Food Wars!: I Became a Fantasy Ingredient Supplier

Carefully scooping it out of the pot with a slotted spoon, you can almost smell the delicious aroma through the screen. After untying the rope and pulling back the gauze, the entire elephant bear paw is perfectly intact, like a meticulously crafted work of art.

However, this is not the end; there is one last step:

We also need to make the essential sauce for braised elephant bear paw!

……

All I can see is that...

Ye Chen, heat up the necessary ceramic plate and slice some shiitake mushrooms for later use.

Use another iron pot to scoop out the broth and heat it on the stove. To make the broth thicker, add cornstarch, then pour the broth into a porcelain plate and add the pre-sliced ​​shiitake mushrooms.

Once the broth has thickened, the chef carefully places the bear paw into the paw, then pours the freshly simmered, rich broth over it in a shower-like motion until the broth coats every part of the bear paw, and finally sprinkles in a small amount of goji berries.

Goji berries, like little red gems, add a bright touch to this delicious dish.

And there you have it, this braised elephant bear paw dish is now complete!

……

Of course.

To add a touch of mystery.

Before serving the meal, the lid must be put on, and then it will be served to Erina and Hisako.

Then, as Ye Chen slowly lifted the lid, the fragrance instantly filled the entire room.

Erina and Hisako were drawn closer by the aroma. The bear paw looked fresh and delicious, fatty yet not greasy, making their mouths water. The surface of the bear paw glistened enticingly, as if telling people how delicious it was.

"Use a knife and fork to gently cut it open and see what the meat inside is like."

Ye Chen said with a smile.

Erina picked up her knife and fork and gently sliced ​​open the elephant bear paw, revealing its soft, collagen-rich flesh.

Collagen is like a layer of crystal-clear jelly, exuding an enticing aroma.

Although it looked very tempting, she knew she couldn't try it lightly, after all, it was an extremely rare fantasy ingredient!

"It tastes somewhat similar to pig's trotters, but it has a unique flavor and is full of collagen, which is definitely not comparable to ordinary ingredients."

next to.

Hisako couldn't help but sigh.

Her eyes were filled with admiration for the dish.

Erina nodded in agreement: "Although the method of making this braised elephant bear paw seems simple and crude, the raw materials are very precious. Every step contains Ye Chen's ingenuity, which is why it presents such a perfect taste!"

Chapter 110 Dependence

In fact.

Ye Chen is firmly against eating wild animals.

Even though he runs a small restaurant in France, he almost never deals with wild game ingredients!

I also hold a negative attitude towards shark fin, a so-called "delicacy".

After all, in this era that advocates the protection of wild animals and the maintenance of ecological balance, the consumption of wild game and shark fins is undoubtedly going against the trend of the times.

and.

to be frank.

For ingredients like shark fin and bear paw.

Ye Chen felt no regret at being able to disappear from the dining table.

……

In Ye Chen's view.

To be able to skillfully cook ordinary chicken, duck, fish, and meat into an exquisite delicacy is already a great achievement.

Reducing our consumption of wild game ingredients in exchange for the progress of human civilization and the improvement of the ecological environment is truly a wonderful thing.

however.

On the other hand...

If it's because of the ban on these ingredients.

It would be a great pity if the exquisite cooking techniques associated with it were lost.

Therefore, faced with the fantastical ingredient of bear, Ye Chen conceived the idea of ​​using the unique cooking technique of "braised bear paw." This way, he could satisfy his appetite without going against his conscience!

……

Well known.

Sichuan cuisine is one of the eight major cuisines of China.

It is renowned for its rich and diverse flavors and unique cooking techniques.

In Sichuan cuisine, braised shark fin was once a top-class dish and a frequent guest at high-end banquets.

At a very high-class banquet, only one of the precious ingredients such as abalone, sea cucumber, shark fin, and fish maw can be chosen as the main dish. If shark fin is served, the banquet will be called a shark fin banquet; similarly, there are abalone banquets, sea cucumber banquets, and so on.

Shark fins also vary in quality, with the back fins being the best.

The best quality, with its distinctive back wings, is called:

Jade-like wings!

Ye Chen once heard a chef tell a story that was astonishing.

In the 1980s, a conglomerate in Hong Kong spent 10,000 Hong Kong dollars to host a grand banquet in order to enjoy the ultimate cuisine.

At that time, 1 yuan was an astronomical sum.

The jade shark fin used that day was astonishingly large, more than half the height of a person. Imagine how shocking it would be to have such a huge shark fin on the dining table!

……

Of course.

Compared to shark fin, bear paw seems to exude a more luxurious feel.

Also in the 1980s, Japan filmed a documentary called "A Collection of Famous Dishes of China" in Beijing, Shanghai, Sichuan, Guangdong and other places, which included dishes featuring bear paws from various regions.

It's important to know that at that time, the law allowed bear paws to be served as food, which is why these valuable records have been preserved for future generations.

Sichuan chefs usually add soy sauce when cooking bear paws, so the dish is called braised bear paws.

Actually.

It falls into the same category as the dry-frying method for shark fin.

Commonly used dry-fried fish or shrimp dishes often employ strongly flavored bean sprouts for seasoning, representing another flavor profile derived from the same cooking technique.

To put it simply, the essence of dry-frying lies in slowly reducing the sauce over low heat.

This allows the ingredients to fully absorb the flavors of the seasonings while releasing their own natural umami.

……

now.

The kitchen is softly lit and elegantly decorated.

The aroma of braised elephant bear meat lingered in the air.

Erina Nakiri and Hisako sat at the dining table, their eyes filled with anticipation. On the table in front of them was a carefully prepared braised bear paw dish.

This dish is beautifully presented, like a work of art. The bear paw is cleverly shaped like an orchid, surrounded by lush green vegetables and a vibrant sauce, making it incredibly appetizing.

Subsequently.

Erina gently picked up her chopsticks.

She still exudes the noble air befitting a young lady, elegant and skillful.

She picked up a small piece of bear paw meat and slowly put it into her mouth.

The moment it first enters the mouth.

Her brow furrowed slightly, as if she were carefully savoring the taste of the dish.

At first, she felt the flavor wasn't strong; without too many spices masking it, the natural taste of the ingredients was clearly presented. However, as she slowly chewed, her expression gradually changed, and a look of surprise slowly appeared on her originally calm face.

Like bear paw meat, the more you chew, the more fragrant it becomes, as if releasing a unique magic in your mouth.

Especially the simple seasoning of cumin and Shaoxing wine, without too many complicated combinations, allows the bear paw meat to restore its most original and authentic flavor as much as possible.

……

"Sigh~"

"The sauce is rich and flavorful!"

Erina couldn't help but murmur her praise.

Her voice, though soft, was filled with genuine amazement: "The meat is incredibly tender and juicy."