Who gave this heretical practitioner permission to cook?

Chapter 211 The Secret Hidden Beneath the Ultimate Taste: Crab Meat, and Sardines... (Bonus Chapter)

"Judges' Seat"

Xia Ming introduced his dishes with a smile.

"My dish combines local specialties, following the traditional 'Quarriva Casu' recipe while incorporating some techniques from the Chinese dish 'Hibiscus Crab Shell'."

"And we've tried to blend it with the local specialty, 'kava'."

"The result was this 'Special Quariva Caso,' which is both traditional and innovative."

"Hope you judges like it!"

After listening to Xia Ming's words, Mina, one of the judges from multiple countries, nodded in agreement.

"It has a rich fragrance that can dispel inner heat, and it's very similar to what the locals do in other places."

"But there must be some clever design hidden inside!"

After taking a closer look at Xia Ming's cooking, Mina picked up a spoon in one hand and a crab shell in the other.

After scooping up a large piece of the food, she put it straight into her mouth.

The first taste is a sweet blend of onion and coconut.

Then, very quickly, she experienced the delicate texture of the mud crab meat, which was like egg white.

Before she could even be surprised, she sensed strips of crab meat again.

This part has a soft yet firm texture, like a skeleton, supporting the delicate outer layer.

As the exploration of delicious food deepens.

Mina suddenly sensed small, refreshing, fruity bits within the crab meat; the sensation was distinct…

"Hi~"

Just as she was tasting it, a peppery flavor suddenly exploded in her mouth.

As it sprayed into her mouth, a stream of yellowish-white liquid broke through Mina's oral cavity defenses...

In a fit of savagery, the "kava" rushed down her throat, its pungent taste causing her body to shudder violently.

After a slight tremor, she subconsciously tried to adjust herself, but the juice had already flowed down her throat and into her body as she swallowed unconsciously.

All that remained was a strong taste in my mouth…

In a daze, she found herself on a plain covered with "Kava Pepper".

Amidst the lush greenery, she only felt the aroma of pepper permeating her body.

A sudden heat rose in my lower abdomen for no apparent reason.

But the heat didn't last long. In the next instant, a cool sea breeze suddenly blew around, slowly soothing the heat.

Just as she was trying to savor the taste of the wind, fine raindrops suddenly began to fall from the clouds in the sky.

The milky white rain soaked her clothes and penetrated her body, leaving the most exquisite sweetness deep within her.

Seeing her fever subsided after being soothed by Bai Yu, Mina subconsciously reached out to touch her lower abdomen.

But the next second, he felt his body being suddenly lifted up by something.

After a slight gasp, she felt the hard object beneath her.

It turned out to be a huge mud crab that had lifted her up from the kava pepper garden.

This strange sensation made her subconsciously bite her lip, and now she could only watch helplessly as the mud crab carried her around wildly.

She braved mango orchards, trampled wild cucumbers, and traversed tomato fields before finally reaching Haikou with the mud crab.

As the ocean's depths enveloped her, her restless heart finally found peace.

It's as if everything before was just a dream, and now that I've woken up, all feelings have vanished, leaving only a sense of nostalgia and contentment...

“Incredible…”

Mina, regaining her senses, bit her lip. If it weren't for the lingering taste of "kava" in her mouth, she would have thought it was just her imagination.

Mina took a deep breath, touched her flushed face, and then adjusted her clothes and breathing.

Then she licked away the little bit of coconut milk that had accidentally spilled on her lips with her tongue, and then picked up the remaining half of the "Quarivakaso" and glanced at it.

Upon seeing its internal structure, Mina's pupils contracted sharply.

The crab shell has three layers, from the outside in.

The outermost layer is made of minced crab meat, chopped into a paste, combined with coconut milk and onions. This is why Mina felt a texture similar to egg white upon tasting it.

Beneath the crab meat paste lies a whole slice of crab meat.

It was obvious that Xia Ming used a knife to continuously slice the meat inside the crab claws into noodle-like shapes.

For Mina, this knife skill was simply unbelievable, but for Tan Zhifeng, who had seen Xia Ming dissect cartilage, it was already a familiar sight.

At that moment, Tan Zhifeng, who was also observing the inside of the dish from the side, just like Mina, sighed softly.

"Lightly grill the sliced ​​crab meat strips until they have a slight chewiness..."

"Using weaving techniques, how can we make it into a pocket that can be sealed naturally?"

Tan Zhifeng had seen people do this before.

He had seen tofu skin, egg skin, noodles, and even chicken skin.

But using crab meat... this was truly a first for him.

After all, crab meat isn't like the crab sticks in cheap hot pot restaurants, which fall apart when cooked.

Fresh crab meat comes in strands, and he couldn't even imagine how much effort it would take to make 11 woven bags from such a tender meat.

Anyway, if he were doing it himself, he definitely wouldn't choose such a flashy way.

However, it must be said that after scraping off the crab velvet, the finished pocket looks very elegant…

Even Grant, who has watched countless Michelin Man shows, had to admit that he learned something new from the show today.

"The techniques may overlap, but the idea is simply genius."

Looking at the bag, he finally couldn't help but ask Tan Zhifeng.

"Is he really just a newbie? Even if he knows the principle, I don't necessarily have many new chefs under my wing who can replicate it..."

"The slicing step is really asking too much..."

Seeing this, Tan Zhifeng also smiled and looked at Grant.

"It might be amazing if it were someone else, but I think it's just normal for him."

"If you're interested, you can check out the Chinese New Chef Competition. There's a dish called 'Chrysanthemum Glass Cup' that you should find very interesting."

Grant looked at Tan Zhifeng's smiling face and carefully memorized the "Crystal Chrysanthemum Cup".

He also remembered Xia Ming's name...

Just as he was taking notes, Yamamoto Kawaiji chimed in.

“Similar techniques exist in Japanese swordsmanship. Although making it into a bag shape is novel, it’s not too outlandish.”

Tan Zhifeng couldn't help but smile inwardly after hearing Yamamoto's words.

It's easy to talk when you're not the one suffering...

You'll know how difficult it is to replicate once you try...

It's already quite an achievement that such thin crab meat could be shaped without being dried. To make a bag like Xia Ming's, which is so perfectly sealed, can only be described as the limit of knife skills and creativity.

Stop arguing with him about the bag and continue looking inside.

The cross-section of the bag clearly shows pieces of mango, cucumber, and a few small pieces of tomato.

The mangoes and tomatoes were probably used directly, while the cucumbers smelled like they had been soaked in salt water.

No, to be precise, it should be seawater that has been diluted.

"This step is probably to add a unique local flavor to the dish!"

Just as he was tasting it, Tan Zhifeng suddenly noticed that inside the crab meat bag and the fruit, there were several things that looked like popping boba.

He instantly realized that this must be the source of the juicy "kava" he had just eaten.

Staring at the tiny, translucent bubble, only 1 centimeter in diameter, Tan Zhifeng fell into thought…

After a long while, he suddenly thought of something, and his breath hitched.

"This thing, could it be the swim bladder of a small sardine?"

"Unbelievable... such a tiny thing, without a needle..."

"Can it really be injected with kava?"

(End of this chapter)