Can you handle my Hikigaya's cooking?

In response to Chef Qian's question, Takumi simply smiled faintly:

"That's right. The cleaned sweetfish innards are boiled in Japanese sake, and then sweet rice wine, soy sauce, and salt are added. This unbearable and just right flavor creates this rich, freshly made pickled catfish roe."

After listening to Takumi's explanation, the remaining students finally stopped questioning. It seemed that they had met a tough opponent and could only remain silent.

And Isami went on to add:

"The effort put into this cooking is not limited to this. Plantain and shallot are chopped instead of parsley, which gives it a fresh green color and a refreshing taste. Yuzu pepper is also used instead of garlic, which is traditional in Japanese cuisine, to add a Japanese flavor to the dish."

Takumi: "Yes, this is the 'Japanese-style salsa' made with freshly marinated catfish roe."

After the two brothers' explanation, everyone finally understood the problem. The fundamental reason for the Japanese cuisine they made was not the wild duck, but the so-called salsa sauce.

It is obviously an Italian sauce, but it is made in Japanese style. Even so, it is still integrated very well. In this deep mountain, a dish with so many ingredients is made.

Chef Qian: "Italy is different from Japan. It has a meat-centered food culture since ancient times. This is especially true in their hometown. Whether it is seasonal duck, rabbit, wild boar, etc., they will be served on the table. And you must have learned how to dismantle and cook these animals in such an environment."

"The sauce made of soy sauce, mustard, black pepper and honey makes the breast meat fragrant and goes perfectly with the sauce. Both the duck meat and the salsa have their own characteristics, which also highlights the essence of Japanese style. So... you two have indeed collaborated to create an excellent Japanese dish."

"Takumi Aldini."

"Isami Aldini."

"I judge you qualified."

The two brothers bumped their fists lightly. As usual, having worked together for decades, it was no exaggeration to say that they knew each other best. In a double exam like this, tacit understanding was extremely important. Not only were Takumi and Isami assigned to the same group, they also showed amazing insight, ability to handle ingredients, and the ability to switch between two dishes of different tastes. It could be said that they had everything going for them.

The first group of people who passed the cooking process has appeared, and everyone is once again in their own predicament. After watching the two brothers cook, Hachiman returned to his own stove.

Yukinoshita: "Is it really okay to cook this? Your opponent has brought out those high-end ingredients, and you and I only have a few eggs."

"Is it really not awkward for you to talk like that?"

Hachiman shook his head: "I am not his opponent, and he is not my enemy. Regardless of whether the other party regards me as a target of competition or not, it is enough for me to just do my best."

Yukinoshita: "This guy who has no desire to compete and no ambition is just like a zombie. No, he is a zombie."

"Can you please not express my outlook on life so easily?"

"It's really hopeless."

"Yes Yes.."

Compared to the other party who had the advantage of time, place and people, Hachiman felt that he was unlucky. He obviously did not expect that his first day of class would be group work, and then he would meet such a living ancestor.

Hachiman: "Anyway, let's get started."

Yukinoshita: "I hope Zombie-kun won't hold me back."

The two of them just looked at each other and then picked up their own kitchen utensils. Perhaps it was because they were in a corner, or perhaps it was because there was not much time left and everyone was busy with their own cooking. Or perhaps it was because Hachiman was not very noticeable, their cooking process was not watched by the crowd like before.

However, Takumi and Isami, who had finished cooking, kept their eyes on them.

"Strange...what are they going to do?"

"Brother, don't you think it's incredible..."

"what happened?"

"Didn't they just form a temporary team?"

"If I remember correctly, yes."

"Then why are they so well coordinated?"

After hearing the reminder from his younger brother Isami, Takumi suddenly came to his senses. If the cooperation between him and Isami was something they had gotten used to over decades, then the two people in front of him... why... why could their movements be so coordinated.

Takumi noticed this and just stared at Hachiman, but it was obvious that Hachiman was now completely immersed in cooking and did not feel the threat from the other party at all.

"That's not right... this speed..."

"This has risen too much compared to when we fought Mito."

"What the hell just happened?!"

Even now, Takumi still hasn't discovered the problem, while Hachiman was just processing the ingredients in an orderly manner, regardless of the frequency of breathing, the speed of swinging the knife, the force of the drop, what the other party needed, what they needed, the two of them didn't even make eye contact, and had no verbal conversation.

It’s like they are always doing their own thing, but it’s inexplicably harmonious.

Yukinoshita was wearing a white apron, with her long black hair flowing down her shoulders to her back. Although her speed was not as fast as the two brothers, just looking from a distance, she looked like an elegant angel, doing something that an ordinary person could not accomplish.

Even now, Takumi and Isami haven't figured out what they are supposed to do, because from the very beginning, they used very simple ingredients, and apart from the broth that was always cooking, there didn't seem to be anything strange about it.

Chapter 53: Yukinoshita's smile, a guy who is not pleasing to the eye

If you don't look closely, there is nothing strange. After all, the two of them seem to be cooking their own dishes and have no intention of cooperating with each other.

but...

If you observe carefully, you will find that the cooperation between the two is seamless. Although the speed is not very fast, they have been focusing on "each other" to carry out their tasks.

As Takumi looked at the scene in front of him, he had completely forgotten that he had completed the project. It seemed that he had been completely absorbed by it.

"How...how is it possible!"

Perhaps he was too engrossed in his thoughts, so when he said this subconsciously, his voice instantly attracted the attention of other students who were still cooking and Chef Qian.

"Sorry..." Takumi realized her mistake and scratched her head shyly, while everyone just turned their attention back to their cooking.

Only Chef Qian followed Takumi's gaze and looked at the two students who were temporarily teamed up at the back of the classroom.

Chef Qian: "Hey? This girl with long hair looks so much like someone I know... Did I make a mistake?" Her voice was so soft that no one else heard it.

As a transfer student, Yukinoshita Yukino is very famous among the first-year students of Totsuki Academy. However, outside of Totsuki Academy, there are always people better than you. And as a graduate who has already graduated, it is normal for her to not be very clear.

However, for other students, it is impossible not to know him.

Takumi: "I, I know!!... The problem is not with Yukinoshita... The problem is with that guy Hikigaya."

Isami: "Brother, the speed at which they formed a temporary team has surpassed us in the restaurant at that time. It's incredible."

Takumi: "It's Hikigaya. Hikigaya actually predicted what Yukinoshita would need and prepared everything one step ahead, so it looks so smooth. I was wondering why it was so strange. Obviously, neither of them is fast, but the speed of coordination is not as simple as 1 plus 1 equals 2."

Isami: "Prediction...?"

Takumi: "I have to say that Hikigaya's insight is really a bit abnormal. I think my insight is not bad. After all, I have been working in an Italian restaurant. I have to face customers from all over the world every day, and I need to observe constantly and make satisfactory dishes. That's why I quickly determined the wild duck as the target in the situation just now, but... why..."

What he really couldn't understand was that the insight of the guy in front of him was so terrifying that it made people terrified when they thought about it carefully. If he just found the wild duck because he had no tension and experience, then in the culinary world, unless you completely attack with dimensionality reduction, it is simply impossible to predict the opponent's actions.

The other party is Yukinoshita...

The cooperation between Hachiman and Yukinoshita continued. He raised his knife and cut the dough into pieces in an instant. He handed it to Yukinoshita behind him, and after she rubbed it, it became a new shape.

"about there..."

"Well, it's almost there."

The first words the two said while cooking were on the eve of plating. Although he was not familiar with the girl named Yukinoshita, the last accidental acquaintance and this accidental combination were both helpless moves, and Hachiman knew very well that he would definitely not have any other contact with Yukinoshita in the future. Although there was something about her that Hachiman cared about very much, after all, there was no specific bond, so it was normal even if they would drift apart.

But...it doesn't matter. After all, Hachiman has experienced too many people leaving him, so he doesn't have too many emotions for a girl who is just a temporary member of his team.

And...he's also a sharp-tongued guy.

The movements of his hands did not stop, because he knew that Yukinoshita's manual skills were quite good, so the final step was naturally handed over to her. Hachiman went to the side to bake pancakes. Since he was the only one baking pancakes in the place, he soon attracted everyone's surprised gazes.

"What is this guy doing? Didn't he say he was going to make Japanese food?"

"Don't be curious about the food that Yukinoshita made. You should worry about yourself."

"Tsk, no matter how well she does, she's still alone. Have you ever seen her with a companion? The previous topic almost eliminated her."

Facing the discussions around her, Yukinoshita seemed to have not heard anything at all, and just focused on cooking her own food. Hachiman, who had some free time, teased while flipping the pancakes, "It seems that your reputation outside is not that good."

Yukinoshita didn't seem to be affected by them, and just said calmly:

"Like I said before, there are always people who envy smart people, and I am the one who is envied. But it's better than zombie classmate. After all, they don't even seem to know who you are."

Saying this, Yukinoshita smiled faintly.

And this scene happened to be seen by students who were in the same classroom. Their expressions changed from dazed to stunned for a moment, because Yukinoshita herself was extremely beautiful, with her fair skin and long black hair, she instantly attracted the attention of many people in the class.

In their opinion, Yukinoshita has never smiled, and because of her personality, no one has ever approached her. Even for the usual two-person projects, since it is not necessary to form a team, Yukinoshita almost always completes them alone.

So, after seeing Yukinoshita's smile, all the students in the class were completely distracted, and some even forgot they were cooking and overcooked the food.

When he reacted again, it was too late to remedy the situation and he could only slap himself helplessly.

At the same time, Hachiman had already completed the final plating. When he gently beat the eggs and put them in the pot, Takumi beside him seemed to finally react.

"It's a Japanese omelette, a very simple Japanese dish. Why...why did they choose this dish? Could it be that they wanted to impress Chef Qian with this snack-like dish? How is that possible?!"

After confirming that he was not mistaken, Takumi opened his mouth wide. He was sure that only Hikigaya could come up with such an idea.

Chapter 54: These ingredients were found in such a short time?

The Japanese omelet is very easy to make. You can even find soup stock packets for making omelettes in ordinary supermarkets in Japan. These are so-called pre-prepared dishes, which are basically simple foods that can be served simply by heating them up.

In Totsuki Academy, it can't even be called cooking. After all, Takumi's brain almost crashed as he wanted to use food available in supermarkets as cooking.

"Crazy, this guy is absolutely crazy."

Isami looked at the Japanese omelette they made with a puzzled look on his face. It clearly had no special features at all and was completely different from the dishes Yukinoshita usually made, but...

These two guys are actually serious.

Not only Takumi, but almost all the classmates' eyes were on the two of them, and Chef Qian's eyes never left them. The faint fragrance wafted over and filled the entire classroom, as if everyone was waiting to see what the result of the dishes they made would be.

Although I don't understand why Yukinoshita agreed to make such a dish, it seems that only by trying it myself can I know what kind of flavor it contains.

After completing the final plating, Yukinoshita took the lead and walked forward with the plate, while Hachiman followed behind her. After all, they were not real companions, so it was not appropriate for them to fight side by side.

After seeing the Japanese omelette in front of him, Chef Qian just clapped his hands happily at this moment:

"Great! Finally there is food that is not fish. I am really looking forward to it!"

Yukinoshita: "Please enjoy it."

Chef Qian picked up a spoon without making any further comments. The moment the spoon touched the Japanese omelet, the egg skin seemed to have melted into ice cream, becoming extremely soft and elastic.

"Huh?" Chef Qian seemed to have no reaction. He just looked at the food in his hand blankly, then put the omelet directly on the spoon and put it into his mouth.

Sure enough, the food was obviously grilled, but at this moment, it melted directly in the mouth like ice cream. Chef Qian's masseter muscles didn't even move at all, and the omelet was broken. The warm broth flowed down her throat until every part of her stomach exuded the rich egg flavor.

If it were just that, it would be too simple. Although I don't know how Hikigaya did it, this so-called Japanese omelet is actually grilled to the standard of medium rareness. After the broth flows into the stomach, the omelet slowly melts. A rich egg aroma instantly blends with the broth, forming a new flavor again.

Chef Qian's mouth was completely filled and she couldn't utter a word, but looking at the expression on her face, it seemed that the result had already appeared in everyone's mind.

Takumi couldn't hold back any longer, so he ran to Hikigaya and asked with a puzzled look on his face:

"What on earth did you make? It's just an ordinary egg roll. Even if you add broth, I don't think there's anything special about it."

Facing Takumi's question, Hachiman just spread his hands and said naturally:

"I don't know anything. I'm just an assistant. It was all Yukinoshita's idea."

As if hearing her own name, Yukinoshita slowly turned around and ignored Hikigaya. Her face was still expressionless, and her words exuded a cold question:

"what happened?"

"No...nothing..."

Takumi just glanced at Hikigaya resentfully and walked away.

Hikigaya also looked at Yukinoshita with some fear. He didn't expect this guy to be so powerful...

Finally coming back from his enjoyment, Chef Qian held his cheek with one hand, a faint smile on his face.

"If I'm not mistaken, you guys put a lot of effort into both the egg skin and the soup stock."

“It’s obviously a savory dish, but honey and passion fruit are added to it. The flavor is enhanced during the roasting process of the egg skin, directly removing the fishy smell of the egg itself.”

Takumi: "It's actually passion fruit?"

Isami: "It makes sense now. After all, after eating so much meat, passion fruit can help digest it."

Chef Qian also clapped his hands: "That's right, he is such a gentle guy, even when cooking, he considers every detail of others."

Listening to Chef Qian's words, everyone who was still cooking started discussing again: