Food Wars!: Delicious Food of the Heavens

Chapter 114, the 112th Palm: Taro Dumplings

"Just you wait and see!"

Under Yoshino Yuuki's curious gaze, Lin Yu soaked the steamed wild taro in ice water to cool it down, and then immediately began peeling off the skin of the steamed wild taro.

After steaming, wild taro becomes soft and sticky, and is still a bit hot inside, making it difficult to peel.

But Lin Yu's hands moved quickly. Despite the scalding heat, his fingers flew up and down nimbly, and he quickly peeled all the wild jujubes.

Lin Yu poured the white, sticky, and steaming wild taro into a large basin and used a hand mixer to blend all the wild taro in the basin into a smooth wild taro paste.

Next, Lin Yu poured the raw gluten paste that he had ground at the beginning of the cooking process into the bowl.

The raw and cooked wild taro were evenly mixed in the basin.

But Lin Yu didn't stop. With his continuous stirring, the wild sorghum mud in the basin gradually became thicker and its texture became more solid.

When fine beads of sweat appeared on Lin Yu's forehead, and the mud in the basin took on a texture similar to "paste," Lin Yu finally stopped stirring.

I gently patted the surface of the taro paste with a spoon, and instead of sinking into it, the spoon bounced back from the smooth surface of the taro paste.

"That's it!" Lin Yu breathed a sigh of relief, a satisfied expression on his face.

"Lin Yujun, don't move!"

Hearing Yoshino Yuuki's voice suddenly ring in his ears, Lin Yu wondered what she was going to do, but he did as she said and remained motionless.

The next moment, a small hand grasped a handkerchief and gently dabbed it on his forehead, wiping away the beads of sweat.

Lin Yu didn't move his body or head, but he still glanced at his side out of the corner of his eye.

A petite girl with her hair in a bun is standing on tiptoe, wiping his sweat with a handkerchief.

The girl's expression was exceptionally serious, and her movements were exceptionally gentle.

Look at how focused she is! If you knew her, you'd think she was wiping someone's sweat; if you didn't, you'd think she was cleaning some national treasure!

"Okay, everything's fine now."

Yoshino Yuuki put away her handkerchief, looked Lin Yu up and down, and immediately smiled.

"Thank you, Yuuki," Lin Yu said softly.

"Hehe, it's okay."

Yoshino Yuuki shyly rubbed the back of her head, "After all, I'm Lin Yujun's partner!"

Yoshino Yu extended two index fingers, repeatedly overlapping them, and muttered softly, "Ensuring the head chef's condition is also a partner's responsibility..."

'

Yoshino Yuuki's voice grew softer and softer until it was completely inaudible.

Finding this quite amusing, Lin Yu reached out and, smiling, ruffled Yoshino Yuuki's hair.

"No matter what, I'm very grateful to Yuuki!"

"Shall we continue?" Lin Yu asked softly.

"Um!"

Yoshino Yuuki nodded happily and vigorously.

Lin Yu mixed all the previously prepared diced rabbit meat and vegetables together, poured in a little bit of the simmered bone broth and green tea, and added simple seasoning.

This filling contains a variety of fragrant wild vegetables, so it doesn't need much seasoning.

After all, the goal is to highlight the fresh and vibrant scent of these wild vegetables, which belongs to "spring".

The best approach is to utilize their inherent aromas, combining different wild vegetables to create a harmonious and delicious dish.

The taste.

With the filling prepared, Lin Yu then prepared to wrap all the ingredients together.

Lin Yu scooped out a piece of sticky taro paste with his hand, held it in his left hand, and slightly concave his palm.

At the same time, apply even pressure with your right hand, press your thumb down on the center of the taro paste, and gently press to create a dent.

The other four fingers hold the raised edge of the taro paste and gently pull it inward.

With both hands working together, the right hand applies even pressure from two directions to press down on the protruding taro paste, while the left hand supports the taro paste and rotates it at a constant speed.

And just like that, in the blink of an eye, a simple taro paste "small bowl" was formed.

Lin Yu scooped up a spoonful of the freshly prepared filling and placed it into the "small bowl." Then, with both hands working together and applying even pressure, the taro paste "small bowl" closed up under the gentle pressure of Lin Yu's hands.

Then, use both palms to wrap the clay ball tightly, and roll and rub it a few times in your palms.

After removing your hand, the taro paste ball magically becomes seamless, as if it were made perfectly by nature.

"Wow! That's amazing!"

Yoshino Yuuki, who had been watching Lin Yu's "magical movements" closely, clapped her hands and exclaimed in surprise when she saw this scene, almost jumping up in excitement.

"Um, I'd like to try it too..."

'

Yoshino Yuuki looked at Lin Yu with pitiful eyes, "This looks really interesting, is it okay, Lin Yu-kun?"

Faced with those bright, sparkling eyes, Lin Yu was at a loss for words, not knowing whether to laugh or cry.

But of course he wouldn't refuse.

"Okay, observe my movements carefully." Lin Yu gently reminded him of the key points to pay attention to, "Be careful to use gentle force, and make sure your strength is even and smooth."

"clear!"

Yoshino Yuuki excitedly scooped up a piece of clay, recalling Lin Yu's actions from earlier, and tried to mold the clay in her hand into the shape of a bowl.

But in the next few minutes, no matter how much Yoshino Yuuki kneaded the taro paste in her hands, the taro paste remained soft and sticky, completely unable to take shape.

With excessive kneading, the taro paste even becomes somewhat runny.

The more anxious Yoshino Yuuki became, the more disobedient the lump of taro paste in her hand became, as if it wanted to deliberately tease her, nimbly changing shape and weaving back and forth between her fingers.

"Lin Yujun...."

'

Yoshino Yuuki looked at Lin Yu, pouted, and complained in a wronged tone, "I think I messed up..."

"

Yoshino Yuuki was somewhat dejected, her eyes were downcast, and she couldn't hide her self-blame and guilt.

"Okay~"

"Why are you so angry, silly girl!"

Lin took Yoshino Yuuki's hand and accepted the taro paste from her.

"Come on, let me demonstrate again. Watch carefully."

Under Yoshino Yuuki's piercing gaze, Lin Yu used both hands in unison, applying even pressure, and quickly shaped the taro paste into a small bowl.

The process of wrapping the filling was also very smooth.

What was a sticky, soft, muddy lump of clay in Yoshino Yuuki's hands became incredibly obedient in Lin Yu's hands, shaping it into whatever form he wanted.

Unconvinced, Yoshino Yuuki even felt that the taro paste seemed to be consciously cooperating with Lin Yu's hands.

Noticing the resentment in Yoshino Yuuki's eyes, Lin Yu suddenly found it somewhat amusing.

"How's it going? Did you learn it?"

Yoshino Yuuki blushed slightly, but unconvinced, she just pouted, held up one finger, and reluctantly insisted, "Just a little bit more, just a tiny bit more..."

'

"Hmph, if I could watch it again, I'm sure I could learn it!"

"Yes! That's right, that's exactly it!"

Yoshino Yuuki, who already knew this was the last lump of mud, stubbornly insisted.

Lin Yu found it amusing, but didn't expose her.

"Of course, our Yuuki is the best, isn't she?"

Lin Yu teased Yoshino Yuuki in a relaxed tone, then turned around and put the last wrapped taro dumpling into the steamer.

"Let the taro paste on the surface of the taro dough solidify a little, and give the taro dough a slight shape," Lin Yu explained to Yoshino Yuuki, who was looking at him.

Yoshino Yuuki nodded. "Understood!"

"Yuuki, if you're not tired, could you help me break that bag of persimmon seeds?"

Lin Yu looked at Yoshino Yuuki and gave her instructions.

"The more fragmented, the better!"

"But remember, don't turn it into a complete powder; leave a little bit of texture."

"Understood! Leave it to me!"

Yoshino Yuuki was actually quite happy to have something to do, and smiled as she gave Lin Yu an "OK" sign.

"Smash it! Smash it!"

Yoshino Yuuki found a rolling pin and tapped it repeatedly on the bag of persimmon seeds.

After tapping for a while, she changed her method and used a rolling pin to grind the bag of persimmon seeds.

Yoshino Yuuki seemed to be treating this as a game, humming a tune softly, clearly in a good mood.

After grinding for a while, Yoshino Yuuki turned the bag of persimmon seeds over and started pounding them with a rolling pin. After a while, she started grinding them again.

After repeating this two or three times, Yoshino Yuuki stopped moving, then opened the bag and peered inside.

"It feels like something's missing..."

"

Yoshino Yuuki muttered something under her breath, then went to the room where kitchen utensils were stored. She rummaged through a large pile of sieves for a while before finally finding the two most suitable sieves she wanted.

Back in the kitchen, Yoshino Yuuki first poured the crushed persimmon seeds into a fine-mesh sieve, then gently shook it, causing the fine powder to fall through.

Next, Yoshino Yuuki poured the sifted powder into a coarse-mesh sieve and placed a plate underneath it.

Yoshino Yuuki gently shook the sieve, leaving the oversized pieces inside, while the medium-sized, neither too coarse nor too fine, persimmon seed fragments fell to the bottom and were caught by the plates that had been placed there beforehand.

Yoshino Yuuki picked up the plate and looked at Lin Yu with a smile.

"How about it, Lin Yujun? Aren't I smart?"

Lin Yu took the plate from Yoshino Yuuki and praised her generously, saying with a smile, "Yuuki is amazing!"

"I never thought there was such a method, but Yuuki actually came up with it."

"Yuuki is very clever!"

Hehe~

Even though it was just a few simple words, Yoshino Yuuki was clearly even happier to hear them. Her two little tiger teeth peeked out as she grinned, making her look alert and mischievous.

Lin Yu and Yoshino Yuuki stood in front of the stove, keeping an eye on the steamer while preparing the sauces and chatting idly.

Taro balls don't need to be steamed for long; they're done when the surface is slightly set, or semi-set.

If it's steamed until completely solidified, it will be harder for the flavors to penetrate, and the texture won't be as good.

A few minutes later, Lin Yu lifted the lid of the pot.

Thick white steam rose from the pot, filling the entire classroom.

Lin Yu and Yoshino Yuuki exchanged a glance and nodded to each other.

"Yuuki, we're about to begin the final step. Are you ready?"

"Always be prepared!"

"Okay, let's begin."

Lin Yu retrieved the earthenware pot he had used to brew tea, added green tea and rabbit bone broth to it, creating a pot of uniquely flavored tea that also released...

The broth emits two aromas: a rich and mellow fragrance and a refreshing tea aroma.

Lin Yu heated the broth to a gentle boil, and then carefully placed several pieces of taro balls into the broth.

Lin Yu adjusted the stove fire to its lowest setting, then instructed Yoshino Yuuki, "Yuuki, come and watch the fire for me."

Yoshino Yuuki happily approached the earthenware pot, then stared intently at the round, white taro dumplings floating in the broth.

Seeing her serious expression, Lin Yu couldn't help but laugh out loud.

"There's no need to take it so seriously..."

'

"But remember, don't let the broth boil."

"Maintaining this simmering but not boiling state allows the flavors to penetrate while keeping the outer taro paste at its best texture."

"Yuuki, are you alright?"

"Of course, no problem! Chef!"

Yoshino Yuuki patted her chest excitedly and gave Lin Yu a smile that said, "You should trust me!"

Lin Qi smiled. "Well, then I'll leave it to Yuuki!"

Turning his gaze away, Lin Yu focused his attention on the fried food in front of him.

As usual, Lin Yu stretched out his palm and made a grasping motion in the air above the oil pan, judging the oil temperature by the burning sensation transmitted back through his skin.

Perhaps for some chefs who are used to relying on thermometers, this method is too crude and inaccurate.

But for Lin Yu, this trick always worked; it was both convenient and quick.

Moreover, he has never made a wrong judgment.

At this moment, the sesame oil in the pan has already reached the right temperature.

Lin Yu scooped up a piece of glutinous rice ball and rolled it in the plate containing crushed persimmon pieces.

Because the surface of the taro balls is still in a semi-solid state and quite moist, and because taro paste itself is sticky, it easily gets covered with a layer of persimmon seed crumbs.

Lin Yu's movements were gentle and her technique was very careful, so the taro balls were not deformed and the coating on the surface was just the right thickness.

The taro balls coated in batter were placed in the oil pan, where countless tiny bubbles immediately rose up.

Several small dough balls were dropped into the pot one after another, and a large number of white bubbles rose up in the light golden hot oil.

At first glance, it looks like a white wave rising from golden seawater.

Lin Yu closely monitored every change in the oil pan, occasionally picking up a ladle and gently tapping it against the side of the pan.

The force of the tapping travels from a single point to every part of the pan, and then into the oil inside.

The pale golden hot oil rippled like waves.

With this slight vibration, the dough balls in the oil pot also trembled and no longer clung together.

This is a method that Lin Yu discovered by chance. It uses the vibration generated by tapping the pot to cause the oil inside the pot to vibrate, which in turn causes the food to shake, preventing the food from sticking together.

This trick is surprisingly effective when dealing with fried foods that need to be prevented from sticking together in the early stages, but are also particularly fragile.