"I see. It's because of the basting-frying method. You used extremely high-temperature oil to firm up the loach meat that had become tender from stewing, correct?"
Picking up the golden-brown Mountain Delicacy Loach Tempura and observing it closely, Senzaemon Nakiri's voice rang out, revealing the key to its perfect appearance.
"That's right. Only by using this method could one create such a perfectly shaped tempura while having cooked the meat until it was fall-apart tender."
Gin Dōjima held his chin, agreeing with Senzaemon Nakiri's deduction. The audience, hearing their conversation, all showed expressions of understanding.
"The appearance is quite perfect, a very standard presentation for tempura that gives one a sense of being healed. However, with cuisine, the most important thing is still the taste…"
As she spoke, Leonora Nakiri also picked up a piece of the Mountain Delicacy Loach Tempura from the plate. It was golden and crisp; her chopsticks sank into it as she picked it up and brought it to her mouth.
"Crunch."
The crispiness met her teeth with a clear sound, immediately followed by the tender yet firm loach meat.
These two textures combined to create a dual experience of crispiness and tenderness.
Such a flavor was simply incredible!
Leonora Nakiri had just sat down, her seat not even warm yet, when she stood up again, her hands clasped to her chest, her entire being seemingly radiating light.
"There it goes again, Mom's 'foodgasm'."
Alice Nakiri's voice sounded out, and just as she said, Leonora Nakiri, after experiencing the flavor on her tongue, activated her foodgasm mode.
"This dish is truly outstanding. It skillfully uses various mountain delicacies to create a pot of mountain treasure soup, then adds the loach, bringing together all the elements of treasures from both mountain and sea.
The loaches selected are of a smaller variety, to allow them to absorb the flavors quickly.
Once infused with flavor, the loaches are placed in a wire basket and basted with hot oil to quickly set their shape, and finally placed in the wok and coated with a light tempura batter. Its taste…"
Spreading her arms forward as if presenting her chest, Leonora Nakiri spoke effusively, analyzing Megumi Tadokoro's cooking method based on taste alone and explaining it in detail.
"The umami of various mushrooms, wild vegetables, and other mountain delicacies intertwine, gathering the deliciousness of the entire forest to form the soup base's rich and layered flavor.
The loaches selected are a small and delicate variety, absorbing the essence of the soup base after only a short stewing time, their meat tender and filled with the aroma of the wild!"
Gin Dōjima also began his evaluation at this moment. Through the stewing method, the texture of the loach became exceptionally delicate while absorbing the essence of the mountain delicacy soup.
This also resulted in the loach being crispy at the first bite, but what immediately followed was a burst of rich juices, full of the umami of mountain delicacies.
"This is something only fresh loach can achieve. The loach can absorb the soup to the greatest extent while ensuring its meat doesn't fall apart."
Utilizing this characteristic, the loaches, having absorbed the soup, are set in shape with hot oil and then fried into tempura.
This way, whether it's the treasures of the mountain or the sea, they are all firmly locked in!
"Shwing!"
Senzaemon Nakiri's eyes flew open, his clothes bursting apart. This was a genuine Nakiri family 'foodgasm,' the highest praise for a dish's deliciousness!
"It finally happened, the Director's foodgasm!"
Seeing this scene, the venue erupted in fierce cheers. The Director had another foodgasm, proving in front of everyone that the contestant's dish was supremely delicious!
"Hey, hey, hey, something's not right here."
Watching the scenes unfold before her, Liu Yu could no longer maintain her composure, unable to stop herself from shouting in her heart. She then took two steps forward toward the judges.
"Could you let me try some?"
"Give me a portion too, and Liu Yu's Dry-Fried Loach as well. I want to taste what it's like."
Mustering her courage, Liu Yu jogged over to Megumi Tadokoro and spoke to her. However, before she could answer, Dylan's voice sounded in both their ears.
"Teacher Dylan?!"
"When did you…?"
Faced with Dylan's sudden appearance, the two fell into a brief moment of confusion, but luckily, they were seasoned veterans and quickly composed themselves.
"Okay, but I've only made this much for now. You'll need to wait a moment while I cook the rest of the ingredients."
Megumi Tadokoro said as she jogged back to her cooking station. Since the mountain delicacy soup was already prepared, she only needed about ten minutes to make a new batch of loach tempura.
"I still have some left over here."
Liu Yu put all her remaining Dry-Fried Loach onto a plate, held it up, and brought it before Dylan, her eyes full of expectation.
"Mm, let me have a taste."
Dylan nodded slightly, picking up Liu Yu's Dry-Fried Loach with his chopsticks. A unique flavor rose in his mouth, slowly releasing as he chewed.
"The heat for the dry-frying was a bit too high," causing the inside of the loach to have very little moisture.
Afterward, you added spices like chili and Sichuan peppercorns to bring out the aroma. Although they were fully absorbed, the unique texture of the loach was lost.
Chewing deeper and sensing the flaws within, Dylan let out a long breath and, looking at Liu Yu, pointed out her dish's shortcoming: the heat was too intense.
Dry-frying is one thing, but it's understandable that she spent more time frying the loach to make it more fragrant. She did achieve that, but the downside was that the loach's moisture was completely evaporated by the heat.
This was undoubtedly a major problem!
"Was the frying time too long…?"
Hearing Dylan's words, Liu Yu couldn't help but fall into deep thought. She had determined this timing through numerous experiments, believing it could perfectly bring out the crispiness and fragrance of the loach.
"That's right. Because the spices you added later were also dry, stacking two dry things together will only result in something even drier.
If you had used rendered lard instead of peanut oil for the dry-frying, the situation would have been much better, but that's just a temporary fix. It still comes down to the chef's control."
Dylan nodded, his words showing not a shred of hesitation. For him, right was right and wrong was wrong, with no room for excuses.
If one wanted to fry it drier, they would have to find a way to increase the loach's moisture during the stir-frying process. Of course, the best method is to strictly control the timing.
"I understand. I'll correct it when I get back."
Normally, if she received Dylan's guidance, Liu Yu would be very happy, even feeling like the chosen one, since she was the only one who received feedback.
But this was a competition. For him to point out her shortcomings directly was undoubtedly a death sentence for her.
"Teacher Dylan, I've finished frying."
At the same time, Megumi Tadokoro had also finished frying the Mountain Delicacy Loach Tempura. She slowly walked over from a short distance away and handed the dish to Dylan for him to taste.
"Mm."
Dylan nodded without saying much, simply picking up the Mountain Delicacy Loach Tempura, dipping it in the tempura sauce, and then putting it in his mouth to chew and savor.
"Crispy on the outside, tender on the inside, with juices bursting forth. This dish makes excellent use of the loach's characteristics. While absorbing the soup to its fullest, it uses the sealing effect created by frying the tempura to firmly lock the flavors inside.
Of course, the main thing is that this concept is excellent. How did you come up with it?"
While tasting Megumi Tadokoro's dish, Dylan couldn't stop nodding. He then looked at the shy girl, wanting to know what she had experienced recently.
"Actually, I went to Gunma Prefecture…"
Seeing that Dylan was curious about her recent experiences, Megumi Tadokoro's face immediately lit up with excitement, and she began to talk animatedly about her trip to Gunma Prefecture.
The people around also listened patiently. They were equally curious as to how Megumi Tadokoro could develop such a dish, and after hearing the story full of twists and turns, looks of surprise appeared on everyone's faces.
"You visited all the loach restaurants in Gunma? That must have been tough."
Patting Megumi Tadokoro's head, Dylan's eyes held a touch of sympathy.
A young girl just starting high school, out on her own studying cooking, finding a place to live, and needing an independent kitchen to cook in—it must have been difficult.
"It was actually fine. I visited a few restaurants a day to learn from the experience of those amazing chefs. In the end, I took the best parts and discarded the rest, and that's how I completed this dish."
Megumi Tadokoro showed a brilliant smile. The moment she saw the sympathetic look on Dylan's face, she instantly felt that everything she had done was worth it!
"That is indeed a very good method, to gather ideas and learn from many sources to perfect your own cooking. However, the flaws in your dish are also quite obvious. I wonder if you've noticed."
He had said many words of praise, making Megumi Tadokoro feel a bit giddy, but then Dylan's tone suddenly shifted.
"Flaws…"
Hearing Dylan's words, Megumi Tadokoro fell into thought. She hadn't actually noticed any flaws in her dish. She had discovered some before, but she corrected them in time.
"That's right, flaws.
Actually, you did most things very well, which is certainly commendable.
But have you noticed that the flavor of your dish is too balanced? For a high-level dish in a competition, the first bite is what matters—an intensely powerful flavor. In other words, it lacks impact.
Of course, you made a small adjustment to the dipping sauce, providing a strong salty and savory flavor for this tempura. However, the tempura itself also has a savory characteristic. The two don't stack well together and fail to create a stunning effect.
When speaking of flaws, Dylan's expression suddenly became stern.
For a dish eaten in daily life, one would typically feel the deliciousness on the third bite and then finish the rest. This is to ensure customers never tire of it.
But this is a competition. The judges usually don't eat much of any dish, so you have to release all the deliciousness in the first bite to conquer their hearts.
Of course, besides this major flaw, there are many minor imperfections.
However, for a student, these are trivial matters, so Dylan naturally wouldn't bring them up, lest Megumi Tadokoro become overambitious.
"The flavor's impact… I really didn't consider that thoroughly enough."
After finishing research on the main dish, there was no time left for the sauce, "so I just used a standard tempura dipping sauce as a substitute."
Megumi Tadokoro explained that the final match only gave them seven days. After she finished developing the Mountain Delicacy Loach Tempura, there wasn't enough time left to research a sauce.
To avoid creating something nondescript that would affect the taste of her main dish, she chose to respect the classics.
"Your decision wasn't a major problem. If it were me, I would have made the same choice."
Aiming for no faults rather than merit. Choosing a traditional sauce, although it might not achieve a 100% match with the Mountain Delicacy Loach Tempura, could still bring out 80% of its flavor. Compared to entrusting its fate to an unknown sauce, it's better to choose a universally accepted option that pairs with anything."
Hearing Megumi Tadokoro's answer, Dylan wasn't surprised.
Given the time constraints, what she did was indeed the best choice. It could be said to be a very smart move.
"Now, let's have the judges announce the final result. And Xiao Yu, have a taste of this dish. You'll probably understand what you're lacking."
As he spoke, Dylan took Megumi Tadokoro's dish and then looked at Liu Yu, wanting her to taste it. Cuisine is something that can manipulate people's hearts.
"After the step of being set by basting with hot oil, the surface of the loach formed a thin, golden crust. And beneath that golden crust is a surging torrent, yet within that rushing waterfall, there's still a marvelous feeling of withstanding the pressure and swimming upstream.
This feeling of moving with the current against adversity is just too…!!"
Pressing her fingers to her chest as the Mountain Delicacy Loach Tempura entered her mouth, Liu Yu felt the turbulent emotions in her heart. She tilted her head back and shouted loudly, then slumped directly onto the ground.
"This match… I've lost."
Liu Yu said these words of concession with complete sincerity.
Although both were Special Grade dishes, there was still a gap between one Special Grade dish and another.
A dish so soul-shaking that it could make people feel something was, even among Special Grade dishes, an undisputed leader with the potential for further improvement. As for the dish she made, if using the same ingredients, this was pretty much its limit.
The gap between the two seemed small, but in reality, it was as vast as a chasm.
"She won? Megumi won!?"
"That's right, her opponent conceded. Megumi won!"
"That's great! We're having a celebration banquet tonight, and we're not going home until we're drunk!"
"You're a three-drink lightweight, who are you trying to fool!?"
Centered around Dylan's original position, the girls erupted into fierce cheers the moment they heard Liu Yu concede.
Although the other spectators weren't as exaggerated, they also wore excited expressions, as they had just witnessed the birth of a champion.
"Looks like there's nothing left for us to do. They've decided the winner themselves. But it's really surprising that a dish like this came from a student. You could say it was a Special Grade showdown and people would believe it."
Looking at the teary-eyed Liu Yu and Megumi Tadokoro, who was excitedly hugging Dylan, Gin Dōjima shrugged and spoke to Senzaemon Nakiri beside him.
"Our answer is the same as theirs anyway. If they've decided, so be it.
It was a really good battle. When was the last time a Special Grade dish was presented in a selection of this level? It seems it was only in the finals, and they were all dishes that barely scraped into the Special Grade category."
Senzaemon Nakiri couldn't help but recall past Autumn Elections. Although the students were excellent, their skill level had its limits.
Almost only in the finals would a single contestant present a Special Grade dish.
Compared to previous years, this year's Special Grade dishes appeared one after another as if they were free. The semifinals were practically a showdown of Special Grade cuisine from the start!
The only difference in two years is that this year, Dylan's students have advanced to the high school division. As expected, hiring Dylan was the most correct decision he ever made!
Well done, Alice!
Senzaemon Nakiri gave Alice Nakiri a thumbs-up in his mind. It was all thanks to the little girl for winning him over.
With Dylan around, Totsuki Academy was showing a state of thriving prosperity, and its reputation had grown significantly. In the future, it would surely produce more pillars of the culinary world.
Listening to the cheers around her, Liu Yu couldn't feel happy at all.
At this moment, she clenched her fists, her pearly teeth lightly biting her lower lip. Her fair little face was etched with the word 'unresigned,' but she was helpless, as her skills were inferior.
"Don't be too discouraged. After today, you can come to my place too. I've heard your story, and your potential is enough for me to lend you a hand."
However, just as she was preparing to leave in disappointment and pack up, Dylan's figure appeared before her, speaking these words to her.
The light returned to her dark eyes, and her lowered head lifted. At this moment, Dylan seemed to be glowing; he had become a Bodhisattva, saving her!
"Is that really okay? Even though I lost the match."
Liu Yu couldn't quite believe it. In her view, only those with value could be kept. She had taken second place, and under circumstances of a crushing defeat at that…
"The competition was never the point. Winning and losing are normal. No one can guarantee they will always win. What's key is the love for cooking.
When you joined the Dark Cooking Society, your cooking, while average in taste, was very interesting. Not like now, where you cook completely to win competitions, making old-fashioned things.
Of course, I understand you, but if you continue down this path, you will at most reach the level of the person who created this dish, and you won't be able to break through further. You don't want that, do you?"
Dylan's voice was not loud, but every word was a gem, striking a chord in Liu Yu's heart and causing her to fall into deep thought.
She had indeed cooked in a formulaic and standardized way to attract Dylan's attention, only caring about achieving a higher grade for her dishes while ignoring everything else. This was undoubtedly problematic.
"I understand. I will stick to my own path, trying my best to learn from others rather than just imitating, so I can forge my own way!"
Liu Yu's eyes grew brighter and brighter, finally saying these words.
"The child is teachable."
Amidst a great wave of excitement, Dylan left the competition venue. The Summer Selection continued, having decided the first and second places. The third-place winner also needed to be determined by a match.
"Three-quarters of the moon has passed, and there are plenty of ingredients left on site. We now ask contestant Soma Yukihira and contestant Hisako Arato to come to the stage for the final showdown."
Holding a microphone, Urara Kawashima stood on the competition floor and made the announcement.
Hearing her words, Hisako Arato immediately stood up from her chair and went down through the contestant passage. However, Soma Yukihira was nowhere to be seen.
"Will contestant Soma Yukihira please come to the stage. If you do not come to the stage, you will be disqualified from the competition."
Urara Kawashima's voice carried a hint of displeasure as she shouted again into the microphone. The Summer Selection committee should have notified everyone. How could a contestant still fail to show up?
"This is bad! Yukihira went out three days ago and still hasn't come back!"
Hearing Urara Kawashima's call, Soma Yukihira was still nowhere to be seen. This made the members of the Polar Star Dormitory panic. They looked left and right, but couldn't find their familiar friend.
"Speaking of which, didn't a letter from the Summer Selection arrive a couple of days ago?"
Ryōko Sakaki seemed to remember something and looked at Yūki Yoshino for confirmation.
"Yes, at the time we thought it was for Megumi, so we didn't open it.
However, after Megumi got back, she was always busy in the kitchen and completely forgot about it. Could it be…"
"If I'm not mistaken…"
They were speechless. Thinking back on how they had respected Megumi Tadokoro and Soma Yukihira's privacy by not even glancing at the letter from the Summer Selection and simply ignoring it, it now seemed it might have been the match notification…
If only they had taken a look, they could have called Soma Yukihira and told him he had a match today. Then maybe he wouldn't have missed it.
"Contestant Soma Yukihira has still not appeared. It seems he has forfeited the match.
Then I hereby announce that the winner of the second match of the Summer Selection finals is Hisako Arato!"
After waiting for about five minutes and with Soma Yukihira still not appearing, Urara Kawashima looked at Satoshi Isshiki, who was on the phone on the podium, then at Senzaemon Nakiri, and finally announced the news.
Hisako Arato thus became the first third-place winner in Totsuki's history to get a "bye."
"Fleeing without a fight, what an irritating man!"
Hisako Arato, who had prepared so much for this day, did not feel happiness the moment she heard Soma Yukihira wasn't coming, but rather a suppressed and restrained anger.
She never feared a challenge; in fact, she used challenges to hone herself and reach new heights.
But now, for Soma Yukihira to insult her long efforts by choosing to flee without a fight—how could she not be angry, not feel rage?
"Did something happen?"
Returning to the audience seats, Dylan asked Yūki Yoshino. In his impression, Soma Yukihira was not someone who would shy away from a fight. If he were, he wouldn't have been standing here from the beginning. So, something unexpected must have happened.
"It's like this…"
Hearing Dylan's question to himself, Yūki Yoshino and Ryōko Sakaki exchanged a glance, then stepped forward to speak to him.
"So you're saying Soma Yukihira didn't know the third-place match was being held today. If that's the case, then it was indeed a failure of notification on Totsuki's part. Where is he now?"
Dylan nodded. The fact that he hadn't received the committee's message was indeed a relatively reasonable explanation. One could only say that no one had noticed it.
After all, the probability of such a thing happening was too small. Under normal circumstances, no one would have thought that Soma Yukihira wouldn't even come to the finals venue.
He looked at Hisako Arato on the podium, who was somewhat dejected for not having an opponent, and Dylan shook his head with a wry smile.
He could understand her quite well.
After preparing so hard for so long, only for the opponent not to show up—anyone would break down in that situation. Even with a win, they wouldn't be truly happy.
Soon, the award ceremony was over.
The sight of the top three all being female students was a first since Totsuki's founding.
It had to be said, whether it was the students inside or people from the outside, all expressed their shock and, at the same time, grew curious about this teacher, Dylan.
_____
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