, he directly lifted the braised food out of the pot.
"What a pure color!"
When the lid was lifted and the braised food was taken out, everyone's eyes focused on it. Looking at the food placed on the plate, the girls had various expressions.
The one with the biggest reaction was Hisako Arato. She had followed the entire process of this dish, which was a perfect interpretation in every aspect, and now seeing the moment it came out of the pot, she was thrilled!
"It's been braising for so long, how come it doesn't look like it has any color? Did you forget to add dark soy sauce and caramelized sugar? Impossible, Dylan-sensei wouldn't make such a basic mistake..."
Looking at the braised pig's ear before her, which hadn't changed color, Yūki Yoshino was a bit puzzled and started muttering, waiting for an explanation.
"The white braising method. It mainly embodies the original flavor and color of the ingredients. The flavor is braised in, but the color of the ingredients doesn't change. Very few people know how to do this anymore."
Miyoko Hojo spoke up, her eyes filled with surprise. She was the only one present who recognized it, as the white braising method isn't well-known in foreign countries.
However, she really didn't expect Dylan to use this. It seemed the purpose of this dish was to fully stimulate the original flavor of the ingredients.
Considering Hisako Arato was beside him, and the dish she lost with in the semi-finals, everything became clear. Dylan was giving her private lessons.
"I'm curious, what's the difference in taste between this and regular braised food?"
"Hurry up and cut it so we can have a taste!"
"It looks so pure. A dish that returns to its essence like this must be delicious!"
The girls all looked eager, their gazes locked on the pig's ear in front of them, yet Dylan remained unhurried, making no move.
"Haste makes waste. The most important thing about braised food is to wait for it to cool naturally. Otherwise, it will fall apart when cut, and the texture will be much worse."
Hearing the girls' urging, a helpless expression appeared on Dylan's face. He then took the ingredients out of the pot one by one and let them rest on the cooking station.
A rich fragrance lingered in the kitchen, even drifting into the living room, enveloping the entire house. This also made Rindō Kobayashi, who had come to visit, pause outside.
She didn't knock right away. Instead, she pressed her face against the door, her nose twitching like a puppy's, sniffing the aroma inside, before walking into the courtyard.
"As expected, this is Dylan-sensei's cooking! I really came at the right time today!"
Seeing Dylan being the center of attention in the kitchen, a flash of excitement crossed Rindō Kobayashi's face. She then tapped on the courtyard window to make a sound, hoping someone inside would open it and let her in.
However, at this moment, everyone in the kitchen was focused on the braised food. Although she made a considerable noise, not a single person paid her any mind.
Helpless, she could only take out her phone and dial Dylan's number.
"What a rare guest. What brings you here?"
"I have some questions for you, and I wanted to freeload a meal. Looks like I've arrived at the perfect time."
Three minutes later, Rindō Kobayashi entered the kitchen, casually placing her hands on Hisako Arato's shoulders and leaning her head forward to curiously look at the braised pig's ear in front of Dylan, which was emitting an enticing aroma.
He had placed it on the cutting board, but why wasn't he cutting it? With such a rich aroma, people would probably start fighting for it if he waited too long!
No, she had to find a good spot.
Thinking this, Rindō Kobayashi released her grip on Hisako Arato's hand and squeezed forward a bit. The others, seeing she was their senior, all made way for her.
Soon, Rindō Kobayashi was standing right behind Dylan. Feeling the warmth from the sturdy body in front of her, she couldn't help but blush a little.
"More minced garlic, less minced ginger, then pour some hot oil over it, and that little fragrance will come right out with a 'swoosh'!"
Dylan paid her no mind. He was currently preparing the dipping sauce, mincing garlic and ginger separately into a bowl—more garlic, less ginger. At the same time, he heated oil in a wok and poured the scalding oil over the two.
This step was to draw out the fragrance of the minced garlic and ginger. After activating the aroma, he stirred them evenly with chopsticks and let them rest.
"The rest is just seasoning."
He tasted the sauce in the bowl; it was a bit too bland. So he added MSG, chicken essence, white sugar, a little sesame oil, and a spoonful of the original braising stock—as the saying goes, the original broth enhances the original food.
Picking up a knife, he sliced two Thai chilies into rings, then added them to the prepared sauce and stirred until they were well combined.
And with that, the dipping sauce was complete.
"Is this braised food? Why doesn't it have any color?"
Looking at the pale white pig's ear on the cutting board, Rindō Kobayashi asked the same question as Yūki Yoshino. White braising isn't popular worldwide, so unless one is particularly knowledgeable, they might not recognize it.
And so, a few people on the scene began to explain it to her, which made Rindō Kobayashi's expression become thoughtful, and her anticipation grew even more.
A braising method different from the current mainstream, one that emphasizes bringing out the original flavor and color of the ingredients—what would such a dish taste like?!
On the other side.
Although Alice Nakiri and Erina Nakiri were keeping a close eye on them, they still hadn't moved from their spots, their gazes fixed on their own braising pots.
Compared to tasting delicious food, they were more determined to defeat each other, to crush their opponent underfoot and see that unwilling yet helpless expression.
"Come and have a taste."
Just then, Dylan's voice rang out. A cleaver appeared in his hand, and he sliced the pig's ear into thin pieces with astonishing speed.
And as he cut the pig's ear, a golden light suddenly burst from within, followed by a flowing radiance that swirled around the pig's ear, looking incredibly sacred.
The sliced pig's ear was translucent, like crystal, and was neatly arranged on a plate. Then, the prepared sauce was drizzled over it, and it was garnished with cilantro.
"Perfect."
The moment Dylan's voice fell, countless pairs of chopsticks reached out, scrambling for the pig's ear on the plate. In less than a minute, 'perfect' turned into an empty plate.
"Wait, no, I haven't eaten yet!"
Seeing this, several black lines appeared on Dylan's forehead. The person who made the dish hadn't even eaten, yet these little rascals were incredibly fast.
It was as if they had timed it perfectly. The second he finished the dish, the chopsticks arrived, giving him no time to react at all.
"Delicious! The pig's ear is springy and crisp, with a light fragrance upon entering the mouth. There's no unpleasant aftertaste, only the pure aroma of the specially made sauce and the braised pig's ear."
Rindō Kobayashi had a look of pure enjoyment. As she spoke, she popped the remaining slice of pig's ear from her hand into her mouth. The situation was urgent just now, so she had just grabbed a handful directly.
"The initial taste is normal, but upon savoring it deeper, you can clearly feel that the flavor inside the pig's ear is exceptionally balanced. This is the ultimate control over the ratio of spices!"
Hisako Arato spoke, the shock in her eyes no longer concealable. In this dish, the spices resonated with each other, merging together, becoming indistinguishable.
______
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